# Concern about my new horses behavior around other horses.



## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

I have a new seven year old TWH. For the last two years he has been used for a stud horse. Before I bought him, he was cut because I didn't have a need for a stallion. He was cut on November 1, 2011. I brought him home on November 14, 2011. I was very excited and could not wait to ride him. I noticed around my other horses he still acted what I will call studdly. He would drop his manlyhood and call out to the other horses. I would have to correct him and calm him down. I would ride up and down my road in front of the barn and the other horses. He was interested in the other horses but when I corrected him he would calm down and pay attention to my cues. Then I took him on our first ride. I rode him w/ a friend because I was not sure how he would do. He reared up just a little trying to get to the mare, I brought him into a one rein halt. Then I had him go on down the road. I didn't have any trouble untill we came across some other riders on the trail. He started calling to them, I touched him w/ my spurs and encouraged him to go on and not pay attention to them. He wanted to follow them and reared just a little again. I brought him to a one rein halt again and them encouraged him to go on pass them. He hesitated and I had to spur him and get him going. I called the guy that I bought the horse from, he said he thought the horse was still acting like a stud at that give him a little time and he would be fine. He thought it was because he had been used as a stud for the last two years. Does anyone have any thoughts on this. I really like this horse and hope that this is just a tempory behavior and will be able to stop it soon. I haven't had a chance to ride him again because of the weather. Help!!!


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## BellaMFT (Nov 15, 2011)

It sounds like you handled the situation really well. My husbands horse did the same things when we first got him. He was cut around six years old. He still acts studdy. He'll mount my mare in the pasture but doesn't act up on the trails as much any more. He does call out every time we go out. We always joke that Snickers has to announce his arrival. Just keep one him and he should settle down.


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

Thank you for your comment. I am really nervous about the rearing and the horse wanting to follow other horses. This horse is very smooth to ride and I really like just about everything else about him. I can't wait for the weather to improve some. It has been raining for several days and the trails that I ride are flooded. I continue to work w/ him everyday brushing him down, braiding his mane and tail. I am trying to gain his respect and my confidence while handling him. I hope that I can get him out of the calling to the other horses. I also forgot to mention that he is still seperated from my other horses. He is kept in a stall or in the ajoining field next to them. I don't think he is ready to be added w/ them yet. He is not completely healed from being casterated. I am a little concern about putting him w/ the others.


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

I sure would not put him with the other horses until he is completely over this. Someone could get hurt seriously. Since you have never handled one of these, I'd highly recommend a good trainer. Shouldn't take a good training more than 30 days to settle him down. He apparently was not mannered as a stud, otherwise he wouldn't be acting like this now. It will take some rather severe corrections to cure this in the short term. You may not even want to know how they fix him. In the long term, without good training, he could go either way. This is how outlaws are made, not intentionally, put inadvertently.


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

So you think his actions is pretty serious. Now, I am concern. I was hoping it will get better as he adjust to the new environment and being a gelding. He is easy to handle as I walk him back and forth to the barn around the other horses. He has nosed the horses across the fence without being aggressive toward them. I was told that it takes 3 months for every year that they were a stud to make the change. Is there anything to that, can someone give me some feed back on it. I haven't had any experiences with studs but I have geldings. 

What should I look for in a trainer?

Have I taken on more than I can handle???????


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## BellaMFT (Nov 15, 2011)

30 days of training couldn't hurt. I would look for a training that is willing to work with you and teach you what they are doing. It'll make more sense to the horse if you can do what the trainer has taught him. I wouldn't give up yet. It'll take some time. I do think that once he is healed that kicking him out with the other horses will do him some good. We put Snickers out with 3 old mares they taught him some manners.


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

Did you put him out with all the horses at the same time or did you gradually introduce him to a horse one at a time? I have seven horses. 5 geldings and a mare and a yearling filly.

I was thinking that I should introduce him to a horse at a time in an ajoining field.

Any ideas on what is best. I don't want any of my horse getting hurt.


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## BellaMFT (Nov 15, 2011)

tbrantley said:


> Did you put him out with all the horses at the same time or did you gradually introduce him to a horse one at a time? I have seven horses. 5 geldings and a mare and a yearling filly.
> 
> I was thinking that I should introduce him to a horse at a time in an ajoining field.
> 
> Any ideas on what is best. I don't want any of my horse getting hurt.


I would really wait tell he is completely healed. 

For us since, Snickers was healthy we put him out with all of the horses. For me, I feel that horses are meant to be in a herd and they will work out the pecking order. There will be a few scuffles but they figure it out.


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

Thank you BellaMFT, 

About how long does it take them to completely heal? It has been a month and 4 days. I agree with you that horses are herd animals. The person I bought the horse from said he has been stall kept his whole life. He has never had the chance to run free. I know just putting him out in a field by himself was a new experience for him. It did my heart good to see him run around kick up his heels with tail high in the air. 

I can't wait to put him in with the others but I will make sure that I have someone here to help me if things go bad.

Thanks you for your help


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## BellaMFT (Nov 15, 2011)

I would think that by 2 month post surgery he should be well healed but that being said I would check with a vet to make sure. I would just call you vet and ask them what they think. 

If he has been in a stall his whole life I think getting him in a herd would be good for him. He needs to learn how to act with other horses. 

Good Luck! If you can get through this rough spot I'll bet he'll be a great horse. We have had Snickers 5 years now. He is the best horse. I can put anyone on him and he'll take care of them.


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

BellaMFT, 

Thanks for your comments, I was feeling really down thinking i might have made a mistake buying him. *I have a little hope now that he will turn out. I know that I will do my best w/ him and hope that he settles down. I will give my vet a call and see about how long he thinks it will take to heal.*

*I was wanting to show him a little in local pleasure classes. I hope I am able to.*


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

Until he is over his little tricks, I'd highly suggest keeping him by himself. The other horses might not kill him, but could. Or he could do some damage to them. Then, if he's with the other horses, he would most likely attach and get very buddy sour. That's another issue you don't want to deal with. I'd either start working his tail off by yourself, now, or get him to a trainer to do it. Fix it now, the longer it goes on the worse it can become. Most of these horses require training to fix, very few get fixed with time only. He'll most likely turn out just fine, just needs some mannering.

I word of caution if you decide to do this yourself, DO NOT peck on him when you correct him. Do it once, very hard, and let it go, Don't stay after him. And do it within 3 seconds of the occurrence, any longer and he will not know why you are after him, and you'll make it worse.


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

Thank you for the info. I have been checking wiith friends to find a good trainer that will be willing to work with me and the horse. Hopefully, I will be able to get an handle on the problem and be able to feel safe and comfortable when I ride my new horse and put him with other horses.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

We have castrated a lot of older stallions -- probably 20 or more of them. One was 20, one was 9, and most of the other were 4 to 9. Oddly enough, the 9 and the 20 year old never had a studly moment after a few weeks. One of the 4 year olds (that had never bred a mare) never got nice to other horses in the pasture but, because he had been very well-mannered as a stallion, he was never a problem to ride. After putting a really good young gelding over a fence, we sold him to someone that had no problem keeping him put up by himself. He was a really good ranch doctoring horse and a pretty good competitive heading horse, so he was worth it.

Long story shot -- This was probably not a great prospect for a novice trainer / rider. This horse may get 100% over being a stallion that long and he may not. But, one thing I know for sure, he needs to be mannered by an experienced stallion handler and he needs to have good stallion manners instilled in him. 

We have had many breeding stallions that could be ridden in any company anywhere and never do so much as look at the horse next to them. They never squealed or nickered at a mare in heat. [Husband took one of our ranch studs to a branding once. He tied him up to the fence with a bridle rein for the lunch break, well away from other horses there. When he came back after lunch, there were horses tied on each side of him and he was standing with his head down and a hind leg resting. No one even noticed he was a stud and he knew better than to act like one.] 

Those are the kind of manners your horse needs to have. Then, you need to know how to keep him that well mannered.

Whether a horse is healed or not has nothing to do with turning him out with other horses. We always turn our freshly cut ones out with mature geldings while they are still sore -- usually 2 or 3 days after castration. DO NOT turn him out in mixed company. He will gather up the mares and play 'herd sire' with them and it will take him a lot longer to give up herd sire behavior. I have never let these older cut geldings run with mares and sure would not put them in mixed company.


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## CCinSC (Dec 23, 2011)

*testosterone*

Seems like he still has testosterone in his system. Being newly gelded, he will behave studish until all of the testosterone is out of his system. He is naturally going to try to learn his new herd and dominate. He's been a stud for a while and will probably keep his "big guy in the barn attitude" but once his hormones balance out he will calm down. As far as turning him out, you need to wait until the vet gives the okay. 

One thing that we did in a similar case, was stable the dominate herd member in the stall next to the new horse and let them get to know each other through the wall. A gelding would be preferable until he has calmed down. Of course, there was squealing, kicking and the typical "I'm the boss" and "eewwwwweeee don't sniff me's" but it made the free range turn out a lot smoother. A little pecking order squeals and kicks and they settled right in.

Don't rule him out yet. Ring work, ground work and showing your dominance before letting him in the field will make a huge difference.

Good Luck!


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

Update on my new TWH, G-Man. I waited a month leaving him stalled up next to the horses I was going to put him in the pasture with. I also left him in the pasture by himself but could touch noses w/ some of our other horses. He was a gentleman. He has been easy to catch. Soon as he sees me he runs straight to the gait. He has been very easy to handle. 

So I am going to try to put him with another horse tomorrow. My game plan is to put him in the field for awhile and let him get some of his energy out and then put him with the least domant horse. They have been touching noses across the stall from each other. Neither one has been putting their ears back . So I hope it will go smooth tomorrow.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

He should be starting to run out of testosterone now. It usually takes around three months. Another thing is that he needs to realize that he is not able to breed any more. I have a horse that had bred several mares before being gelded. I put him in with a few mares. He tried to breed them, but soon lost interest because he found out that it was no fun anymore. It sounds like you are putting him out with the others, so you should be on the right road.


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## GeeGee Gem (Oct 14, 2011)

It sounds like you're doing well at riding him on. Sometimes the hormones he produced when 'entire' will remain in his system for some time after being gelded. I think once settled you'll have no problem with him by the sound of your post so far  x


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

Thank you GEEGEE Gem ,

I had him out today with one of the horses he did okay. A lot of playing, running, kicking up and rearing up on each other but nothing major. 

I only let them do it for about an hour then I took him out of the field. He was starting to work up a sweet and the temp. is going to be below freezing tonight so I wanted to dry him out before the sun went in and the temp. started dropping.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Is the horse you are talking about the one in your Avatar picture?
He really is pretty.


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## tbrantley (Mar 6, 2011)

Thank you. Yes, he is my new baby.


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