Horse Prejudices

[Pam M]

Just pondering an observation...

I have a herd of 8 on my place: 2 PF's (one a yearling), 3 Arabs (1 a cross), 2 QH's (1 a cross) and 1 Mustang.

In watching my little herd interact, I've noticed that they have definite preferences by breed and, to a lesser extent, by color. Such as - the Arabs all get along, the grays get along, but the hot breeds don't so much get along with the others and the grays pick on the browns. If I put them all in one field, they segregate themselves by breed.

I was talking to a friend who has several horses on her place and she's noticed something similar. I know this isn't many horses to judge this by but I'm just curious if others have seen this behavior. And I've got a bay warmblood coming tomorrow and I'm curious to see how/where she fits in!

[Linda Y]

My herd is 5 Pasos and one Paint. Desi, the pinto Paso and Nutter the Paint hang together.
Casi, the perlino Paso and Cita the bay Paso are sort of buddies except that Casi doesn't care a whole lot about anyone.
Bueno, the grey Paso loves Casi and hangs around her and Cita most.
Tario, the chestnut Paso is a loner.
When I had Shenan, the grey Paso, he adored Casi and went nuts if she were out of his sight.
Miguel, the chestnut Paso tried to buddy with Tario, but Tario was scared of him.
When we had Jazz and Chex, both Paints, they hung together and cared less about the Pasos.
I absolutely believe horses are prejudice in many cases.

[Terri]

I have 3 1/2 pasos and a quarter horse. The quarter horse is definitely the odd man out. But he has convinced himself he is a paso and can fit in small spaces like pony stalls. I swear I can hear Mico snicker when Prince has once again jammed his bulk into a tiny place.
But I do think Pasos in particular like other pasos best. Everybody else moves their feet "funny"

[DebbieS]

I have 1 paso, 3 QH, and one Peruvian Paso/QH (the mare). My 2 older QH geldings (one grey, one sorrel) hang together, my paso (black) tries to hang with the boss mare (black/white pinto), and the dun QH hangs with anyone who will let him (he's the newest horse on the place).

[Terry Wallace]

Yep...you are right... Lots of horses hold "color predjudices" against other horses. I rode a gelding that simply did not like gray, palomino, or cremello horses.... he will back his ears at any light colored horse and show them his hind end as a threat to kick...

I have also had solid color horses that did not like pinto horses...especially if the pintos were more than 50% white.... if the pinto was mostly solid with high white stockings it was "o.k."

BUT...if the pinto had a lot of body white.... it was not "o.k." ;-)

[Carol Nelson]

Yup, I agree with Terry...most of my herd is solid dark color...and they all "shun" my two Pintos, Canela and Pequena, mother and daughter. So I keep them together, separated from the herd. Thankfully Pequena did not try to nurse after Canela dried up. I think the other horses are scared of them. Maybe they look REALLY big because they are mostly white...and they are pretty good sized!

That may also be why the Pasos are funny about Fletch, our QH. I thought it was because he was proudcut and kind of studdy...but it may be because they know he is of a different breed. Is really funny to see Fletch try to mimic the Paso's gait though...I swear he tried to corto!

My P.F. fillies are pastured next to my mini mare and they get along fine...doesn't seem to be any difference there to them.

Same with my full size mares when they come into heat...they will gladly let my mini stallions "court" them. But it's funny....when they first see the minis...do they ever look at them! Like "what the heck is THAT!" :lol:

[CarolU]

I agree about color prejudices. I had a mare that hated grays, would pin her ears and try to bite them.

I don't put all my Pasos together because they don't get along well...so can't tell you how my herd would break up on their own.

I do know Bruiser was happy to have Rosie home...apparently Zar isn't much fun. ;-)

[Minouri]

It would be interesting to see what horses would breed for if they had free choice.

They say peacocks were Darwin's least favorite animal because it chose it's mate for the length of the feathers....which actually shortens life the life of the animal since it gets it killed more often. They did a study and clipped the feathers of the most popular males and they got less action with shorter feathers.

I wonder if the choices the horses make are based on survival instincts or simple preference.

[Pasomom]

Wow, this is terribly interesting! Hope we have some more input - I just assumed that it was personality clashes that caused horses to shun other horses....... This is interesting indeed!

[Laura S]

Well, I was just riding at my friend's house and she has quite a large pasture with 4-5 pasos, a couple warmbloods, and paints. I noticed the whole herd grazing together, but the two gray pasos were way at the other end together grazing. Then as the herd slowly walked up towards the barn, the paint, paint warmblood, and pinto yearling paso all walked together. The gray pasos also stayed together.

[Pam M]

Minouri, if my mare had free choice, she would choose the toughest one! Every time she's in season, she tries to get the top gelding to breed, then the 2nd one but she shuns the "lowly" geldings and just picks fights with them.

As an added note...the warmblood I was expecting has arrived and so far she's terribly disinterested in the arabs and she really dislikes the paso yearling. These are the only ones she's been exposed to so far. She'll only even acknowledge the bay arab and, oddly enough, she just happens to be a bay.

Also, I separated the gray paso and gray arab but they still share a fenceline and they sleep next to each other with the fence between them. I'm starting to rethink my herd separation policies and I think I'm going to switch them so they're with like colors, rather than by sex, and see how that works out.

[Carol Nelson]

Let's get into the real primal thinking here...suppose that the dark ones don't like the grays and the Pintos because at night, predators can see the lighter colored horses easier...and will stalk them first. So the dark ones "kick" the lighter ones out...survival of the fittest, maybe? Eat them before me....???? :-?

[Brigitte]

Hmm at the ranch there are about 17 out together, most of the grays stay together, there is only one pinto he's kind of a loner I guess, so is serano who's the only horse his color in there, there is another "group" which consisted of three mares who all cam from Curacao, one died, another mare joined them and sometimes another gelding does, but it two geldings who fight for the three mares. The rest of the horses I don't really know if they have groups.

[CarolU]

Horses aren't the only ones with prejudices. I'm not sure if you've noticed that house flies prefer dark horses and horse flies prefer white shinny horses. Another reason to avoid your white herd mates. LOL

[Monty]

Guess I will throw out a hhuuummm,in here - Onna was a black Percheron mare - Her two best buds were my Bay Paso mare when I had her ,and then Monty who is a chestnut with chrome ?????
Buddy( App kind of a reddish roan color),Cody(BLM Mustang,bay) and Silverado ( Light gray/white BLM Mustang ) were best buds !
Before Cody and Monty were moved here and put together - they wanted nothing to do with each other - now they have a fit when one is out of sight! Go figure :roll:

[TrueStepPaso]

Hey, I've been to Curacao! :D

Anywho, the herd at my farm is (2 - black & chestnut) Morgan mares, (1 - gray) Paso Fino gelding (gelded way late), and (2 - bay & black) QH geldings.......here's the breakdown:

The two QH geldings (black & bay) have been there the longest, so they are bonded & in love with each other. The Morgan mare (chestnut) that ISN'T mine is, & always has been, a complete loner. My Morgan mare (black) who is usually a snob to every gelding that tries in vain to woo her, has become quite fond/attached of my Paso Fino (gray) gelding...who, by the way, is a complete geek around my Morgan...he is TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH HER!! :roll:
Oh, and sometimes the bay QH hangs with my black Morgan, while the gray Paso grazes to the side, and the black QH hangs with the chestnut Morgan.....ya know, to switch it up every so often for a short period of time.

So, no prejudice at my barn, baby! ;-)

[TrueStepPaso]

Hey, I've been to Curacao! :D

Anywho, the herd at my farm is (2 - black & chestnut) Morgan mares, (1 - gray) Paso Fino gelding (gelded way late), and (2 - bay & black) QH geldings.......here's the breakdown:

The two QH geldings (black & bay) have been there the longest, so they are bonded & in love with each other. The Morgan mare (chestnut) that ISN'T mine is, & always has been, a complete loner. My Morgan mare (black) who is usually a snob to every gelding that tries in vain to woo her, has become quite fond/attached of my Paso Fino (gray) gelding...who, by the way, is a complete geek around my Morgan...he is TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH HER!! :roll:
Oh, and sometimes the bay QH hangs with my black Morgan, while the gray Paso grazes to the side, and the black QH hangs with the chestnut Morgan.....ya know, to switch it up every so often for a short period of time.

So, no prejudice at my barn, baby! ;-)

[Minouri]

None of this explains why Scooter likes the neighbor's goat. :shock:

[TrueStepPaso]

:lol:


BTW, why or HOW did I double post? :shock: Thats weird...