Different behaviour with herd hierarchy change?

[miskettie]

Last year we lost my seven year old, Ettie, although the youngest of the herd (by quite a bit!) she was the apha and she was a pretty good apha and kept the peace.

A few months after she passed away, Ella, my mum's mare (who's 12) established herself as the alpha mare - she seemed ok and then my new horse, only a five year old, came along. He is a star in the field, doesn't challenge any of them and is very much the baby of the herd. Ella feels she has to look after him all the time and keeps him on a very tight leash - she doesn't let him talk to the others for very long and is quite protective. In fact she now mothers the whole herd (she's the second youngest after my new boy!). She isn't violent, but she is like a schoolmistress, very bossy!

So to the point - since this change her behaviour has become a bit erratic, as she's a very sensitve mare. She used to be the calmest horse, completley bombproof but now she seems to get stressed out easily and can be really silly when ridden - which isn't good for my mum.

Has anyone else had a horse that has responded like this? Or does anyone have any suggestions? Will she just settle down eventually (new horse has been with us four months now)?

This photo just about sums it up (the bay is Ella, the grey is my new boy):

 

[LaurenM]

I know how you feel! I moved yards and my gelding went from being an alpha male to the bottom of the herd. His friend moved with us and watching them together is like watching a gay version of black beauty!

The herd dynamics will change again soon when a new horse arrives. She should settle down although it seems to have been a while since the introduction of your gelding.

 

[Mitchyden]

When I lost my mare Tilly in 2008, it left my other mare Zara in charge. This is a job she isn't cut out for and doesn't want. Needless to say she has turned into a total stresshead.

If she is brought in to ride she screams, she cannot be left in her stable on her own or she screams and if even one of the other three come in from the field, she will stand at the gate calling until they go back out.

As this has gone on for three years now, I'm hoping that my five year old mare will eventually challenge her for this position so she can stand down!

 

[Rose Folly]

They will settle so far as the herd in the field is concerned. It can take quite a long time, so don't worry. Sometimes the numbers are important - you don't say how many your hered is? I like to have 4 when possible as 3s and 5s seem to gang up together and exclude one.

Your mare's change in behaviour could be due to the stress of being herd leader, which I gather she was not before? What's that saying about some people are born to fame/responsibility, whatever - others have it thrust upon them? Your mare may have felt she had to be the Chief, but would actually much rather be an Indian!

My guess is that she will settle down again, particularly come the autumn and winter, when hormones settle down and there has to be more concentration on eating an dkeeping warm (if you keep them out, that is).

 

[1stclassalan]

In my experience of not only keeping but watching horses for about sixty years - changing circumstances in the herd will not affect behavior when ridden as all seniority is cancelled out by the human presence - so if you've noticed a difference in your mare's behavior to your mum there's a different reason.

 

[miskettie]

Thanks everyone.

We have three of them as a herd during the night and six during the day (including her).

She is not a leader and I think would happily give the job to someone else. We're quite a small yard, so another horse won't come unless someone else moves. So it is unlikely that they'll be a more dominant horse arrive anytime soon.

In my experience of not only keeping but watching horses for about sixty years - changing circumstances in the herd will not affect behavior when ridden as all seniority is cancelled out by the human presence - so if you've noticed a difference in your mare's behavior to your mum there's a different reason.

She is not naughty with my mum, she doesn't test her leadership - she is just alot more sensative about things...More spooky - she just worries about everything. Where before she didn't worry at all and was really laid back.