Gelding is Mean to Weanling

[Prairie_Girl1]

Back story: I have a long history with horses of every age. The last few years have been very rough, I lost my two keeper horses two weeks apart and then I’ve had a horrible run with boarding barns. This spring I thought I’d finally found a great barn. Then a breeder I’ve bought several horses off of had my perfect horse born, so I placed a deposit and made arrangements to have her come to my barn when weaned. Then the barn started dramatically going downhill. I ended up moving my horses to an acreage. (I don’t live there, renting pasture) Then it was time to bring baby home. Which is when the trouble started.

I have 4 horses on 20 acres. Tons of grass. For winter feeding, due to the set up it would be best to have them all together. I have a 12 year old lead mare. Stay out of her space and you’re fine. 4 year old mare, half sister to the weanling. Doesn’t take any crap, but pretty sweet. Weanling filly(5 months) and 2 year old gelding. They all met each other across a fence. Put the 4 year old in with the filly separately and they became buddies. Sometime later tried to introduce them all together. Lead mare is fine. Gelding has decided that the new filly is an intruder and constantly tries to chase her away from the other mares. Previously he’s always been an easy going guy great in herds.

I’m worried that a) its stressful for baby and b) if he chases her at the wrong time he could run her into a fence.

Will they settle down? Any suggestions? I have the gelding separate right now.

[EventerAJ]

I would keep the gelding separate as long as necessary. Try a month or two; maybe the filly will become accepted by the mares, and they will stick up for her when the gelding is reintroduced. I’ve had several aged horses (not broodmares) babysit weanlings, and when a new horse is added the babysitter gets very protective of his or her “baby” and keeps them safe.

[GoodTimes]

I would separate the gelding. Let them share a fenceline, place hay near the fence so they can get used to eating safely near each other.
We brought home a yearling (now 3) and introduced her to our two older geldings. One gelding wasn’t very nice, so he was separated. The other gelding took her under his wing. After a week of separation we reintroduced them. Mean gelding was chased away by babysitter gelding once, filly learned to stay alert, no issues since.