Gelding mounting smaller gelding?!

[Jim bob]

So I wasn't at the yard at the time this happened. However I was told later on today that my 17hh tb mounted a 14hh gelding today as well as biting his bum. This is something he has never done before, ever. Even when there was a mare in the same field and she was flirting with him. He didn't mount her, so why mount a gelding? Would it be dominance? Or just been playful? I did suggested to the owner that it could have been play as when I left the horses this morning, they were playing a little. The owner understandable in worried about any injury caused to her pony but also to my horse. Why would my horse do this? I know my horse and this pony aren't the best of friends and my boy has been known to bully this pony slightly even though my horse has always normally been the bottom of the herd.

 

[Shay]

Mounting behaviour is usually dominance related. They are playing - but all play has purpose, especially in a prey species, and the purpose of mounting is social dominance. Have there been any other changes in the group recently which might have made the horses re-think their pecking order?

You don't say how old the pair are - but these things usually settle down once new social hierarchies are established. You could consider taking your lad's front shoes off if this is persistent. If the smaller lad is prone to kicking back, then removing his back shoes would protect your boy. But I do recognize taking shoes off isn't always practical depending on work and feet. And this could well sort itself out too quickly for that to be needed.

 

[Jim bob]

thanks for replying. There hasn't been any changes really apart from moving fields about 3 weeks ago. The 14hh is 5 and mine is 9-OTTB. The pony doesn't have no hind shoes. However. Quite often now my is going for this pony and the pony is double barrowing at him. Just this morning, mind has come back from the field with a bite on his neck and a cut on his leg.

 

[fburton]

Mounting behaviour is usually dominance related.

This is simply untrue. Mounting behaviour is not usually dominance related in horses. I would really like to know where you got this idea from! One researcher suggested this for zebras, but this hasn't been corroborated for horses.