Following on from mixed herds, is your horse top dog?

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polyphonic

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know this may seem like a silly post and it may seem like a selfish one, but in the current field that flint is in he shares it with about 6/7 other geldings. From what I see and what people have said he is top dog, although not a bully he much prefers his own company grazing but does not tolerate being pushed around and is always the first to put someone in their place- I am actually slightly pleased and also get slighty worried by this- 99% of the time the others will move off if Flint says so but he does battle alot with a much bigger horse who was more established than Flint was. Do you worry about your horse being turned out with others at all? Last year Flint kicked another horse (youngster) in the field and that person doesnt want to turn out with Flint and I can have my own paddock but do not want Flint to be on his own and be in segregation (sp) because of his position in the herd
 
Corroy has always been in charge. She can just about be trusted in a large field (say 5 acres
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) with a quiet horse. I am afraid now we only have small paddocks and she would kick anything she was out with, so she goes out alone but is next to the others for their safety
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It's weird, even though Tilly is 16.2hh and Asbo is 11.3hh Asbo is the top dog!
He is a stubborn (sp) pony, and stands his ground, and if he doesnt want tilly near him or eating where she wants to eat he will bully her off and she will not retaliate (sp)!
But if Jen goes into the field to catch Tilly, Tilly wont let Asbo anywhere near Jen if she thinks Asbo is going to hurt Jen.
Its very weird....
 
pickle is top dog between him and my sisters horse. He is also top dog of the two stupidly agressive horses that have to have individual turnout next to our field. One of them tried to kick and take a chunk out of my sisters horse, he is so protective he then kicked him (which pickle NEVER usually does) some how pickle is a top dog while remaining a lovely horse to be around. Think he dominates mainly because he is massive!
 
My horse is far too laid back for that! In her "herd" of three, the 4yo is the boss (she was bullied last winter by four NF ponies, and has found out she can be in charge of Maiden and has got a lot more confident), then Maiden, then the 3yo (who is such a happy person and loves Maiden and Darcy and wouldn't put her ears back to anything).
My first pony (Welsh D) was a nervous thing and was bullied by her fieldmate (another NF, spawn of Satan). We moved to a yard and she went in with another bully, and when that pony moved she went in with YO's huge dressage mare. Lily (my pony) LOVED Petal, they looked pretty much 50:50 in terms of being in charge and they never fought over anything, always shared. When we sold Lily and she moved into her new home, she was (and still is) definately top dog! Her confidence has grown enormously!
I prefer owning the boss of the field, much easier to get out of the field gate without letting all the other horses out too and much easier not to get squished!
 
I managed to have the top dogs in both the fields at my yard - maybe it's something to do with me??!! Have gone down to the field today and my mare has commendeered the field shelter for her own use and this thing is about 25 foot long and about 12 foot deep so plenty big enough for a few to get in but oh no not today!! and my gelding in the other field won't go in the shelter but just paces in front so no one else can get in
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on the downside tho I am forever getting called to the field because no one can get their horses out
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When my daughter first got her mare, she wouldn't let any of the other mares drink from the trough in the field. She is a real alpha mare and has put several horses in their place on many occasions
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She's fine as long as she's left alone though.
 
Monty is the herd leader. He has never hurt another horse but he moves them all to where he thinks they should stand and graze and they just do it
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I wish sometimes another horse would come in and boss him around for a change. He tries to do it to me too
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I'm afraid to say my horse is a proper bully
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He pushes the little ponies around but anything around his size or bigger and he runs a mile! I have to be careful because I have known him to hide himself behind me (I am alpha
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)and rush through the gate if he feels threatened. I always make sure to assert my authority on every horse that hangs by the gate so they know to move when I tell them. The alpha horse in our herd is a big chesnut named Jack and he was reluctant to accept that if I said move from the gate, I meant it!
Titan also picks on Peg, who is bigger than T but completely in love with him! Peg doesn't have to do much to put himself top of the pack, he's too old and wise to take nonsense off the other horses but he's T's biatch!
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Boo is only out with one other horse but he is definately in charge. Our last yard was large and there was always lots of swapping of fields with the riding school horses and he learned to get along. Now he is top dog, he sometimes tries to push me around too so I have to be very firm with him.
Last summer we had a minature shetland on the yard. The owner used to let him wander freely. He went under the fence into our field and Boo picked him up and shook him - he never went in our field again!
 
Have spent ages observing the herd. King seems to be the boss when food is involved but another gelding Mariador is in charge of mares (makes sense as he was late being done). Lorella is the top mare but Nixi, another mare, is the only one Mariador can't boss around. Mighty I used to think was low down in the order however she seems to be able to go where she wants and talk to whoever she wants.
 
Alee was top dog until I moved her into a herd of broodmares and youngsters. The broodmares keep her in her place (they are only shetlands and she is 17hh!!!
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) but she is top dog of the babies!
 
My rescue pony is probably somewhere in the middle to lower end of the pecking order. My gelding is closer to the top although neither of them are aggressive and both get on with most of the other horses.
 
My gelding has always been bullied, no matter what he's been turned out with, geldings, mares, mixed, they all have a go at him. He is always the one with kicks, bites, ripped rugs, and always the one grazing alone, or not allowed into the field shelter. It had settled down since we got our own land, but the brood mare bullies the new gelding, and in turn he bullies my little victim! Am waiting for the yearling to turn on him too
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