How to introduce two horses...

[MelissaH]

I got them! I got them!

Last night we stettled the deal. I bought both horses. Dubie and Mohawk.

My daughter rode Mohawk for the first time yesterday and WOW. He has got the most beautiful gait I have ever seen. He makes Dubie look like an Olaf. He is American Saddlebred for sure. He pranced around like he was lead horse in a parade. He looked so gallant and proud. My husband & I couldn't believe how awesome he looked. They had trimmed his back hooves, they had been overgrown and were hitting his front. Now he does not hit at all. What a gorgeous boy. He is even lightening up some. When we first seen him he was a liver chestnut. We think it was because he was in a barn all the time and now he is outside 24/7. He does not look or act 18. Oh, and that tail. It sits so high and proud. Wow.

I had Luis the ranch guy get up on Dubie. Even Dubie looked great under saddle. He rode him in the round pen after lunging him then rode him out of it back to the tack area. And Dubie does have some control of his tail. It just sits on his butt crooked.

But the problem I had is Caroline (dealer) said I should not turn them out together. She don't quite remember the area I had but she said thats how horses get hurt etc...She said I should keep one in their paddock & turn each one out seperate. What's the point of two horses if they can't interact together? My area is not huge...but I'll have 2 paddock areas 12x24 each with a 24' run in. and the rest of my area is turn out. That area is about 70x40. Here are pictures. I'll post more after the corrals are up. You can see a hill going up the one side...we were thinking of eventually fencing that in as well. Out back we have about 1.5 acres running up a hill with both flat land and slope. We will eventually fix the broken fencing and allow horses to play up there to.

I don't think it's to small for two horses. With paddocks open there is about 100 feet front to back of area. What do you all think?

[Kalypso]

ahhh...i must say, it looks so lovely out there!!

And CONGRATS!!! pics of both your gorgeous new family members, please!!!! :D :D :D

And, in my opinion, I think they should be turned out together. Yes, they can get hurt, but as you said, you want them to interact with each other! But i'm having a whole lot of trouble seeing in my mind just how much 100 feet is...but I think they should be find turned out together!! I'm not that knowledgeable though, so hopefully someone else knows better!!

[Kalypso]

Oh yeah and out of curiousity, how much did you end up getting Mohawk down to price wise?

[lisae]

Since they are both going to be adjusting to a new home and somewhat stressed, I would keep them in adjoining paddocks so that they can meet and talk over the fence a few days. Once you see how they are getting along you can move to putting them together. It's just a few days to let them settle down. If there's lots of screaming grunting and threatening over the fence line, let it calm down while separate. Once they look like they are basically ignoring each other or even trying to mutual groom over the fence (a friendship thing), they can be put out together quietly.

If they do try and work out who's boss, with chasing, kicking or biting don't try and break it up unless it gets really bad. Even then stay out of the way and try and get one horse through a gate and slam it rather than getting in between them.

[MelissaH]

Thanks....I wanted to eventually get them together. That's a good idea.

Christy...I paid 1500.00. Once my husband seen him in action...there was no question he was well worth it.

[KarinUS]

Since they are both going to be adjusting to a new home and somewhat stressed, I would keep them in adjoining paddocks so that they can meet and talk over the fence a few days. Once you see how they are getting along you can move to putting them together.

I agree with that. That's the one big regret I have about how I handled DJ. When I got him I let the YO handle the introduction and she just tossed him in a field with the 9 resident horses. They chased him all over. He was so scared. For the first 30 days he sometimes had kicks/ bites so bad he couldn't be ridden. I think it was very stressful for him and wonder if it contributed to his problems later on.

I would definitely go for the gentle introduction method as described by lisae.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

Since its only two horses it shouldn't be to awfully bad. maybe for the first day keep them seperate (but next to earchother) then turn them together. its when you introduce a horse to a larger group things need to be taken slowly and gradually. but if they are both alone then the company will probably be well wanted! there might be a little kicking/biting at first but not to worry, they will sort out who is the boss.

[MelissaH]

Yep, I think that's what I'll do. I'll keep them in their paddock, let them get used to eachother then babysit them when I let them lose. I see so many other horses that are 2 or 3 together in areas about like mine.

This is what I am getting....this one is 12x12 each paddock...mine will be 12x24 each with a turn out.

[Kalypso]

looks so very warm and sunny there! *looks out window into dark, rainy, Irish weather* I love it over here, really, but I'd soo love to see some sun!!

[pengapenga]

Congratulations on your new family members:D hope we get to see pics of these lovely boys soon:D

I would go with lisae suggestion and introduce them slowly through adjoining paddocks:) horses are herd animals and like to have company so I think eventually they will be happy together. Good luck:)

[LinzCos]

I think we have an American/English confusion here! In England we would call a paddock your turn out area. Your paddock is the open stable I think?

I think that we are all suggesting the same thing though - let the horses get to know each other over a fence for a day or so and then let them out in a bigger area with some supervision.

I put my new ponies in with my horse within 24 hours because they seemed fine and it worked very well. They spent 10 minutes deciding who was boss and then became firm friends.

Good luck - enjoy them they sound wonderful and I am envious of your weather too!

[Kalypso]

To be honest, i've never heard that open stable thingy called a paddock, either. Where i'm from, we call the turnouts paddocks, too....may just be a western US thing? ;) :D

[MelissaH]

Awww...okay am I right by calling the paddock the enclosed part and the big open area the turn out?

Their bedrooms:D

[Kalypso]

hmmm...honestly, I wouldn't know!! The pics you showed, looks like open stables to me...a paddock seems to me that it'd be a bit bigger...when i think "paddock", I think, large enough for the horse to get a bit of exercise in. I think of turn out and paddock as nearly the same thing...though i usually think of "turn outs" as being quite a bit larger than a "paddock"...don't know why though! :o :D

[MelissaH]

I am a newbie....so maybe it is open corrals and a turn out? So confusing:D

[Kalypso]

hehehe...oooh, yeah, it IS so confusing, isn't it??? :D

Whatever it is, it looks grand AND the scenery is lovely...and....and....I want to live out west where it's nice enough year round to have my horses in the open pens like you are going to have, and not have to stable them!!! :eek: :D

[OlavS]

It certainly looks great! :)
There was one thing, though, in the first pictures it looks as if there's something like a long, thin rod sticking out of the ground...but I guess you'll remove it or fence it off somehow?

[bexj]

If you are stabling them at all, I would if posisble have it so they can definitely see each other, and preferably touch too. Then as per the others, introduce gradullay over a fence before turning them out together in the field (there you go - just to avoid UK/US confusion;) )

I would also be careful around feeding time if you plan to feed them together at first - make sure there are at least 3 piles of feed otherwise they may start fighting.

Good luck with them both

[MelissaH]

OlavS-Yeah, that's a metal post or something sticking out. We are going to pull that out. Don;t know what it is.

bexj-I will feed them seperate in each stable. I just could not see NOT letting them be together eventually like the dealer suggested. How awful.

Soon our corrals should be up.