# Pasturing mare and gelding together



## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

Yes, I am sure they will be fine. Can you pasture them separately at first so they can get used to each other before putting them into a single pasture?


----------



## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

While there is no guarantee ANY two horses will get along, your mare will probably be happy to have another horse around. Like Goneriding said, it will help ease the transition if you can let them get used to seeing each other around maybe meet over a fence before turning them out together.


----------



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I 100% agree with the previous posters! To add, you may find that your mare turns into a huge "hussy" or that your gelding get a bit overprotective of the mare, but both of those things can be solved relatively easily. There's certainly no for-sure reason not to pasture them together!

I know my mare can't be pastured with geldings because she starts herding them around, cornering them to lick them, etc and she gets unbearably herd-bound to her "gelding of choice." So I choose to not have her around geldings because I don't want to deal with it [among other reasons]. But, if I were to take the time, I'm sure she'd get over it. 

My mare's also the only mare I've ever seen behave like she does. I've been around plenty of mixed gender herds without witnessing nearly the level of drama my girl creates over a single gelding. :rofl: So you're probably safe.


----------



## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Wallaby said:


> I know my mare can't be pastured with geldings because she starts herding them around, cornering them to lick them,


Hahahaha...She corners them and licks them? Well, whatever floats her boat, I guess. 

We have two mares and a gelding together. The gelding is in hog heaven!

Horsses can be so entertaining. Well, sometimes not...but mostly I think they are.


----------



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Dustbunny said:


> Hahahaha...She corners them and licks them? Well, whatever floats her boat, I guess.


She really does. It's possibly the most horrifying thing ever. And she gets super into it. SO not ok, Lacey!! :lol::lol:


----------



## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

I have two mares, two geldings and a four month old filly pastured together. No problems. The most I have seen is when the girls are in season, they pee a lot and wink and get very flirty with one of our geldings. The poor boy is so confused when his hormones kick in. ;-) But he has never mounted either mare or done anything wrong. Everyone gets along well. They all protect the filly as well.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Awww Lacy, poor old woman just wants a man in her life... Isn't Atticus enough for her? LOL. Love love love that mare and her crazy quirks! I might end up camped out in your backyard someday Wallaby...beware.

@ OP, we have a mixed herd currently. I have found that geldings (or sometimes mares) do sometimes tends to be clingy to their 'girlfriends' but as the others said, you can fix that with training if it happens. This happens in single-gender herds too though, so its not necessarily JUST because its a mare and gelding.

The only issue I ever have with mixed herds is if the gelding things he's a stallion and likes to mount the mare or herd her with biting. Both of those can lead to infection or marks.


----------



## spirit88 (Jan 12, 2011)

I have a mare and a gelding together and never any issues with it. They both get along real good my mare can be a hussy but my gelding just walks away. He shows no interest in her when shes in heat.


----------



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

My gelding has always lived in mixed gender herds and there's never been anything wrong with that. They'll be most likely ok, if you transition them correctly!


----------



## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Always have had had mixed herd. They do fine together,find the mares always rule the roost :lol:


----------



## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Have never hesitated to shove a mare and a gelding out together and let them decide herd hierarchy by themselves.


----------



## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

4 geldings and 2 mares in my pastures together with very little issue. When the younger mare goes in season then the geldings tend to get a little short with each other as she teases each one she walks by, but nothing painful.


----------



## Gossip (Sep 26, 2011)

It's perfectly fine. Geldings are usually easy going and don't fight back or oppose a mares need to be bossy. In our pasture there's 3 mares and 4 geldings all together. My Fjord mare is the boss, and the geldings accept that.


----------



## ThisGirl (Jun 10, 2012)

Thanks for all the help. My only concern is that my mare thinks she is a queen. whenever we go to the 4-h fair all the other horses know to stay away from her. that's a oh no and haha problem. But i will separate them for a couple days and see if she accepts him or not. I'm not worried about the gelding just my mare causing problems. If it goes good i will put them together


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

I keep my two together. Candy is a mare and percy is a gelding. Percy does get a bit over protective around food, so candy has a bit of fluff pulled out of her every now and again, but apart from that they get on great.


----------



## Rena (Jul 8, 2013)

I like mixed herds best. Most mares like other horses to stay away from them, and they can get aggressive in the field. It will probably take a while for them to get used to each other, I'm sure your gelding will have some hair missing! haha. But they will settle down after a while.


----------

