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> Often, the worst culprit will be one of the lower ranking horses...the 
> "top dogs" seem to make their point right away, maybe the lower 
> ranking horses want to make darn sure that the "new guy" stays below 
> them.

I have had this happen as well.... Last year I had my step-moms mare 
here... put her out in the pasture with my three mares and one gelding. 
 Thhis mare had NEVER been in a herd situation in her life and it was 
interesting to see her slowly figure out what the other horses were 
trying to tell her. (Like, "Stay over there in YOUR pile, would ya!"

I have an old pony who is always at the bottom of the pecking order, 
though always well liked.  The second mare up began picking on her 
badly, as well as on the new mare.  No injuries, but a lot of 
threatening and snapping of teeth.

A few days later, I brought home another horse... a spoiled rotten 
mustang.  She stirred everything up all over again, of course, and for 
awhile, the herd split into two groups, "The Black and Whites, which 
included both the newest additions, and the old pony) and (The Browns, 
which included my two mares and the gelding)

Later still everyone went back to being one herd, as the new mustang 
gradually bumped the original lead mare from her spot and things 
settled down completely, with the old pony at the bottom, and the 
second from the bottom back in their original places, with everyone 
else in between.

The gelding routinely stayed far away from the mares in heat... keeping 
company with the old pony who no longer cycles. This never changed 
during all the shuffling of the herd.

When the visiting mare and the gelding left, I noticed no change at all 
in herd dynamics.

It's really interesting to me to watch this kind of thing, as well as 
to read about it.  Over the years I've had horses I have seen many 
things go on between horses, most of which have happened with no bad 
injuries, thankfully.  But there have been occasions where I have seen 
things I would not have believed had I not witnessed them myself.  
Horse, like people, are all different.

Julie



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