New Horse Being Bitten and Bullied
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My 13-year-old gelding is very gentle and has always been great with other horses. I recently got a 7-year-old gelding, also very sweet—but my 13-year-old is chasing and biting him all the time. They have been together for five weeks, and it is just as bad now as it was in the beginning. My 7-year-old is afraid of the older horse, so I have separated them. Can you please give me some advice to stop the biting?
- Anita
Anita, assuming the bites do not cause injury, the behavior you have observed is fairly common. Geldings often compete for resources such as food, water and attention. The fear your 7-year-old is displaying may just be a normal social response to the “top dog” in the herd.
Try increasing the available resources for both horses (several hay piles, two water sources, etc.) so that there are ample opportunities for the 7-year-old as well as the 13-year-old. If possible, place a visual barrier—a run-in shed or round bale would do the trick—in the pasture so that the 7-year-old can get out of the visual range of the 13-year-old. They should be able to clarify their roles with a few consistent weeks of interaction.