Should I let my horse see her old buddy? Also, how long does it take a horse to settle into a new herd?

[DarkBay2017]

We recently moved my mare from one pasture to another on the same farm. It is dryer and has much better ground conditions however this also means making an adjustment to a brand new herd. She’s very sensitive and quite herd-bound to begin with. She’s also very, very attached to one particular gelding in her old herd.

How long does it usually take for a horse to settle in to a new herd? Also, since we are still at the same farm should I let her see/hang out with her old buddy or is it better to make a clean break and just let her settle in to her new herd? Will it be comforting or just confuse her more? She can hear him from across the farm and there’s lots of anxious neighing back and forth between them. She does seem to slowly be making friends in her new herd but still missing her old friend a lot.
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Any thoughts or advice?
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[J-Lu]

My current horse is extremely herd-bound and very clearly gets along with some horses better than others. That dynamic can change instantly when a new horse is introduced to the mix.

In my experience, horses will call for a former herdmate a day or two. But very quickly, the horse adjusts to the new herd and the old “friend” doesn’t matter as much because they are not a part of the new herd. And depending on where the horse ends up in the new herd (in terms of hierarchy) might very much affect how that horse interacts with her old buddy if reintroduced.

I doubt that after a day or two, a horse significantly misses an old friend. The horse has a new herd dynamic now that they have to focus on because that dynamic is immediate. I would not do “visits”.

They’ll be fine!!