Is this the norm when adding new to group?

[Mini Love]

Oh dear, I'm sorry that you had a bit of a 'panic' session (or two of them!). I'm sure they will all settle down eventually, and I think you are doing a great job working with them all to create harmony.

Not wishing to be a 'doom and gloom' agent, I would just like to make a couple of points for you to think over. Booker and Dollie have been together for some time and it seems to be that for some reason Booker thinks of Dollie as a friend and not as a mare for potential breeding. Whereas he has now been 'presented' with a new/different mare and when she comes into season, he may well 'feel' entirely different about the situation!

Many young stallions will chase a mare when she first comes into season, the aim being to 'wear her out' and get her to stand still. Experienced stallions will not bother to waste their energy, knowing full well that when she is ready for covering, the mare will actively seek them out! So please watch very carefully, as I dont think that at the moment you are intending to do any breeding, and you might find that Booker suddenly wakes up and tries to test his newly found abilities!

Seondly, and most important, you say that everyone was pretty exhausted (I think you mean horses as well as humans?) and Booker was 'dripping' with sweat, well just imagine how long this might have gone on had it happened during the night, or when you were out, away from the place? Booker might have been ok - he's been well fed and looked after, but your new little girl may not be in such good condition, plus she is feeding a foal, and an exhausted mare is going to lose some of her milk production capacity, quite apart from being extremely stressed and worried about the well being of her foal. It has been known for a stallion to run a mare completely into the ground, to the point of complete collapse. Not a nice situation! Not to mention how fast a foal would become exhausted should it not go and stand to one side.

I'm sorry to be the one saying these things, but it really worries me - Booker's 'behaviour' regarding Dollie is not the normal one between a stud and a young mare, and I'm just worried that he could change in his outlook and upset all your good work in trying to make a happy little herd of four very sweet minis.

Thank You for the heads up. Booker is 3 and i have had him since about 2 months old, Dollie is 4 and i have had her for over 3 years, For the 1st 1& 1/2 Booker was in a pasture with a rescued mare from the same farm he was at, she had to be put down 8 months after we got her - Dollie was in a different pasture with another rescued mare, So I put Booker in that pasture with the 2 mares all 3 were together for 6 or so months & that other mare went off for training & to live at her new home, So its Been Dollie & Booker for the last year, & we just move here 2 months ago, When that chase happened it lasted for 10 - 15 min tops, I have watched them like a halk & have not seen any more then the Mare doing her walk inbetween Dollie or Booker IF they are to close to the foal 15 feet or so, The mare will turn her butt tords and they know to walk away, She does not kick much now .. We have seen them just a foot or so away & the mare does nothing to, so i will just keep doing what i been doing .. I have the cleanest yard, and have check off most of my out side todo list LOL I can see the pasture from my Kitchen livingroom & dinning room windows so those rooms are all so spotsless LOL WE check them every few hours at night, BF is up till 3 or 4 am and then I am back up @ 5:30 The longest someone has not been home to keep an eye on them is 4 hours and that will be today... so fingers crossed,

Feed time is going good, Booker & Dollie eat in the barn and mare & foal eat on the far side of the pen. If this hole thing gets to were its not going to go GOOD I will make another pasture. I plan to make the "Pen " with in there pasture larger & with a full gate... I will start feeding the foal in there once it is done, I think the mare is to pushy with food, they have there own bowls I set them far apart But the mare will push the foal out of it I have seen her paw and kick the foal to.. not sure if thats becaused she was starved or just her pushy way.

I have a good bit to get worked out... But will ether have a happy bunch or 2 pastures with happy horses & I still have the make shift area that the mare & foal were in just in case something has to be done NOW...

Thank You for everyones help

 

[AnnaC]

Well done! You seem to have everything well organised.

Thanks for not taking offence at what I posted. It is very difficult via the internet to know how much experience another poster has, and sometimes we offer suggestions that are not needed!

Yes I think you will need to get your foal fed away/out of reach of his Momma - we have a few mares here who simply will not allow their babies to share their food or go and pinch baby's feed, so we have to work something 'special' for them. Most of our mares however, are happy to share with baby right from the word go, and as they are on a mare and foal feed, there is no problem with them sharing until baby gets old enough to need his/her own bowl.

I really hope it all works out well for you, your four 'potato chips' are lucky to have you.

 

[Mini Love]

Its been over a week now - Things are going great, Booker has not ran after her since that one day. Missy the mare has calmed down about being near the foal Baby Girl, infact she is walking off and doing her own thing and leaving Baby Girl to hang out with Booker & Dollie, We had a storm near by & got some cool wind from it ( no rain that we badly need ) Missy & Baby Girl had a little run around the pasture bucking & kicking flying by one another just being very happy, while Booker & Dollie stood still and watched as to say, well i am not getting in that & getting kicked LOL once they calmed down Booker got a little sponkey But when no one joined him he went and rolled in the dirt, they all took turns rolling in the dirt, even Missy - the 1st roll we have seen. Here are some pic's Missy off eating her hay while Baby Girl was just hanging out with the others, Then once Missy went to enjoy a roll, Baby Girl just had to see what was going on... I think it will all work out... I still have the barn closed & the little pen - I feed Booker & Dollie in the barn & Missy & Baby Girl out side.

I am wondering if the barn the way it is would be big enough for them once I am sure small areas will not be an issue, it is 10 by 18 with a 6 foot door way on the 18 side it is all open space with only a bar hay feeder on the wall. Its more like a run in, I bought a 18 by 20 car port, we put up a front wall with a door way & 4 foot wood sides, leaves 1 foot for sun light & air, in the winter it will be covered with the clear plastic roofing sheets, & put a full middle wall up to cut it in half the other half is for the tractor & boy toys. What do you think on the size?

Have a good one & Thank to you all for your input

 

[Mini Love]

VOID the question about barn/run in space.... I am getting the whole thing and it is 18 by 20 so that will be plenty enough room for the 4 of them.. Just have to move the middle wall to the end, Hope to get that done this week end & then it will be open to them. all is going well, no issues at all, The New mare Missy is at the top of the pole, but they get a long. As you can see in the pic's they share a sand pit, with Booker the stud near by.. We have 3 sand pit's BUT they all like this one more.

I couldnt be happyer to see it this good 3 weeks later,

Thank You for your help

 

[AnnaC]

Brillaint! Well done!

Love the pictures - thanks for posting them for us.