# Introducing yearling to the herd



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

It's always best to introduce a new horse over a fence. After a day or two and assuming your horses respect and listen to you, walk the little one in with the others. Carry a stick or whip to fend off the others if they get out of hand. I wouldn't do that with a lot of horses or a big herd but since it's just your two, it should be fine. Do that once or twice a day for a couple days. Then you should be able to turn the little one loose. There will always be some scuffles at first. They are just putting the new one in its place. 

When we got Jackson, he was about 4 months old and was just weaned. We don't have it where he could get to know the others over a fence. Luckily, a couple of ours would be nice to him. We put him and those two in a separate pasture until he learned about electric fences. I don't think he had much experience before with them. He would run right thru ours but we didn't have a very good ground for them either. 

After a few days with the two, we introduced him to the whole herd. We thought the mares would take him in easier but it was the geldings that got more protective of him. There were some scuffles and some chasing at first but things settled pretty quick. 

Just take it slow at first and he will be fine.
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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Sometimes it works to put a young one in with older ones and some times it does not. I have seen broken legs and had to put one of my own down a few years ago after trying to repair a broken cannon bone. The 10 month old filly got caught in the cross-fire of two older mares fighting over her. I have had others run over fences and run into fences

I have a yearling filly in now with 4 mares from 3 to 8 years old. They still beat her up pretty badly, but she figured out how to stay out of corners. I still have to take her out to give her grain.

If they can get acquainted over a good fence, they may take a little more kindly to him -- maybe not. I would do that and then let them run together for an hour or two when you are around, taking him back out when you are not watching. A few times like that and he should be OK.

It is very important that he gets put in with others so he learns how to be at the bottom of the pecking order. This socialization (actually the beating that they get) makes them much easier to train later on. They already know how to be submissive and to take orders from a leader. You later become that leader. They are 100X easier to train when they know how to lose.


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