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Elizabeth Belmont
Member
Username: Carocbr
Post Number: 2
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 30, 2006 - 1:45 pm: |   |
We have a group of 7 drafts at pasture - from a bossy yearling clyde filly to big belgian alpha mare. They are all different ages but only 2 are geldings.
About 10 days ago we bought a shireX mare and her 4 week old baby and they are out at pasture on their own and doing well. However, mommy is definately getting lonely and starting to look wistfully at the group...Yesterday she made a run for a gate I was closing to try to join them.
I think at least 4 of the others are too big and bossy to be allowed near her, let alone baby. However, I could split the group and let her and baby join the calmer ones. Is this a good idea?
This is the first mare and nursing baby we've had, and I'm not sure what people usually do.
If I allow her to join half the group, there would be no competition for food as we have plenty of grass. Also, baby is a big healthy girl!
Any suggestions much appreciated! |
Linda S.
Member
Username: Banthony
Post Number: 75
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 30, 2006 - 3:35 pm: | |
Elizabeth,
We have put some strange groups together. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I know drafts have a different (more laid back) personality than the thoroughbreds we have.
Your mare might need to wait another month to put with a mixed group. It depends on whether she is a maiden or experienced mother and is the foal a colt or filly? Tough foal or momma's boy?
We did put a mare and her 2 month old filly in with her yearling half sister. It took a few days of adjustment but they are a happy group now. And we have a 22 yr old Anglo Arab in with a yearling thoroughbred colt. But the colt is very mellow and more like a gelding. He and his baby sitter play, but it is not the rough house stallion kind of play.
We had our mini tease pony in with the colt and Anglo Arab but had to take him out because he was occasionally chasing the yearling. And the yearling (who is 15 hands!) was getting scared.
Horses do prefer to be in some kind of a herd if you can do it. |
Marcia A Rollins
Member
Username: Avandia
Post Number: 22
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 30, 2006 - 3:51 pm: | |
From my experience of breeding 3 foals I have always allowed the integration when the mares feels it is ok. However, I always monitor for a while just to make sure. So take a chair and coffee and be prepared to sit a while. In my experience all are very inquisitive at first. If all settles down and no member of the herd (mixed from shetlands to percheron)is intent on harming the foal it is very good as the foal benefits from the experience.
Cheers Marcia |
Holly Wood
Member
Username: Hwood
Post Number: 1269
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 30, 2006 - 4:10 pm: | |
The important thing is monitor very closely for the first day, days, and, even, week.
I had an easy-going gelding and sweet (not "marey") mare who were stalled next to eachother. Whenever one was taken away for exercise, the other one would cry and wail and walk the stall . . . and when they reunited, they were all "lovey-dovey." After weeks and weeks of this, I decided to turn them out together in the 300 x 120 arena while I cleaned stalls. They were great together for a half an hour or so, and then all hell broke loose. I heard screaming and squealing, and the gelding had cornered the mare and was kicking the bejeepers out of her . . . and he just wouldn't let up . . . I dropped everything and ran screaming and waving my hands and climbed the side of the arena at the mare's head to scare the gelding away, but he was focused and brutal . . . She suffered some hind end lameness for a few days, and she had some good wounds on her hocks and stifles . . . Still confounds me to this day, but taught me that I can't take anything for granted with horses. |
Linda S.
Member
Username: Banthony
Post Number: 76
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 30, 2006 - 5:07 pm: | |
I second Holly's thoughts. When I first put the mini in with the yearling colt the colt played very aggressively. I was afraid he would hurt the mini. Then they all settled down and looked peaceful.
The second day the mini was aggressively chasing the yearling off and on. The yearling got so traumatized he wouldn't come up from the far end of the pasture to the gate to eat even after the pony was put up for the night. So we separated them. |
Elizabeth Belmont
Member
Username: Carocbr
Post Number: 3
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 30, 2006 - 10:58 pm: | |
Thanks everyone! Today I put them in with 'grandpa' gelding, grandma and one mare in foal for a few hours, then separated them again this evening.
Momma was a little aggressive with the gelding (gave him a bit of a kicking for no reason) but seemed to get along well with the younger mare in foal.
Baby was fine - did a bit of babymouthing and nobody bothered her at all. Overall it wasn't too bad for a first meeting.
I'll try a few hours a day under supervision and see how it goes! |
