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  • From: Juanita Hayes <j28l61h@yahoo.com>
  • To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] how do horses act with strange mares?
  • Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:37:34 -0700 (PDT)

I would not recommend just a hot-wire between new horses when a foal is
involved. Our mare foaled 2 weeks ago- the baby is great with our personal
herd (after the mare bit HER 6 yo gelding), who have had previous experience
with foals. However, the App gelding has taken his job as protector of the
little guy very seriously- and runs at the fences to chase off the neighbors
horses. He's known (and get along well with, if the baby is not involved) all
of these horses for about a year. But he charges the fence hard enough I feel
he might go thru an electric only fence. Also, one of the neighboring mares
has had a foal before and she seems fairly intent on "stealing" the baby- she
just might make it thru electric also. If the foal is young enough, you also
run a small risk of him waking up from a nap on the wrong side of the fence.
A broken electric wire can inflict ALOT of damage if panicked horses are
running thru and around it. I'd stick with hard fencing.

Juanita Hayes


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>
>
>There were no geldings in the field, but I found it interesting that
>experienced mares or not, all concurred to let the little guy have fun
>and no discipline.
>
>M
>
Wow! In my experience that is really the exception to the rule! We have
always relied on older mares to put the youngsters in their place-
gently plus firmly. Old cowboy lore is that if you need to teach a
gelding or a foal manners you put them in with an older mare. <G> Having
four mares to spoil him would definitely make for some training challenges!!

As to introducing the new pair- all the advice so far has been
excellent. Because the foal is too young to really protect itself extra
care has to be taken. It may be that after a week on the other side of a
fence all four can be together fine. But maybe not. Size of the pasture
will play a big part as well. Is there room so that noone feels
threatened and if they do can they escape their tormentor? Is there
enough room so that the two older mares and the new pair can each stake
out some territory or safe space?

We have introduced quite a few new horses to our 'herd' over the years.
Some absolutely insist on being with the herd immediately and usually
all works out. Some take longer. Our newest gelding had never learned
herd behavior or herd MANNERS. He was not safe to put with the
others.(for his own safety as well as the other horse's!) In fact it
took a year of him sharing a fenceline, with short supervised visits in
with the herd, before we deemed it safe to put him in with the rest. He
does fine now and he is low horse in the pecking order. (Have to say it
was the mare who taught him to behave himself. <G>)

Each situation is different and must be approached with good sense and
caution. And, as Irv said, are you ready for the committment a foal
entails? If not, leave this deal alone no matter how good it sounds! <G>

Chris Pennington
Big Bear Sheriff's Posse
MSAR




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