Would you be worried?

[sophielouise]

Pete came in tonight with bite marks on his back - thankfully, they just seem to be grazes but he does have a thick coat to get down to skin level.

Would this worry you - as he is the new boy in a gelding only herd of about 16 or so - or is it to be expected? I only ask as I think he was kicked and ganged up on a bit on his first few days, he has been going out since Sunday, but this is the first time he has come in with visible war wounds - worth worrying about? Or just part and parcel of settling in?

He is out naked too - I am debating about putting a thin rug on him tomorrow?!

[apacherose]

It's only early days but I wouldn't be putting him out with a whole herd of 16 horses already in an established herd. I would have introduced him to a couple of the lowlier members of the herd first and gradually introduced him to the rest

[sophielouise]

That isnt an option, otherwise would have introduced slowly. He has been going out early, so that he is out before most of them. It has always worried me, but he is in a massive field so has got lots of room - but I think some of his problem is that he thinks if can hold his own!

[Teeni]

One of the horses on our yard was introduced slowly to the herd of geldings and he was coming in with 'war' wounds (grazes) regularly over a period of 6 weeks. To be honest from what i've seen when horses get introduced into the geldings herd normally have minor graze wounds for a while as they settle into place, so i wouldn't overly worry personally. Just keep an eye on it and see how he goes.

[Sophie and James]

James has bite marks all over for about 6 months in a new field - but James is a complete nitwit (polite expression) around other horses and is always getting into scuffs. He only gets them now if a new horse appears. Wouldn't dream of rugging as the rugs would only get ripped! These sort of field bites always heal up really well even though he had a few that looked quite nasty. I would be more wary if any of James' field friends wore shoes. Otherwise I don't worry about it.

Sophie

[sophielouise]

Thanks, my Mum came down with me tonight and did think I was worrying too much, I don't want to think of him as being bullied but I do want him to interact with other horses and not be wrapped up in cotton wool. I suppose it could just as easily be where he is playing with the other youngsters out too.

He seems happy in himself, so will just keep a close eye on him.

Thanks

[jes]

I recently moved yards and both my horses had a few scrapes in the first week or so but they soon settled down. I'd say it's pretty normal. Can you mention it to your YO and ask her/him to check him during the day if you're worried.

[Beth&Rosie]

I wouldn't worry either. Rosie still sometimes comes in with scrapes where she and her buddy have been hooning around with each other after a year! They are definetely more common in geldings as my friend's gelding was coming in with loads of scrapes for a while, but now not so much. Definetly agree that it would be good to ask YO to check if you are reqally worried.

[kizi]

Have you seen him getting bullied? Maybe he's just been playing rough and having fun!!
It's part of herd life I think and generally don't worry about a few scrapes so long as skin isn't broken or they are sore. Obviously if one gets more scrapes than others I would be a little concerned, but that just means I would spend some extra time sitting and watching to see what's going on!!!

[jen1]

the thing that would worry me is if he has been introduced quickly , instead of properly,

[kafee]

Having always rented a field with only my own ponies in it, I have never been in the situation that you are in. If I was, like you, I would be very concerned for my pony. However, having said that, my ponies have ended up with lots of assorted minor injuries from time to time, as the youngsters have grown up, and dominances change. (Things have calmed down since Squirrel left!) I think I would spend as much time as I could watching what's going on in the field.

At pony club junior camp, all the mares were turned out overnight in one field and the geldings in another. In 5 years of my children and ponies attending junior camp, I only remember one incidence of a pony getting anything more serious than a bite, and that was a mare.

[midimoos]

Dan has not long had to go through this, we introduced the youngsters first and then worked our way up the pecking order, we did not have the fields to do it for long periods of time so dan was introduced for a couple of hours in the evening once others had come in, we kept a light weight turnout on him which i am glad about as it has so many tears in it where he was bit, its been 8 weeks now and has been in with them all for 6 weeks and last week was the first time i felt happy for him to wear a nice new rug as he had no tears for a week previous.

[sophielouise]

Thanks for all your replies.

I would have loved to introduce him slowly - but this is the only viable yard for us that does group turn out, all year around with no limitations. Most other yards to us only do individual turn out or out with one or two other horses but only for an hour or two over winter - which he would have hated.

I've spoken to my yard manager who is around the day when Im at work - apparently he has made friends with another group of younger, bold horses and they are happy playing together - my yard manager has said that's where the odd bite has come from.

We are going to keep an eye on him - and he is out in a cheap rug for now, which I don't expect to last! But apparently he is having a whale of a time - and i must admit, he is far less bolshy to handle (which was always his down fall) and when I turn him out in the morning, he doesn't hang around with me at the gate - he always walks or trots off to explore!

Thanks for all your help though - and we will be keeping a close eye on him out

[cookie]

Does anyone else think rugs can encourage this playful tugging behaviours? I sometimes watch ours and wonder if tugging on the rug becomes a game?

Hope he settles quickly, it's always a worrying time.

[gillmcg]

Dec 8, 2011 9:57:35 GMT 1 @sophielouise said:

Thanks for all your replies.

I would have loved to introduce him slowly - but this is the only viable yard for us that does group turn out, all year around with no limitations. Most other yards to us only do individual turn out or out with one or two other horses but only for an hour or two over winter - which he would have hated.

I've spoken to my yard manager who is around the day when Im at work - apparently he has made friends with another group of younger, bold horses and they are happy playing together - my yard manager has said that's where the odd bite has come from.

We are going to keep an eye on him - and he is out in a cheap rug for now, which I don't expect to last! But apparently he is having a whale of a time - and i must admit, he is far less bolshy to handle (which was always his down fall) and when I turn him out in the morning, he doesn't hang around with me at the gate - he always walks or trots off to explore!

Thanks for all your help though - and we will be keeping a close eye on him out

Sounds feasible to me and if it stops you worrying (no point in that unless you can DO something) it's useful. Long may his mucking about with the lads continue whilst his behaviour with the peeps improves. Maybe he's out there learning stuff!