Wesley and Avi - first time in same pasture - 19 Oct 2024

Training horses always involves some risk of injury (or even death) to the horse, the trainer, any spectators, equipment used, etc. - this risk is totally your own as you will be making your own judgements on what to do. As with any suggestions on any subject you must weigh them out for yourself and proceed accordingly - at your own risk.

Personally I favor "no incident" horse introductions - meaning no kicking and no biting and no striking when a new horse is introduced to the pasture. And while I have not yet discovered a way to get that to happen every single time - I have worked out a method that makes it happen a LOT more often than it did for my Dad when I was a kid.

Wesley, the 6yr old Walkaloosa/QH gelding arrived about 4pm the day before this video was taken. I caught and tied my mare, Avi, to our horse trailer then led Wesley to the small lot we use as an arena, closed the gate, and walked him around the high tensile electric fence first with me between him and the fence (herd leader closest to "danger") - flicking the top strand to make it vibrate with the end of the lead rope - to ensure he saw it. We went around twice in that direction and at first he was scared when the fence got struck and vibrated but by the end of the second time around he was used to it - did not consider it a threat anymore. We then went around in the other direction which meant now Wesley was next to the fence - and I would flick the top strand to make it vibrate - so he would see it well - and we went around twice in that direction as well. This allowed the horse to "see it with each eye" which meant it processed where the fence was MUCH better than if it only saw it well with one eye. I then pulled his halter and as expected he started grazing - no running around like a mad man.

After a short while of him grazing I went and turned my mare Avi into the adjacent pasture. They greeted across the fence with nobody challenging each other NOR the fence. And they spent the night in adjoining pastures.

Shortly after sunup the next day - the day this video was taken - I saddled up my mare, Avi, and worked the gate to get into the small lot. As the rider I protected my mount from the curious new horse - shooed him back with the halter and lead that I would later put on him - while my mount worked the gate. I then very gently herded Wesley - aiming for no trotting and no cantering. Initially the new horse fails to understand what is happening so generally some trotting and cantering occurs but you just keep working to get the gentle herding happening at a walk only. We did that until we could stop him, turn him around, move him out again at a walk, stop him, turn him around. The reason for doing this is to teach the new horse who is the herd boss - who controls the movement of the herd - without anybody getting bitten nor kicked. Then I dismounted, put my mare, Avi, on Stand-Stay, and haltered Wesley with a Four Knot halter with a 12 ft lead tied to it. I then walked him over to Avi's off side - asked him to stand back away from Avi a bit while I mounted from the off side - and then I reeled him in. He already knew how to pony so I just verified he knew how to pony well and then we worked the gate to get out of the small lot and ponied him twice around the front pasture with him closest to the fence then twice around the even larger back pasture with him closest to the fence. I then unhaltered him in the back pasture. He ran up to the front pasture. I rode Avi to the gate - worked the gate - then unsaddled her. Wesley expressed some separation anxiety when Avi left the pasture - via running around a bit. And by the time I finished unsaddling my mare - Wesley had quit running around. This video starts just after I release my mare Avi (brown and white Pinto half TWH) into the pasture. This was completed by about 9am - he had arrived at about 4pm the day prior. So a successful "no incident" introduction within 17 hours of arrival.

Remember to intentionally, on purpose, learn of God each day by prayerfully reading, studying, and pondering upon God's word each day. Talk to God in prayer as your Heavenly Father who would like for you to be His friend. Find out what He would like you to do for Him as His friend and go and do it for Him as His friend. Yes very intentionally, very much on purpose, become the friend of God. And have a blessed day!!

Jack Griffes
Certified Farrier accepting new clients in my core area https://griffes.tripod.com/farrier.html
Colt Starting Trainer - contact me to get your horse on my waiting list
https://griffes.tripod.com/startright.html
Constitution Coach
Freedom is the cure - Learn, Love, Live the Principles of Liberty https://griffes.tripod.com/Learn-Founding-Principles.html .
How did your federal and State reps and senators vote in relation to the Constitution they are oath bound to defend and uphold?
https://thefreedomindex.org/ .