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.