have watched various ways of introducing horses for the first time..the quick/hope no one gets killed way ..hope you don’t have vet bill bigger than the mortgage way..or a slower way..not to rush it..let them settle in over fences..my ranch friend says says “sometimes putting horses together makes ya wish ya hadn’t..sometimes the slower ya go the faster ya get there”..and then sometimes ..the horses have an agenda all their own..like today..
the rescue horses, Jade, Bella and Sally.. the mares.. and Sampson the only gelding have been making friends with the other horses over fences for months..nice interactions.. occasionally being offered a little co-mingling here and there..letting one or two of the horses that were here first go in with the rescues ..it’s working well..everyone minding their own business..grazing quietly near each other..meandering around under the big green mesquite trees..until today..
now whether it’s the amazing full supermoon..or the time of year..or the mares have been watching the other horses..especially the paint and how he treats his barnmates or whatever else might come into play ..today Snickers apparently got on someone’s last nerve..i’ve heard they watch us way more than we watch them..that in the wild they get one chance or they’re dinner..so they must have been watching ..watching Snickers..he’s in with the rescues as he has been off and on when Jade the quiet jet black mare decides to teach him a lesson or so it appears..she’s the super-watcher..doesn’t seem to lead but herds..always watching everything..hasn’t paid any attention to him whatsoever..Sampson’s her buddy..she‘s always within feet of Sampson..until today..today the watcher went into action..went over to Snickers and followed..dogged..bugged..nipped..herded Snickers every single minute..not letting up for a second..which is what he does to his herd-mates..
she blocked him in by a fence and held him there..
she picked on his feet..which no barn mate has done..
i’ve read in old westerns when they wanted to teach a horse manners they threw it went in with a bunch of brood mares..don’t know if she’s a brood mare but if this was her watching and finally stepping in or if this was her teaching and if this mild scenario was any indication Snickers should be more polite from now on..maybe not so much herding of his fellow barnmates ..moving them off their feed or grazing spot..doing his pecking order thing…in watching she wasn’t hurting him just annoying him.. a lot..
appears she’s teaching me how she’s teaching him..
that it’s not so much fun when the shoe’s on the on another’s foot..
annegreenstories 