Companion for a mean horse?

[trottingfilly]

I have a 9 yo. gelding that is evil to other horses. He had a big scare as a 3 yo. when another horse went after him with an "intent to kill" and since then he is mean even to submissive horses. I don't want to chance another horse getting hurt with him, but I think he would really enjoy having company of some kind as he loves to be around people.

I was going to try a mini, maybe he wouldn't feel threatened by a midget :winkgrin:, but he lives in a 15 acre field that's lush with clover in the summer... so I'm pretty sure a pony would eat itself to death in there... any other ideas? Goat? Donkey? I'm guessing a donkey would be prone to founder just as a horse would?

I have never had anything but horses, so I know nothing of any other farm animals...

[Crooked Horse]

Get a goat!
My gelding is an absolute @ss to other horses - tries to kill them all, especially the submissive ones. He had his own goat for years and loved that little guy. They ate and slept together. Goat even went in the trailer with him.

[medhorse]

I know the perfect donkey (small) that would kick his a$$- literallly. Honestly, a group of mares would teach him manners. (pm- me abt. donkey if interested)

[Renae]

If the horse is not distressed by it, I would turn the horse out by itself. Such horses can and do kill ponies, minis, donkeys, goats, etc.

[Green Acres]

If the horse is not distressed by it, I would turn the horse out by itself. Such horses can and do kill ponies, minis, donkeys, goats, etc.

I agree, depending on the horse. I have a MEAN horse who goes out by himself. I would be terrified to try him with a goat, donkey or anything else. I did find a pony that would stand up to him that worked out but the pony was with us on a free lease. My mean horse will even chase cats and squirrels that are in his way. :eek: But he loves people!!!;)

[starkissed]

maybe a draft horse?

horses like that sort of end up in a viscous cycle because they don't get socialized, and then it gets worse. Little story, I board at a hunter barn and pretty much all the horses go out alone and they are just miserable. Whenever another horse walks by the fence they try to savage the other. Its awful and so unnatural for the horses

I think the best option, which is very unlikely, would to be turn him out in a herd of at least 7-8 horses and let the pecking order decide!

[sisu27]

My gelding, who is not a bully, tried to decapitate a mini when we tried to give him a buddy.

I'd be careful with anything small.

[Penthilisea]

A truly bossy barefoot pony mare. She will kick his butt and keep him in line. I bet you can find one cheap at any auction! Look for one who pins her ears when another horse gets up her butt!

[Duramax]

A truly bossy barefoot pony mare. She will kick his butt and keep him in line. I bet you can find one cheap at any auction! Look for one who pins her ears when another horse gets up her butt!


:lol: I'm imagining walking into a sale barn and telling them "I'll take the meanest thing you've got!"

[pj]

If the horse is not distressed by it, I would turn the horse out by itself. Such horses can and do kill ponies, minis, donkeys, goats, etc.
Even if he was deeply disturbed he'd STILL be by himself if it were me. Can't see giving a meanie other animals to abuse.

[JanWeber]

My theory is that he is mean to "even" submissive horses because he's confirming his place in the herd order. If he were out with a couple of more dominant, but non-agressive horses, he'd probably realize that he's not the boss. My one mare is the QUEEN of the world - the other lives with my daughter and SHE'S the Queen at her barn, but when she comes home, she remembers her place... Problem with this is that you don't have ready access to a selection of horses by temperment - and want to keep everyone in one piece.

[Go Fish]

I agree with other posters...a nice boss mare. Preferably a broodmare. They're the toughest.

That being said, I've had good luck with donkeys. They don't take any crap off anything. I've never had one even come close to foundering on lush pasture, even when I've had to bring the horses in to dry lots. I've never heard of a donkey foundering. They just don't eat themselves to death like a horse will.

[decorum]

Donkeys founder, I've seen plenty of them but luckily mine is one that seems to have a self adjustment on his intake. Hopefully he doesn't become IR, I like this arrangement since my horse is also not IR so they can be out 24/7.

Ann Szolas

[JBajo]

I have a horse who is a real specialist in dealing with difficult pasture mates. He is completely non-confrontational, but not timid, and has managed to remain unharmed (and happy) in close company with some real jerks.

Not going to let him go into a truly dangerous situation, but I have him listed now in the giveaway forum. Any chance you are near Virginia?

[pines4equines]

I have a truly aggressive horse at our place who would bite the crap out of another horse. It drove me nuts. Well, we switched him to a much lower nsc feed, Agway Superior Senior, and he is a much different animal.

He is a TB who requires a lot of food to maintain weight and we were packing on the feed (free choice hay too) and he was way too high and then aggressive on top of it.

Switching to the ASS, we can pack on the feed and he can barely make it around the fields - which is a good thing. The bite marks on the other horse stopped.

Of course, I cheaped out one day and bought something else for him and it made him nuts, bite marks on other horse escalated. So it's back to ASS for my "ass" of a horse.

[mroades]

Donkeys can founder...a lot

[GallopHer]

I would never subject another animal to a mean or aggressive horse. I've seen what can result to the "recipient" horses and it's just not worth it. Please keep the mean horse by itself.

[IsolaBella09]

Friend had a stallion that was very nasty and aggressive. He would kick at the walls all the time, squeal, and bit the bars of his stall. Friend got him a sheep, and he had a buddy to play with in his tall. He quieted down a lot.

[KellyS]

We have a mini donk gelding, and he is the LOWEST man on the totem pole out of our 5 (even when he was intact). I've split mine into 2 groups--dominant pony and submissive pony go out together; dominant horse, baby, and donkey go out together. Donkey is last guy to get a hay pile.

I'm mentioning this because I always believed that the donkeys were the tough, in-charge types, and I realize that's not always the case.

[meaty ogre]

I always chuckle when everyone recommends the mean boss mare. I mean, mean girls work so well to keep everyone in order in high school too, so it should work! ;)
Seriously, it can work for some, but if you have a truly "mean" horse it won't. A dominant gelding who won't back down from a gelding is not automatically more likely to back down from a mare, and a dominant mare who won't back down plus another dominant horse who won't back down is very likely to result in a kicking match sufficient to horrify any onlookers who will then risk life and limb to seperate the two. Spoken from experience.

I have an overly aggressive gelding who has tormented me for the better part of a decade because he is socially inept. Kicked out of some facilities, reduced to individual turnout in others. Nothing ever worked. He'd either walk the fenceline, work himself into unlcers, lose wieght, or kick/bite the snot out of everyone, or run them ragged trying. He has been in all boy herds, mixed herds, put with mares with the specific intention of adjusting his attitude, and everyone but him always walked away worse for the wear. I have tinkered with his diet, tried supplements and pharmaceuticals to attempt to control his attitude to no avail. I know from where you are coming.

My saving grace is a 38 yo mini (who does happen to be a mare!). For some reason he herds her, but will not attack her. She is not submissive to him and has let hooves fly more than once. I do understand that despite her small size and age she can inflict damage (and vice versa) but I have weighed the risks and the benefits do outweigh those for my situation.

I have my own place where I can introduce horses in adjoining pens, and then monitor them well. I wouldn't suggest this in a boarding situation or other situation where they can't be first acclimated to one another. I also initially put a chest board up so that he could not get into the run-in shed on one side, but she could, in case she needed to escape him. It was never necessary. They are best friends now and my only problem with the arrangement is they are overly attached. Peanut, my mini, is kind of like an equine version of Sophia from the golden girls. You can't help but like her. Even mean-as-a-snake Fred fell for her. :) The attachment issue doesn't matter as my meanie doesn't leave the farm anymore but it would make a difference if he was still showing. Good luck, but play it safe.

[crosscreeksh]

The "meany" should stay by himself with other horses within sight!!! Let him speak up if he wants to converse with them for company. I've SEEN mean horses kill ponies, goats and donkeys. I think you'd feel like sh** if you came home to find the companion killed or mutilated!! Some horses just don't want or deserve a buddy!!!

[Cheval Gris]

I have a TB who came from a farm where he was out with 10+ horses, was at the bottom of the chain. The skinniest, had the worst bite marks, etc. When i got him home, he was all alone, had the whole place to himself-especially dinner time. This horse is the calmest, quiet without a mean bone in his body, ignores my giant lab running at him barking and growling (gives the occasional run and buck for play). When its really cold he looks so lonely out there by himself. So I decided to get him a buddy. A friend had a yearling just hanging out at his farm so I took him for a buddy. Well, Mack loved him, they were immediate butt buddies, and all was well until the next day when it was time to feed. Fed the little one far from Mack, but of course he got done before my horse. Came NEAR Macks area and he pinned his ears, left his food and chased that baby for 15 minutes with his mouth wide open. There was nothing I could do until he decided to stop. But that little horse was running, falling down, yelling trying to come to me for help and I know if I hadn't corned him in the barn my horse probably would've killed him. I have never been so horrified in my life. The little guy had 18 bites on him. He went back to his home that afternoon. That was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. Now, Mack lives alone. Lonely or not, I just cannot take that chance again. He is fine with big horses, but he just gets nervous when another horse is on HIS farm when its time to eat. The dog is now his companion.

[Chief2]

A truly bossy barefoot pony mare. She will kick his butt and keep him in line. I bet you can find one cheap at any auction! Look for one who pins her ears when another horse gets up her butt!

I agree. More often than not, this is how it plays out in the herd. The 'mean' or aggressive geldings we get in usually team up with the nastiest alpha mares on the place, and then the couple stays to themselves. Of course, woe to any stupid gelding who tries to get in on the twosome, but the OP doesn't have that problem. Don't get one of those sweet, timid mares. Get yourself a good, strong, opinionated alpha mare, who thinks it's her way or the highway. If you decide to try this, consider seeing if you can find one such mare that someone else has had quite enough of dealing with, thank you very much, and borrow her for a few days. Let them get to know each other over the fence for a few days or a week, then put them in the largest paddock you have. Don't be surprised if Mr. Mean's eyeballs begin to spin, and he starts turning himself inside out to bring her over to his way of thinking. She probably will pretend to not even give him the time of day at first. If he goes too far, she'll kick him good and hard, as often as he needs it, which should get his attention. When she comes into heat, he'll belong to her. Not the other way around.

I also agree with the barefoot behind thought. She may end up with a few bite marks, but if you leave her hind shoes on, your gelding's body could well end up looking like horseshoe wall paper before it's over. The little ladies are really quite good at controlling their men. ;)

[Green Acres]

My mean horse chased our other TB over the fence. Not once but twice. The first time over the fence, the horse cut up his hind legs needing stitches and his but from being bitten. That horse still has scars to this day. Mean horse would chase him at a flat out gallop with teeth showing.

The same two horses love each other as long as their is a fence with electric between them. Never will my mean guy go out with another horse. I can't take the chance or the thought if he killed another animal. My mean guy is perfectly happy in his own pasture.

[trottingfilly]

Thanks all. You have given me a lot to think about.

He's always been by himself, because he was a racehorse and I couldn't take a chance on getting him hurt. But now he's been retired for over a year and he's the only horse at the farm that pretty much lives outside. I just hoped if I could get him used to a buddy of some kind, I could ease him into tolerating other horses. Not that I'm planning it at the moment, I have plenty of room for him now, but there might come a time I'll have to find him a home. It won't be easy if I have to scare everyone from the start what a monster he is! :lol:

As far as feeding, his highness eats Poulin Carb-Safe. Minimal amounts at that. He has always been a super high strung horse and we have tried about every product out there over the years (including no grain) and there is just no fixing him with a diet... otherwise he'd still be racing!

He is just his own worst enemy... he's lucky I looooove him! :D