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Horse Behavior and Training

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By:
kathymw
Date:
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed
Hello, both of our horses are arriving in a few hours from separate farms. Can we put them in the same paddock together right away? Henry is a 15 yr. old gelding Quarter Horse who is very calm. Jack is a 7 yr. old Pony of America who is also pretty calm.Thank you!
Kicki -- Sweden
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed
I would never put two or more unacquainted horses together directly upon arrival to a new place. 
They need time to settle and say hello maybe from separate but adjoining fields, or better still from inside adjoining boxes in the stable. 
If you have nowhere to put them separately, then they need a field big enough that they can get away from each other so they don't get caught in the fence and kicked or try to jump it. The risk with a big field, of course, is that new horses might prove very hard to catch again.

Best of luck!
kathymw
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed
Never mind, we put them together and they are doing great! :)
JoHewittVINTA
Please upload your photo 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed
Hi Kathy. Well, not a standard outcome - couldn't guarantee this result but hey, great for you & them. Long may it continue. However, keep a close eye on them for the next few weeks - issues can arise. Horses need a hierarchy so where things seem sorted, issues can come to the surface quickly & someone might need rescued. Be aware of condition. If a horse is being bullied it can rapidly loose body weight - not given peace to graze. Assuming these guys decide life here could be good, you'll have no problems in which case you've probably been lucky. Cheers, Jo.
Kicki -- Sweden
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed
Kathy,
I am happy and relieved that it worked out for you. You made a judgment call and can rest in the satisfaction that your hunch was right. :)

Putting horses together doesn't have to result in bad things, but since there are no guarantees my take is always safety first - just in case, you now. But sometimes there will be no problems at all and I am happy that this was the case for you. 


kathymw
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed
Hello Again, the two horses seem to like each other, however we are ten days into the two horses being together. Henry, brand new horse to us, 15 yr. old quarter horse is a perfect gentleman. He is easy to catch, lead, groom, and ride. My daughter, age 20, took him on a trail ride with her dad along and he was amazing. She is not a horse rider at all but Henry took great care of her. Jack, the 7 yr POA that I've owned since December is the top horse. He has kicked at Henry, tried to bite my daughter and husband, and won't let Henry be petted if he can stop it. I'm not comfortable riding him but my husband took him out with my daughter on Henry. Jack was nervous and uncomfortable on the trail. I have done join up and all the ground work in the arena while he was at the farm. He did great with the exception of rearing up one time and trying to bite which we worked out.  Now that he is home with us he is very difficult for me to catch and at one point it appeared that he wanted to kick my daughter when she tried to pet Henry. I'm having difficulty with all of this. We bought Henry and immediately he was all we could ask or hope for. Jack is getting more assertive and aggressive. My question is, could Jack be too much for me? How will I know if and when it is time to sell him to a more experienced owner? I'm 61 and new to this. I don't know if I am qualified to help him. Could this be his temperament  and something I can't change? I also don't want Henry hurt. He's a precious old boy. Thank you!
JoHewittVINTA
Please upload your photo 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed
Hi Kathy. Horses to human age calculation - x3. So Jack is a roughly a 21 year old, full of it! Henry is roughly 45, so not at his athletic peak but far from being an old man! Jack is jealous. Henry is THE MAN, getting attention, praise & adulation - he's refined, well behaved & everyone feels good around him. Jack sees himself as the one who deserves this, he's still improving so, in the wild, Henry would be in decline & Jack would be on the up. Put Jack to work. Be generous with your praise when he's good & clear, firm & consistent when he's negative. Put him in his place & then love him. He'll be great for you all in years to come, as will Henry - who will probably give you at least 10 more years of the joy of riding. Most of all, have fun & make sure they have fun too. Cheers, Jo.
kathymw
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed
Thank you so much for your splendid advice! I really, really appreciate it! Kathy

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