We have a new intake. He broke quarantine this weekend. “Teddy” is a sweet little buckskin gelding in his mid-twenties who lived on land that sold and he had nowhere to go. We took him in as an “owner surrender”. He is in good health for a 20+ year old horse – but he is very “over in the knees” and one hoof has grown way forward, probably to support that knee.
Our Veterinarian is coming to X Ray his legs and hoof. This will give us needed information for his care and hoof trimming. He is already on Vitamin E to help his muscles and the Dharmahorse herbal supplement to support organs, immune system and joints.
Teddy is a sweetheart. He is by no means “sound”, and we have Comet (bad arthritis) and Murray (navicular in both front hooves and a rotated coffin bone in a hind) who live as bonded pair. It seemed like a good idea to put the three of them on the small track system together. I felt that none of them were sound enough to harass or harm the others. And Teddy was excited that there were other horses around, feeling the need to be with someone else, I reckoned.
Teddy had lived years alone in an isolated field. Being with a small herd seemed a logical choice for him.
Usually, we put a new horse in the giant round yard to get to know the other horses (& mules) and vice versa. If we put Teddy in the round yard, I was concerned that he might get into trouble at the fence with young Pepper (who often gets too excited about a new equine). He would have no shelter… We had moved Comet and Murray to the small track and had a good team here on Saturday in case we needed help. So, I decided “why not just bring Teddy to the track and let him be with the other two” – it was different from our usual way of doing things… I found out “why not”!
Comet and Murray (especially Murray!) became much more active and pushier than I had ever expected. We quickly got Teddy out of there and rearranged everything! I could not believe what I was seeing. Murray (navicular and founder!) was galloping and bucking and leaping in the air! Comet was galloping (our feeding and healing programs work!).
Teddy went into Pepper’s pen/shelter beside the herd; Pepper went onto the small track system and Comet & Murray went back to their old paddock. It was good we had our remarkable team to help unwind the problem I had caused!
Granted, I know that horses need introductions… I knew better but was swayed by the notion that “three old geldings with soundness issues” would just be mellow with each other. Lesson learned. We all falter now and then. In my defense, I had no inkling that Comet and Murray could move so fast and be so pushy!
So, I apologize profusely to Teddy every time I’m near him. It really seemed like a good idea at the time. And now I know that Comet and Murray are much more capable than I suspected.
Stablewomen 
This can happen to any of us when we least expect it. No one can predict every circumtstance, action or reaction. Maybe later the three will do well together and putting them together will happen. Seems it would be nice it that could be but horses, like people, probably aren’t wild about change and need to go about it slowly.
Thank you, I have been beating myself up over it… change is hard on horses. We can try again later! But you should’ve seen Murray! There’s a video on FB of him – quiet the shock for me! I’m so glad he has healed.