Adding 4th horse to mixed herd - dealing with them in the barn!?!?

[LilyandBaron]

I’ve read various older threads and already have some ideas, but wanted to describe my specific situation to get inputs as well. I just adopted a 4th horse, a calm gelding. I have a mare and two other geldings. The mare and one other gelding are 21 years old, have been together through various moves and the gelding is super bonded to her (she’s less worried about him!). He’s gone through good fencing to get to her, so separating those two is last option.

I started with new horse alone, and it wasn’t that dramatic. Then introduced my third gelding - he’s 12, middle of the herd, and he and new horse got along just fine. So had 2 and 2 across the fence for a week. Then I put mare in the barn, and introduced the older gelding, but he was just worrying about where she was. So then I let her out. In turnout, new horse just stays away. There’s some jostling in the herd of 3, but nothing terrifying.

The turnout - I can handle. I figure they’ll get there eventually. BUT, I have a center aisle barn, and new horse is a bit terrified of seeing the others in their stalls. I can’t blame him, and my first thought was to just let the herd figure it out in turnout, which would help him not be as freaked walking past them. It makes me think of all those movies where the innocent hero is wrongly imprisoned and has to walk past the scary inmates making threatening gestures…

The aisle is where my crossties are, and I also need to be able to get him in/out without worrying about anyone getting hurt. I watched some Warwick Schiller videos on leading past spooky things, and that helped him a little, but the spooky things are literally horses telling him they want to shank him when he goes past, not an inanimate tarp or whatever.

I have an overhang with a gate, so I’ve been putting the mare in there, which distracts the gelding(s) that can see her through their Dutch windows into the overhang.

Mare is also a bit of a MARE - she’s on regumate as she colics due to painful follicles in transitional estrus. I’m also thinking of the iUPOD for her since she’s still pretty mare-ish, though a new horse IS a thing, but she’s squealing and just carrying on and the root cause of all the drama (shocking, right?).

I’m at day 5 of full herd integration, so maybe I just need to drink more? Any ideas on helping restore peace appreciated!

[eightpondfarm]

so, it’s just noise- them pounding on the aisle wall and head bobbing ears back?

You could: hang a hay bag on the outside of the worst banger’s wall for your new guy, and also on the inside for the resource guarding fellow. Try to give them the idea that going past the other horse, or having the other horse come by you is a ‘very good thing’. I’d feed the one on the opposite side a bag too. Maybe the first couple of times you try it you could just carry one flake of hay and feed the stalled horse then your new horse on lead, then inside horse then outside horse…back and forth. Make it a happy time. Maybe they will pound in the future, but it will be for hay delivery and the scary-part of walking by will be gone. All the new horse has to do is figure out that no harm will come to him. And if you can convince him that GOOD comes of it, all the better.

[tabula_rashah]

I honestly think sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Up until a few days ago I had 6- 4 mares and 2 geldings. They’ve been together 6 months and still not settled (they have 10 acres to be on so plenty of space)- just constant chaos and being a$$hats to one another. I noticed that whenever I took one of the geldings out to work him, everyone else chilled out. I ended up finding that horse a new home (it was that or my sanity) and it was like a light switch, my herd is now chill and happy.

[Jealoushe]

Can he come into the barn first?

Can the other horses stick their heads out at him? What about putting blinkers on his halter?

[LilyandBaron]

So I tried my first option today. I put visual barriers up. I then did the Warwick Schiller lead-past-spooky-things routine, just completely patient and he was much quieter coming in. The mare, however, lost her mind! She squealed and stomped or something crazy in her stall (I couldn’t see it, lol). When she did, he was almost to his stall and darted slightly. But better. I then put mare outside - in the overhang which is behind the covered stalls. Hay/water, and she was content for a bit.

Then I opened his stall up and had yummy treats and encouraged him to come out. He did great - calmly out and we went walking in the currently closed pasture and I just let him explore and munch.

And then - we came back to the barn. My aisle lets out onto my sacrifice lot, which opens to two separate pastures. To answer @jealoushe, it’d be tough to get him in first because he lingers beyond the herd of 3 in the two areas. And the one stall has the grate but the mare’s stall doesn’t. I plan to close up at least the main portion of it.

Well, mare was peaking her head over the gate to the overhang and squealing and stomping, rattling the gate. This agitated the stalled geldings, but I took a deep breath and just let him take it in - didn’t walk away but no pressure to step forward until he settled. He yawned a bit, and BABY stepped to the door. He went in slightly quicker than first time, but not the worst. I put him in his stall, treats, then again got him out and went the other way in the aisle to go the my yard, which had the very yummiest grass. That end of the overhang is behind my parked trailer, but psycho mare still watched and squealed but new guy coped much better.

After some yummy grass, back in, and totally chill that direction. I didn’t try to groom in the aisle today, but happy with some progress.

I may contact my vet about the mare - she’s had hormonal issues and I wonder if medical intervention is needed? Beyond Regumate, which she’s on. Ugh!!!

Thank you and keep ideas flowing!

[2DogsFarm]

Sounds like you got a handle on this
A little more time & hopefully Peace Will Reign in your aisle.

Had to laugh at your “visual barrier” & the description of “telling him they want to shank him”
My Hackney Pony routinely threatens the Herd Boss horse stalled next to him. Makes Uglyface at the grille & kicks (not hard) the wall between them.
Like yours, this Asshat behavior only when they’re in.
Turned out together - along with my #3, the mini - all geldings - pony is 2nd in Command, kisses up to horse like nobody’s bizness
He’ll also threaten the mini.
Who gives as good as he gets.
No contact, just pinned ears & threatened kicks.
Then all 3 graze together peacefully.
Horses!

[Jealoushe]

Good update.

When I bring my horses in, I always give them a little grain or something in their bowls. I see you gave the new guy something, but could you give the mare something she really loves to occupy her?

[LilyandBaron]

Happy to report that the herd worked through more tension today! I saw my three bay ex racehorses (new guy, mare, and middle gelding) all grazing together! The older retired gelding was peacefully grazing nearby. New guy worked his way up to the barn and water trough, which was actually progress since he normally hid beyond the herd (I put extra muck bucket of water in back due to concerns). So, I actually got new guy in first, then the others. But no squealing!!! Hallelujah! I imagine there are still hiccups ahead, but hoping worst is behind us! Ugh!