I recently bought a 5yr old fell pony straight off the fell. She hadn't been handled at all and has been an absolute dream to handle. She long lines, loose lunges, I have been riding her in the arena. She isn't bargy, she doesn't bite...she has lovely stable manners. The only problem is that she doesn't appear to like other horses!! She doesn't actively seek out trouble, but doesn't like any horse near her - she pins her ears back and tries to kick. It is like a defensive action - maybe she has been at the bottom of the pecking order on the fell...but I really want to show her and need her to accept other horses!!! Help, any idea???
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Hi cath, yes, you are right, it is a defensive action, she's a mare & she's just protecting herself.
You can't rush it, does she have any friends that she does like?
The best way to get them used to others really is to ride out with them as they are both on neutral ground then.
If she's worried about them being up behind her, then ask the other rider to keep a good distance behind her, by that, i mean where your mare is comfortable.
My mare loves the gelding we ride out with now, but she doesn't want him up her bum!
She will let him go in front but if i try to ride upside of him, she puts her ears back & puts him back in his place - behind her!!!
Her companion is a Fell pony, she too has a lovely temperament, just her spacial awareness is lacking at times!
Hi Cath - can you explain a bit more under what circumstances she doesn't like others - is it when ridden, in the field? She will have been with others on the Fell - did you get to see her then or was she already off the Fell when you got her?
Thanks for your answers. In answer to your question Vicci....she doesn't really like other horses under any circumstances - field, stable, when being ridden!!! She was out in a herd on the fell but I didn't actually see her out, when I went to get her she was already rounded up and in a stable.
She has one younger fell pony that she will tolerate and seems to quite like - but not enough to get too close. I have ridden in the arena with another couple of ponies in there too and she is okay but just looks stressed all the time.
It would just be lovely to see her being a pony and grooming, playing and enjoying the other ponies company.
Hi Cath. My mare likes to keep her distance. Even her nearly 6 month old filly foal spends more time with the 3 geldings. Bella lunges at her 19 month old colt & the unrelated Max but she has respect for Humphrey who fathered both foals but is now gelded. He is the only one she moves away from. However, they do lay down together & have been seen grazing together. Your girl is simply trying to find her place. Mares do have strong ideas. You say she is a recent addition. Depending on how recent she may still be fitting in. I would suggest you try & put her out with just one other. Once that relationship is established, whether friendship or mutual avoidance, introduce a third & so on. Make sure there is enough space & if possible, monitor carefully. Cheers, Jo.
I've given this a lot of thought Cath and as Jo says she is trying to find her place.
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While virtually all horses prefer company there are very rare exceptions and she may be one. My friend has a lovely mare who will only tolerate the other mare but herewith comes the warning. If you pair a horse with one other you risk setting up separation anxiety when you have to split them. This mare that I mention will finally stay out on her own but it took a lot of work over many weeks and fingernail chewing on our part until she settled down. So in her case she is actually better on her own for a lot of the time as she will not tolerate any other horse and the one she does tolerate she becomes too bonded to if we leave them together for more than a couple of days.
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On that basis, you could find that putting two that get on well together and can support each other in with her rather than one is better. But even that is risky, as she may split them and "claim one" ostracising the other one or harass them both continually. On the other hand, she could leave them to it and gradually learn to tolerate them which would be the best option. Either way, they would need watching carefully and need a lot of space to "work it out". If you do try this, don't be tempted to jump in too soon to rescue any of them if there is "argy bargy" but ongoing bullying can't be allowed to continue so if they don't settle down they would need to be separated.
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Sorry to be rather woolly and vague but there are a number of eventualities that could happen :-)
Hi. This is a case of try it & if it doesn't work try something else. Putting a new horse into an established herd can take a long time to settle down & sometimes it won't settle down. When that happens, you try the other options until you find the right one. All horses are different so we need to be inventive to meet their needs. Cheers, Jo.
all good advice.
If she really is aggressive out with the others,or worried, use electric fencing to make her a paddock of her own within the main paddock so she can get used to the others but be in her own space, that way, she can stay safe & move to the others when she's ready to at her own pace.
I don't think she's aggressive, just scared. It's as very big deal when a horse is torn away from it's own herd, she's bound to be missing her friends & her mum if she was bred on the fell, so lots of love from you & groundwork to help your bond together will help her over this very emotional time, Bless her!
Just concentrate on your relationship for now so she sees you as a much needed friend.