How to Introduce a New Horse to the Herd

Getting a new horse is very exciting, but adding a new horse to your herd (even if it's a small one of two or three) can result in a few tense moments and some worry on your part. Horses are herd animals and when several live together, they quickly develop a hierarchy with leaders and followers.1 Quite often, there will be one leader who may have a favorite sidekick and some followers. Horses figure this hierarchy out for themselves with little interference from their human owners.

Regardless of how you integrate the newcomer to the herd, you will probably want to keep the new horse separate (as a form of quarantine) until you're sure it's healthy and free of disease.

 If you don't normally keep halters on your horses when they're outside, this might be the one time you put breakaway halters on at least the herd leader and the newcomer, so they can be easily caught if necessary. Check the pastures and stalls for hazards that a horse might encounter, as it tries to get away. If the footing is very icy or muddy, hold off until conditions improve.

Chances are, if you just have one or two horses, they'll welcome the newcomer very quickly. There will be some posturing, prancing, tails up, sniffing, and squealing, but because horses like being in herds, and they'll probably settle in very quickly.

Turning the horse out in pastures or a paddock alone may help it to learn the lay of the land and familiarize itself with the smells left behind by the other horses.