Behavior question - silly mares

[Pam M]

This is not something I'm concerned about...I just want to know if anyone else has seen this behavior and/or has an idea about it.

I've got 2 mares in a field together - 14hh Paso and 16hh QH. They get along beautifully. Never fight, groom each other, just good friends in general. They have run-in access to one stall and I feed the QH in the stall and the Paso outside of the stall. In general the QH is dominant but they really don't squabble.

Here's what they DO do though, almost every morning (mornings only, I've never seen it at night) - I dump the QH's food and then dump the Paso's. The Paso finishes eating first and goes to stand by the stall wall (half wall actually) and wait for her buddy to finish. The QH finishes, leaves stall and goes to make sure Paso hasn't left any food. Paso enters stall and inspects QH's food bowl. Paso then leaves stall and stands on outside of wall. QH goes back in stall and they spend the next 5-10 minutes with ears pinned, charging each other, with the wall between them. They squeal, stomp feet, spin and lift one leg but neither of them actually kicks. They also don't touch each other - no marks. They carry on like a couple of idiots for a while they they "kiss" and make up and head out to the hay to eat, side-by-side.

What's up with this?

[Cindy]

That's easy. Psycho horses. :lol:

[appyday]

:lol:

[Pam M]

Thanks Cindy, I take it you know who I'm talking about! Actually, you've met both of them. Maybe they're just being silly girls. They do seem to love each other!

[motorgypsy]

That is so funny because just today two of our boys were just jousting like crazy - THROUGH the roundpen panel - one on each side. Now the roundpen is open so they can go in and out of it so they can joust on the outside or on the inside - but NO - they have to do it one on each side! GOOFY!

All our girls chase each other and bite the one below them before we feed and after we feed they go and chase each other again and bite each other and check out each other's food dishes and sometimes even leave food at their own just to be sure they aren't missing BETTER food at someone elses dish. They are tied in order of dominance before feeding but they always have their little ritual chase before we tie them. I stand there and ask "Big Boss" if she's ready to be tied up or if she wants to bite someone and sometimes she'll go bite someone and somtimes she'll walk to her feeding spot to be tied. They are SOOOOO hilarious!!!

[CarolU]

Yep, sounds like mares being mares. It is funny, because you take the half wall or fence away, and they quit being silly.

I find boys skip all the squealing and dramatics, but love to 'play fight' and will do so for hours. And they play ROUGH. My boys have lumps up and down their necks and cheeks from playing. They'll also go, on their own, where there is a fence in between them and play fight over the fence. Must be more fun that way, like jousting.

[Mellifluous]

I think there is something in the air - I saw one of mine do something TOTALLY out of character the other day.

She is my gal with the very best manners and is always polite at feeding time - unlike Lexi who feels that she needs to escort me to her feed pan and make sure that I am not intercepted - she is the first to be fed after all.

Anyway, Lady was eating quietly and the goat came up like she always does to grab a couple of bites (I usually put a bit extra in, knowing that this will happen). Lady is normally fine with it. Well I heard a squeal and some stomping and turne around to see Lady trying to paw the goat and snaking her head at her. The poor goat managed to get out of harm's way and faint. Lady was fine once the goat went down. She has NEVER done this before. I can't figure out what the deal was.

I have the sneaking suspiscion that she may have been in heat. She has never really shown strong signs but the behavior and the wink I got gave me a hint. Would being in heat make her act that way toward the goat?

[motorgypsy]

Mel all our guys do this sort of thing regularly - males and females - and it's totally unexpected. For example yesterday Sultan, our stallion, and Chippewa, our mini colt, had been playing all day having a great time. The two were on opposite sides of the feeding tube, a big water tub with hay in it and all of the sudden Sultan just reached over and bit the fool out of Chippewa. No he didn't hurt him but Chippewa was surprised to say the least. No reason at all for biting him. I guess just spring in the air.

Adriel, our two year old filly, will chase and bite the goats sometimes and other times she just ignores them. I guess they just have their moods. Sometimes it depends on just how hungry they are which depends on how much they've been running around or if it's cold. Right now our guys are much more active because of the cold spell and so are biting everyone they can find including chasing the cats.

A horse is gonna do what a horse is gonna do. No reason whatsoever much of the time. They just feel like it.

[stella]

But I also think its about the Paso going into the bosse's stall.....one thing I have noticed, horses often TITHE, the lower -often lowest- one on the totem, leaves a few nuggets of grain, pellets for the BOSS, and so its OK for the BOSS to go into the lower one's stall, but you RARELY(ok, me!) see the lower one go into the boss's stall....maybe later in the day, etc. but not brazenly in front of them! Thats DISRESPECTFUL!
It may be the one is only boss by a SLIVER...is the QH alot older? I could be, at some point, the Paso will take over.......esp if she's the younger, and there's a significant age difference....

[Pam M]

Interesting perspective Stella. I never thought of that. Yes, the QH is older by 4 years (the Paso is 5). I'll have to watch them more closely!

[motorgypsy]

We have two mares who are very close in the hierarchy and the one who was bumped from number one to number three when we brought in big boss mare and her daughter - absolutely hates the fact that daughter is above her but she's afraid to really challenge her so all she can do is pin the ears and make threatening gestures at her before she leaves. I do wonder if we move Big Boss Mare away, if her daughter could still hold on to the number one position? I think she would because she is so self confident even though she's only four and the one below her is I think seven and has had a foal. But the daughter of Big Boss mare is soooo tough - not agressive - just tough.

They are sooo interesting!

[hast]

But I also think its about the Paso going into the bosse's stall.....one thing I have noticed, horses often TITHE, the lower -often lowest- one on the totem, leaves a few nuggets of grain, pellets for the BOSS, and so its OK for the BOSS to go into the lower one's stall, but you RARELY(ok, me!) see the lower one go into the boss's stall....maybe later in the day, etc. but not brazenly in front of them! Thats DISRESPECTFUL!
It may be the one is only boss by a SLIVER...is the QH alot older? I could be, at some point, the Paso will take over.......esp if she's the younger, and there's a significant age difference....

This really make sense to me... and I suddenly realize why my mare, who's a food hog, leaves a few nuggets for Michico when they are fed in the pasture together, but licks her bucket clean when she's fed in the stall.

[Pam M]

Stella, I think you hit the nail on the head! We had a big behavior change at this morning's feeding. Keep in mind that these 2 have been doing this same routine for almost 2 months now, very peacefully, but this morning the Paso refused to leave the stall and the QH mare threw a fit. And then she went in and threw the Paso out of the stall. They went butt to butt, with heels flying! The Paso did back down very quickly so the QH is still No. 1 but the Paso was furious. She stood on the other side of the paddock with her ears pinned for at least 20 minutes and the QH went in the stall and "guarded" it. It was hilarious!

[Cindy]

Ahhh. Poor Pia. :cry: ;-)

[Pam M]

Don't feel too bad for her Cindy. She is still a princesa, after all! She's over it - for now. I can't wait to watch her try again though. It's good to see her show confidence.