This is what I do when I have to introduce a new horse to my "herd", aside from the usual quarantine time.  I keep the new horse in my corral alone for about a day or so. (48 hrs max) and let the horses do their normal stuff over the fence to get introduced to one another.  THEN,  I'll lock the herd in the paddock and bring in the new horse.  Then I wait and see when the first "charge" happens towards the new horse. Then with a long lungeing crop in hand , I proceed to make ALL of them run in a circle for a few minutes. (of course to the horse it seems like eternity). Then I wait,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,if one of the horses charges after the new horse,(which always happens)  I again make them ALL run in a circle. I do this until they figure out that attacking the new horse causes them "discomfort".  Sometimes it can take up to 45 minutes of running and stopping.  It really works.  I read about this years ago and can't remember what trainer used this method.  He's a saint in my opinion.

Before I started using this method I did the usual, let them get acquainted over the fence for a week or so, but ALWAYS when I'd put the new horse in, the other's would give the new horse an ass kicking for days, even weeks anyway. 

So what methods do you use?

Just wondering

My herd see's that's lungeing whip and know's I mean business.  It seems that it's usually one horse that will attack the new one at a time. (in my own experience).  Of course I've been lucky with this method so far.

I also agree with grabing a lawn chair and a beer and let em have at it.  They "always" get it straightened out eventually.  You just hope that no injuries occur.  Life's too short to be stressing over horses in a herd situation.  Like I said, I tried the other method, and they always knocked the crap out of the new horse anyways......

i dont usually post in the horse side, but i fail to see what you think youre accomplishing by running the herd?  that only establishes your position in the herd, which shouldnt be in question.  at best it will only distract them and as soon as you leave nature has to take its course and they will decide their pecking order.

This site never ceases to amaze me.  This is what works for me. In answer to your question about what I think I am accomplishing by doing this. Well let me think,,,,,,,,,,,hmmm........geesh,nothing!  I just like acting like an idiot.

Why is it that people take a post here and rip it from limb to limb? I just asked what other methods people used, that's all. I explained what I see happens after I do this method.  It works. No big deal!  I've owned horses all my life and tried different methods and ideas over the years.  Some things work and some things don't.  What works for some may not work for others.

So in truth, the only thing that I've "accomplished" here, is that I know I can't post without having to "defend" my every word. 

By the way, I didn't ASK for your opinion on my "method", (which by the way, I didn't event) I asked what other methods people used. And if you would have read my other posts, you would have read what I believe I accomplish by doing this.

Just couldn't be satisfied with a quiet thread for a while could you?

Had to start something to add a little drama to an oterwise boring day.

Couldn't leave well enough alone.

Just had to come up with something that would get something started.

Women, can't live with em' and can't live without em'.  nag, nag, nag,

Soooooooooooo, how da ya like me now hon?

Ahhhhhh, I feel a lot better now. How's your day going?

(Jack rolling on the floor laughing)

Oh, did you have a question about horses?

Okay,,,,,,,,,I think you might have missed my point.  What I find in this technique is that the intensity of the attacks/charging/biting,etc.  of the herd members towards the new horse is less severe.  Sounds crazy maybe to some people and  I thought the same thing when I read this myself.  (Gosh, I wish I could remember what magazine or book I saw this.  It might have been WH. ) Anyway, I tried it and did notice a big difference in the herd's behavior towards the new horse.  Hell, for all I know maybe it's the new horse that it worked on.  I don't  have an answer that could satisfy anyone questioning  the reasoning for this technique. But if I hadn't noticed a difference, I would have scratched that method and chucked it up to experience. 

Hay deranger:  They were beating the CRAP out of the soring horses issue............It was really getting boring.................and yes, I couldn't help myself....it must be the greek blood in me.....anyone like Baklava!!!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, let's see......... Greek? Blonde? Likes baklava, likes to use a whip....................

now that's some wicked combinations.

WW- what did you expect? I would appear you have been around these boards long enough to know that sometimes things get pretty intense despite the topic.  getting defensive also doesn't help either. Just take like a....er.......man.

 which by that I mean don't get your panites in a knot.

Hey farmbabe, if Tractor Supply sold "panties" I'd buy them there. I wonder what they'd look like?

I understand totally..........

You are so right farmbabe.  WW needs to be more like me; layed back, not too sensitive, go with the flow, don't take things too seriously..........

UNLESS IT'S ABOUT FORD TRUCKS!!!!!!!!

They would come in 3 colors;

JD green

MF red (Massey Ferguson)

Ford blue

Thanks alot Jack!  Now EVERYONE know's I'm a "Blonde".........what Greek do you know that has "Blonde" hair..............???? Maybe the 300 Spartans did a million years ago...............Gosh I hope I don't have to defend myself about why a greek women has blonde hair! That comment has now caused everyone to think I dye my hair and want to know the reasoning behind it and what technique I used.......geeeeesh!

You know I'm only teasing........

I don't know any greeks that are overly sensitive..............must be a genetic defect on my part.  So I will keep my sensitivity in check.  And when I get too nutso, that's when I need intervention from this website...............

WOW!!!!!!!! what the hell were you thinking! some people run in circles all day to stop and ponder why you do it to your horses.I am getting sored thinking about it.

Where is that chair and beer ? aaaaaaa the horses ran over it.Good the beer didnt all spill out, that green stuff pluged the hole....there sucked it out and ahahahah cold beer taste good!

Hey slick,,,,,,,,,,how's it going.  I've got a horse coming next week. Here's the issue with that horse.  He's "obese".  He's not allow to even look at a pasture.  So the herd get's dry-lotted until they get the pecking order figured out.  But first  I'm going to use my circle method and see if I can rush it along. Boy  I wish someone else knew who the trainer was that uses this method.  I'm almost positive I read it in Western Horsemen Mag.

Oh well,,,,,,,,,have a great weekend

I've seen a couple of the Natural Horsemanship clinicians do the herd chasing routine. I know I've seen Buck Brannaman do it, but can't think of who else. Anyway, the way it was explained (or the way I remember, which could be off base!) is that the herd gets busy running from "danger" and they learn to work as a team. If they stop and start doing the pecking order test, they're sent off again. I think it's that they work out their order while running and they're not given enough time to get into any serious kicking.

That said, I read recently that another way to do this is to put the new horse in with the least dominant herd member. Then put him in with the second least dominant horse (alone). Then add both horses. Then add the next most dominant horse, etc. The explanation given was that by the time the new horse meets the herd leader, he's set in his place with all the others. The herd leader doesn't have to "worry" about his herd, so is more relaxed.

I haven't tried either of these methods, but you can bet I will if/when I get another horse. I had the very sad experience of having a gelding get a broken leg and have to be put down because of a lead mare in a new pasture situation. I had put my other horses out w/ the 2 who already lived there, went for a ride on my gelding, then turned him out. The mare ran up, turned her butt, backed into him and let fly. The saddest day of my life! I bred for him, saw him born, trained him and had a glorious ride on him that morning...He was 26 and got better with each passing year. I'll never forgive myself.

So, if I cringe when I hear about having a beer and sitting in a lawn chair....Well, it's just not funny. These are big animals and they can, and do, kill each other.

I wouldn't worry about it too much,when a friend brings his horse to My place I just put him in with mine.Theres some flexin,nippen,snorten,rarin etc goes on for a few minutes then it settles down and they behave.

I have turned mine out with strange horses and they get the peckin order figured out pretty quick.

What you are talking about is used by several people,the horse learns to get allong or work, and pretty soon they learn that everytime they misbehave they have to work, and they knock it off or at least tone it down to nasty looks and pinned ears.

Have a good weekend and remember... if it works...use it!

Thanks so much gemm.  I think your right about the trainer being Buck Brannaman.  Geesh, I thought I was loosing it there for awhile.  Like Slick states, if it works, use it.  

I too have seen horses get injured and almost kill one another under the same circumtances.  Very scary and can be very, very costly.  I'm going to stick to the method that has worked for me.  And you, thank God, explained it so well.

I'm eternally gratefull..................

gemm, I understand what you are saying. A friend of mine had a VERY similar tragedy many years ago.

All kidding aside, I like a cold beer about as much as anyone else does, but not around my horses. Maybe I take life with my horses too seriously, but the minute you assume "everything is fine" is when it happens. I don't want to have my vet make a "farm call" to my place and I'm slurring my words with beer on my breath trying to hold a halter and flashlight.

Being a fence contractor lets you see the "other side of life" at a lot of other farms. I can't begin to tell you the number of times I been called on a weekend to come out ASAP to fix a fence that "a new horse got pushed through." There is no safe fence. There are some fences that are safer than others and a lot of that depends on the horse that is being contained. I've see a couple of equine pasture pets confined in some of the worst fencing you can imagine; barbwire, hog fence, single strand electric, chainlink, packing pallets nailed together with barbwire and some assorted abandoned farm equipment sprinkled around and not a scratch on them. I've made repair calls to horse breeding facilities with thousands of dollars invested in fencing to keep the horses safe and seen injuries that took over 200 stitches to close with 2 vets working on one horse.

I'm sorry, but I can't be cavalier enough to just throw them all in one pasture and "let them sort it out" while I'm sitting in my lawn chair drinking a beer. I want to watch what happens through the fence for a while before I take a chance on putting them together in the pasture. 

Once in a while, I will rescue a horse and most of these horses are in no condition to be thrown in a pasture with the rest of the herd, even after quarentine, vet check and putting some weight on em'.

Just my thoughts, not trying to open a bag of worms.

Obviously, there are exceptions. Like I had mentioned earlier, my weanling was in no shape ( age and size wise) to let out with adult horses. But when he did, he was fine. They did chase him a little but overall, they adjusted. There is always a chance horse will kick out at each other, even after they assimilated. Its the nature of this particular beast. if something like running them a round is good for you, then by all means, go for it. But I don't think its a cut and dry thing here. Much like tying while trailering,legs wraps and trcuk make.

I kind of wonder if when horses were ALL wild, and could get away from an "ass kickin", situation, they were less likely to be seriously injured by one another. Not the obvious situation of a stallion chasing off young colts or a new stallion trying to steal mares, but where a new mare or foal came to graze amoung all the herd. Did they gang up and kill it? I figured that they were probably able to run away enough to not be seriously hurt until they were accepted. It seems that we as humans have contained them and the "pecking' order has to be established immediately, as they have no place to escape and not be hurt even if submissive.

Just my 2'C's

Steve

gemm,

I fully understand the way that You feel.

We purchased a TWH filly colt about 2 1/2 years ago. She is the sweetest horse and very intelligent,is now riding very well with the exception of being scared on the trail. She isn't a dominant horse but dosen't seem to understand the pecking order thing very well either. We put her in with the other 4 and they got along fairly well most of the time but she just would never submit to the others, seemed to be the child in her. Finally,we closed off one end of the barn hallway after putting in a new driveway on that side of the barn. Since she could no longer run away from the others when they where in the hallway together they hemmed her in there at the gate and skint her up pretty good. The next time it happened it was much worse, this time they kicked her till she finally got into the rails of the gate and knocked the whole gate down (apparantly with her legs tangled in it) and ran on past her into the yard. My wife came home and found her bleeding and skin up from one end to the other.The gate pin that held the gate in position had been jamed into her jaw,the vet said that he'd seen horses come out of wrecks that didn't look that bad! As unusual as it may seem, We now seperate the horses in different lots everyday, putting the TWH with the lead mare everytime. Allthough she is unquestionably the lead mare she is not a bully at all,pretty much the most passive horse that we own, but none of the others even begins to challange her quenn statis with the exception of the QH guilding that we have,(and even the QH gelding had rather not go there!) and he is kept in the pasture with the other 3. We alternate them from the front paddock to the pasture on a daily basis after stalling them at night. We would never take another chance of the QH guilding or his pasture mates being in the same pasture together with the TWH again. Was a very sad thing to see the TWH in the shape that she was in. Kept her on antibiotics with a drain tube in her jaw for a long time and it seemed as if the infection would never go away. She's all better now and this is the way that we'll solve the pecking order! The quenn mare that she is with now seems to understand that the TWH is young and playfull and don't pay her antics a whole lot of attention.

                                         ,Ardly

Have you all gone nuts????????????????????????????? You have not found  the right man!!!