help! - [Introducing very dominant horse to another]

[missnancy]

My husband and I adopted a big Morgan /cross mare, last year and we love Lucy to death, but we have a problem. In August, I bought a Quarter Horse gelding from a friend, thinking since they knew each other over the fence, there would be no problem!
When we put them together, we watched them for about an hour and they were getting along fine, eating hay, with their noses touching, Etc. So we left them together for the night! BIG MISTAKE! When, My husband came to feed in the morning, Poco was standing still and wouldn't come to him. Lucy had kicked the @#$
out of him, giving him two gashes on his near side hock. A month later, 3 vet visits, 2 sets of x-rays, and $400.00 , he is all better. My question is, how can I safely get them together. Lucy is a "dominant mare" and they would have to share a run-in shed, at least during the day. Any suggestions?

[WashingtonBay]

Hi and Welcome :). I'm going to move your thread to the horse area so it gets better attention, and perhaps give it a more descriptive title.

What is their living arrangement now while he's been healing? Have they been in sight of each other?

[JackieB]

How much room do they have in the pasture? And does the run-in shed have a great big open area to the outside? He has to be able to get away from her if she threatens him. She's saying "get away!" and doesn't understand if she's blocking the exit. She just knows that he's not moving away from her and she will continue to kick at him even if she is standing in the doorway that he needs to go through to get out.

Others have more experience than me, but I've seen at our farm that space is the key. If there is enough room in the pasture for the subordinate horse to get away, or an exit in the shed, I haven't seen anyone get hurt too badly yet. But if he's in the shed and she walks into it, he needs a way to get out without having to go one inch towards her. She wouldn't be able to understand.

Also, you will want to keep their food separated. If we have six horses to feed, we spread out seven or eight hay piles all down the line so that anyone who gets pushed off can find an open pile.

I don't have as much experience as many in this matter, but these are some ideas. WashingtonBay would know for sure.

[carla]

Do you think this is happening in the run-in, as JackieB suggested? If so, could you separate it into two run-ins? Diane and Sundays Man have this type set-up and it works quite well; didn't take the underdog long to realize which side was his- whichever side she ISN'T in! LOL ;)

[WashingtonBay]

I don't have as much experience as many in this matter, but these are some ideas. WashingtonBay would know for sure.

I appreciate your confidence, but these situations are really variable and always carry some risk. Last time we introduced a new horse here, it wasn't without some scrapes.

The shelter and other bottlenecks around feed, water, or other horses can be a source of conflict and should be designed to be as safe and open as possible.

Usually, over time, they'll learn to get along, but sometimes at great cost.

Some horses just "do not play well with others" and should be separated. Not sure yet which situation we have here. :)

[Hill]

When we had our worst fights between Peaches and Wren we would clip a lead rope on each and take them for long walks together. I did it because thats how I introduce dogs with issues! It seemed to help re establish that when it comes down to it I'm in charge!

We also made sure we had 3 water spots, 3 hay piles and 3 pans of grain! So that no matter how much she chased him he always had a place to go and something to eat.

After several long long walks they seemed friendlier and now they love each other!

Good Luck!

[Ryle]

One very good tactic is to move the dominant horse INTO the submissive horse's pasture. This puts them on more even footing because the submissive horse is still in his familiar surroundings while the dominant horse has been taken away from "her area" and is now in someone else's space.