Thinking like a horse

[S&S Farms]

Is it uncommon for a mare to cause ordinarily calm easy going geldings to act like a stud? We have 2 geldings and a mare, one gelding and mare came together and I just thought they were both stupid, spent the winter just trying to keep them from tearing down fences. I have played mix and match enough now that I have observed that the geldings are ok and peaceful together and any one of the geldings is not too bad with the mare (except that she is insanely herdbound with whichever gelding she is with). However all 3 horses are something short of dangerous to be around. The geldings fight over the mare, the mare teases the geldings (seems like on a basis much more frequently than every 21 days). The horses don't mind running over any human that happens to be in their way. Separately they don't behave that way.

Seems clear that the answer is to separate the mare from the bunch, if I currently had facilities to do that it would have already been done.

Mare is difficult at best to catch, not bad in small pens but in a pasture forget it. Saving grace is if you have one of the other horses to lead her home she can be caught (yes--back to the tearing down fences comment she has gone adventuring several times)

It is obvious that whoever had these horses prior had no John Lyons experience and the downside is I am kind of ignorant too.
Gets better! mare would have gone to town but Grandpa bought the kids these 2 horses...Son has decided that he likes the mare...and in reality she is not a bad little riding horse.

Any Suggestions???
Holly

 

[flaboy]

Boy, I'm not sure I understand all of that. Lets see if I have this right.

1.The geldings are fighting over the mare.
2.When all three are together they are dangerous.

Are you positive the geldings are not proud cut?
Sounds like all the horses need some respect training if they are not recognizing you as the herd boss.

My two geldings fight all the time and are together 24x7. First one will start it and then the other. I just let them sort it out.

Your situation sounds likes they have not figured out between THEM who the herd boss is. If these are relatively new to each other it will take some time for them to sort things out. Put them together and turn your head for a few days.

 

[warpaint]

I'm with ya Fla.

Even if a mare is not in season, geldings will try. I don't think that just because they can't anymore, their instinct is to protect the mare from other males. Properly trained they should act better. I can of ran thru your post but, don;t recall if you gave the horses ages. I have 2 geldings in with a mare, (all 12 yr. olds) and they are fine together.

 

[Alan]

I have geldings next to my mares all the time and no problems. I say next to and not with, what I do is I have divided a pasture into about 1/2 or 3/4 acre paddocks. Their paddocks are seperated buy a very hot electric fence (poly tape) the horses can reach over and still make contact with each other, but I control the herd bound issue and playing hard to catch in a big pasture. Sounds like your mare needs some alone time in a secure paddock or round pen to get over the herd bound issues. After she gets over that, than I would do some round pen work to get her to bond with you and not so much the other horses. On a side note, I have 4 horses that have been imprinted at birth and one that was not (5 total), all have been trained basicaly the same way and 3 are the same personality types. I have spent much more time with the gelding that was not imprinted and he is by far the worse mannered horse of the bunch (Walks or trots away when I try to catch him, not a long battle but fustrating compared to my other horses), by the way he has the same personality type as the other three (3 half brothers and the mare). My imprinted horse, including a two year old stud, will run to me when I enter thier turn out, no treats just me and a soft hand, 100% trust of me, I trust them 75% (any horse any day thing).

So is why I keep minimal contact between horses and believe strongly in imprinting at birth and maintain the primary bond with me, not another horse. If your horses just as soon run over you they need manners and a shock to their system on who's in charge.... a round pen will do this in a few days.

JMO,
Alan

 

[jonbri55]

When I have a horse that won't let me catch him in the pasture, I start driving him away like you do in the round pen. It takes a lot more walking - or running- but they do eventually stop and turn and let you come up to them. After that they are much easier to catch. Sometimes I have to do this more than once but since have not had a problem.

 

[S&S Farms]

Thanks for the replies!!
"Are you positive the geldings are not proud cut?"
I was ready to send in a testosterone assay on the younger gelding (8 yrs old) when I realized that it wasn't just the younger one acting that way, it was my old reliable gelding (23 yrs old) that I have had for a long time acting that way too.
I had the horses separated one new horse with one of my old reliable geldings most of the winter and that worked fairly well, but when my really old gelding died this spring, I put the 3 remaining together and they immediately reverted to instinctive horse behavior. I agree, they are not respecting me as their leader, they seem to battle constantly to establish their own pecking order and never seem to get there. (I no longer have the second facility to run 2 separate groups of horses) They have been together for several months now. The rules at our house are simple: I am the only one that goes into the pen with the horses when they are not separated. I do separate them into stalls for feeding time, (I bleed less that way) but facilites are not adequate to keep them separate for more than a few hours. I do carry a buggy whip with me to correct the behavior of running over the human. I am sure there is a better way, but I am ignorant and time for research is a premium--haven't done that yet.
Sad part is the rotten mare (12 yrs old) is actually ruining the behavior of my sweet old gelding. (I know underneath it all he is still a HORSE, but his ground handling behavior has become dramatically worse since she has been around)

Thanks in Advance
Holly

 

[flaboy]

Holly, I am worried about you. If you have to carry a buggy whip into the pen to feel safe, you have a big problem. I didn't even do that when I had stud horses. These horses sound like they really need some respect training for sure.

 

[Alan]

Holly, I am worried about you. If you have to carry a buggy whip into the pen to feel safe, you have a big problem. I didn't even do that when I had stud horses. These horses sound like they really need some respect training for sure.

:nod: :nod: :nod: Round pen = respect

Alan