newhorse
Well-Known Member
I wondered if horses do recognise their own breed or just pair up with a horse they feel secure/confident with?
Do horses recognise their own breed?
- Thread starter newhorse
- Start date
Chico Mio
Antedeluvian
As in TB and TB etc? No, I don't think so. They don't know what they are appearance wise so I think they go for a 'personality' match rather than 'looks'.
henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Keeping large numbers as we do you get to watch them interact a lot.
Colours graze in group together, ie chesnuts/palominos/roans and greys.
That's because one colour standing out is more likely to get attacked by a predator I've been told.
Families graze together, and here comes the really hard to believe bit, if we add a strange horse who is related in some way to some of our own to the main herd the only group it will be allowed to join is it's family members. But remember they've never met before, so how do they recognise each other?
Do family groups all smell familiar to each other or can they communicate another way?
Not quite the answer to your question but fascinating isn't it?
Colours graze in group together, ie chesnuts/palominos/roans and greys.
That's because one colour standing out is more likely to get attacked by a predator I've been told.
Families graze together, and here comes the really hard to believe bit, if we add a strange horse who is related in some way to some of our own to the main herd the only group it will be allowed to join is it's family members. But remember they've never met before, so how do they recognise each other?
Do family groups all smell familiar to each other or can they communicate another way?
Not quite the answer to your question but fascinating isn't it?
Fairynuff
Well-Known Member
absolutely not. A horse is a horse is a horse. Its only us humans who are capable of racialism.
Ezme
Well-Known Member
We had a shire/ID/TB who would freak whenever he saw a shetland.... does that count?
Box_Of_Frogs
Well-Known Member
My Highland x gelding (RIP Sullivan) was deeply bonded to a chestnut Arab gelding!
DunRoamin
Well-Known Member
My roan was obbsessed with the the only other roan in the field and they were firm friends, he also took the role of protector of Fred my friends 17.2hh gelding who is a bit special, they looked like little and large
Fairynuff
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
We had a shire/ID/TB who would freak whenever he saw a shetland.... does that count?
[/ QUOTE ]
He was sizist!
We had a shire/ID/TB who would freak whenever he saw a shetland.... does that count?
[/ QUOTE ]
He was sizist!
jesterfaerie
Well-Known Member
We had four horses in one field who all got on together, the two TBs always grazed together.
shadowboy
Well-Known Member
My NF's best mate with the other NF in the field- It may well be cause they are of the closest size?
tabithakat64
Well-Known Member
Interestingly our similar coloured don't really graze together, they have in the past though. Our current horses seem to pick friends of a similar size. Apparent from Fudge who love our shetland
Mosh
Well-Known Member
My ex racer has just ben turnd out for the summer and the only other horse he seems to get on remarkably well with is the other ex racer (hes an antisocial thug at the best of times) and has always got bttr with TB's.
He hates shetlands with a passion though
He hates shetlands with a passion though
Ezme
Well-Known Member
Shetlands to seem to provoke hatred from quite a few other horses... although our 3/4 shire (17hh) adores any shetlands he comes across and won't leave their side and he is THE most antisocial horse I know, always grazes alone and has been known to kick the sh*t out of youngsters!
JoJo_
Well-Known Member
My mare is sizist too I think! Last summer/autumn she was in a paddock next to a shetland and a native pony and her seasons were barely noticable, nor did she care if they were in the field by her or not. This year she is next to a 16.2ish grey ID gelding and she is sooo in love!
LadyRascasse
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
We had a shire/ID/TB who would freak whenever he saw a shetland.... does that count?
[/ QUOTE ]
my tb gelding is the same with mini's lmao
We had a shire/ID/TB who would freak whenever he saw a shetland.... does that count?
[/ QUOTE ]
my tb gelding is the same with mini's lmao
YorksG
Over the hill and far awa
The 9 year old Appy (few spot on more or less solid background of chesnut) when introduced to the group made a bee line for the old Appy (loud red leopard spot) who looked very like her mum
they remained firm friends until the old Appy was pts. Many years before the old Appy had made best friends with a roan, there were no other appy's around at that time.
newhorse
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your replies. I have noticed that by TB makes a beeline for other TBs and them for him. He will pick them out in the field and loves them, they always get on very well together
This is interesting someone said to me recently that coloured horses always stick together and I've noticed a large cob type coloured has really buddyed up with a small coloured shetland but in saying that large coloured is son of my share horse (bay) and he likes to be with her. He's 12 so not an age thing and they've spent a lot of time apart but still "know" each other so will be together if put in same field.
However, my YO had her bay gelding in field with an aged bay that he used to be "friends" with. They haven't shared a field for years but he was allowing him "in" to his inner circle in an unusual way.
Essentially, I think they like some and not others and I'm not sure it's colour/family or age related. I also think it's about herd heirarchy which shifts and changes over time but there are always some more dominent than others and these types have a band of followers.
However, my YO had her bay gelding in field with an aged bay that he used to be "friends" with. They haven't shared a field for years but he was allowing him "in" to his inner circle in an unusual way.
Essentially, I think they like some and not others and I'm not sure it's colour/family or age related. I also think it's about herd heirarchy which shifts and changes over time but there are always some more dominent than others and these types have a band of followers.
vick
Well-Known Member
Yeh i think they do, my haffie paired up with the only other haffie, out of the choice of 45 other horses and ponies bizarre