I have just bought a 6 month old colt who is with his breeder a state away. I’d like to bring him to my area to be boarded.
I’m getting conflicting messages from various people about what age is OK to add a youngster to a herd. Some people say yearlings are fine in a mixed herd, some people say wait till 3 years old. Some would never pasture board in a mixed herd at all but I have enjoyed that with several horses for many years now.
What is your experience?
I would say it depends on the herd.
Many years ago I bought a weanling and brought him home to the boarding facility I was currently the barn manager for where all horses were in one large pasture. I kept him in an isolation paddock for two weeks. Then moved him to a paddock adjoining the big pasture for a few days so all the horses could talk over the fence.
Then I turned him out in the big field with 22 other horses (mix of mares and geldings). They ran a few laps around the field then one of the old mares walked up to my little colt and basically said “come with me”. From that point on she became his defender. He never tried to nurse from her but he respected her like she was his mom. The two geldings that also hung out with this mare became his friends. It was a big herd but they had there little herd and they kept him in line and protected from any other horses.
I would not recommend this for all but it worked out for my guy.
I have paired a 6 month old colt with a older, gelding that is used to herd situations and is safe with youngsters. That worked extremely well. I did move the youngster as a 2 year old gelding in with a mare family when he got a little too big for himself. The alpha mare promptly showed him what his manners should be. It could have been a dangerous situation if I did not carefully plan it out, and it was fully supervised.
Putting a young colt, hopefully gelded, in with a mixed herd is not without risk.
The best solution that will suit you will factor in how much you are willing to risk.
If the colt is extremely valuable, then you might select a more conservative approach and just use a known safe horse as a companion.
If the colt is not all that valuable, then you might assume more risk and turn him out while hoping for the best. He should be gelded first, of course, and fully recovered for at least 30 days…maybe longer.
An interesting side note, I had a discussion with a German Verband and was told that all of the young colts are turned out in big fields to grow up. I asked about the risks and loss of potentially extremely valuable stallion prospects. I was told that they breed so many of them that they just assume the risk knowing there will be losses.
Just my thoughts…
When I bought a nearly 6 month old, he pretty immediately went in with a mixed herd who were already known to be kind to youngsters.
At 11 months he went to live with a mare and gelding. Worked perfectly.
My now 2yo’s dam had been with 2 other geldings prior to foaling. At maybe 3-4 weeks, maybe a bit older, they were put back with those 2 geldings and it was perfect. They were MUCH more interested in getting “their” girl back than fiddling with the foal LOL
It absolutely boils down to - how are the other horses towards a youngster. Forget gender, look at the individuals.
Yes he will be gelded and about 18 months old when I get him.
I don’t know how the other horses are with youngsters - the youngest horses there have been 3 year olds and they integrated fine. I don’t think there are very aggressive horses in the herd - new horses seem to be allowed into the herd in a matter of a day or two.
Anyone else with experiences of opinions to share?
If he’s going to be 18 months when you get him (I’m assuming long gelded by then?) then he’s much less of a “young horse” than if he were 6 months. He will still be submissive and do the baby clacking.
If the herd already has a history of allowing newbies in without much fuss, it’s not very likely at all to be different this a yearling 
If…
If there is plenty of room for the number of horses it should be fine.
If there is not some screwy crazy …usually a mare but not always…who is hard on new horses.
Babies are usually recognized as such and are benignly tolerated even when you think they won’t be. Truth is often the baby can be a terror…like his po*p doesn’t stink…and he can lord it over horses who are very tolerant. It can cause YOU a problem because they just let him be a stinker and HE begins to think it is because he IS a tough guy. Then YOU get jumped on. It is always nice to have one horse who reads him the law…as long as they aren’t too rough. I had a yearling Welsh Cob Section D filly who went out in my mixed herd of Irish Draughts who had ALL been dominant of one herd or another. My Irish Draught colt tried to get her running and she high kicked him in the head…did it a couple of times and after that he played nice…she was a tough little monster and could play hard ball any time. SHE came from a herd where she was the first foal of the season of 10 and her dam was dominant. SHE thought everyone ran because of HER. He will be old enough at 18 months that you will be fine…and getting thumped on is not the worst thing that will ever happen to him…if it does and may be a good thing for you in the end. The pasture needs to be safe. Block off traps. Make sure they feed well seperated. I also wouldn’t put him into the herd with another new horse as if THAT horse is chased he will run with them when by himself he likely will not be. PatO
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