Re: RC: Breeding shed manners

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/21/00 10:05:57 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
MBlanchrd@aol.com writes:

<< Horses are intensely social animals. They live in herds in the wild. In 
 natural settings, a stallion lives with his mares until he's displaced by 
 another stallion. The mares allow him to breed him when THEY'RE ready. He 
 knows who they are, he's eaten with them, slept with them, run with them, 
and 
 he knows what he is supposed to do. 
 The mares foal in May, when it's warm and there is green grass to eat. The 
 foals run and play and fool around with each other, they get banged up, they 
 try what they've seen the grown up horses do to each other, making all the 
 mistakes when they are still babies and can practice without repercussions. 
 They know  their  father and know all the other mares in the band. >>

So true.  And that's why our horses live out 24/7, with the mares and 
youngsters in groups, the young stallions in a bachelor group, and since 
space won't permit breeding groups (maybe someday!), the mature stallions 
still at least live nose to nose over the fences from the mares, where they 
can tease, be romanced or rejected, etc., and are not locked away in padded 
cells, etc.  And boy howdy, it sure makes them easier to deal with, too!

Heidi