What to do about my bully?

[Pinewood Acres]

I recently acquired two new geldings who are gorgeous, healthy, and from excellent stock. The older horse is settling in just fine, while the younger horse is turning out to be a bully. He's pushy when there's no need for it and the other horses don't like it at all. There's been some blocking and nipping going on, but nothing that's caused a real injury. It's distressing the rest of the herd and I'm not sure what to do about it as I've never dealt with a bully before.

 

[Smarty Plants]

I wonder if that horse is absorbing the stress you're feeling, maybe as a result of your goats' ring worm problem. A new horse won't have a past with you and your farm to draw from and might misbehave out of fear. Are you sure your paddocks aren't overcrowded? That can cause a problem with behavior as they compete for space and resources.

 

[The Big Cowhuna]

Horses are like most animals that live in groups, they're going to establish a hierarchy. Unless you notice a horse getting injured or being prevented from eating or drinking, I'd leave them to it. Because what you've described sounds like they're more annoyed with the upstart than anything else. It's good that the two new horses aren't ganging up together. I'd keep a watchful eye on things for now and if it intensifies, you might have to keep them apart by separating the paddock with some additional fencing or something.