If you put a domesticated horse into a wild herd...

[3BayGeldings]

What do you think would happen? Would the domesticated horse still be as intune with their instincts as the wild horses? For some reason I imagine it would be like introducing an Etonion to a gang from Moss Side and watching him trying to integrate himself.

 

[Dolcé]

I think it would integrate perfectly (and wouldn't miss it's rugs at all). Our herd run as a 'proper' herd with the dynamics being completely natural, the only difference is that they have fences to stop them roaming the way they would like.

 

[wench]

I don't think it would survive.

As far as I know... wolves will not accept a dog into their pack (although they will mate), and wild rabbits will kill "pet" rabbits if the pet was released to go and live with them.

 

[joeanne]

Wild herds normally consist of a stallion and then his mares and youngstock.
A mare would likely be able to intergrate with a herd....a colt would be driven away, as lilkely would a gelding.

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Actually a herd is run by an alpha mare and consists of mares and foals. There is one stallion but hes not in charge bit like humans really

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Well there will be colts and stuff which may sneek mate. They are driven away after a certain amount of time

 

[joeanne]

Actually a herd is run by an alpha mare and consists of mares and foals. There is one stallion but hes not in charge bit like humans really

Yes....but its the stallions job to protect the herd from other rogue stallions and to "disperse" colts once they are able to go out into the big wide world.

 

[Littlelegs]

I'm not sure either way tbh. I think it would also depend on how intune the individual was. I would imagine a native, used to living in a large herd with a natural balance of herd members would fare better than a horse who's spent its life with very limited socializing. Plus age. I imagine a foal or young filly would be accepted easier than an older horse. And gender. A wild stallion might accept an in season mare, whereas I doubt he'd allow another mature male displaying dominant behavior to join. And I'm not sure where geldings would fit in. Would they be accepted into a male only herd? Or with a submissive one would a stallion view it as no threat?
Of course there's the practical side. A native or good doer would manage pretty well on sparse grazing & walking miles to find it, however I doubt an elderly poor doer tb would cope well.
Regarding other species, there's been quite a few well documented cases of wolves taking in human young, so I think the age would play a major part. And loads of true stories of domestic animals fostering young, sometimes of a different species. I think too the wild herds current dynamics would effect it too. If for example a herd has just lost its lead mare who oversees smooth daily running of the herd, & that space is empty, I imagine a domestic mare who has that role in its domestic herd would be accepted easier than if the role was filled. Very interesting question op!

 

[Saz123]

I think it depends on the horse! We have a semi wild herd which consists of mares, foals, yearlings and used to be a stalion. My tb was going to be turned away with them to grow up but it lasted 2 days before I had to take her away as she was banished to the other side of the 20 acre fields and every time she when neAr the others they would charge at her and really bully her!
Where as my nfx gelding who is totally pampered since a baby is turned out With them and mixed just fine he is probably the one that they all love and follo around!

 

[turkana]

I did a horse back safari a few years ago, they had a horse that had got loose & gone to live with a herd of zebras, he lived with them for a couple of years before being recaptured & put back into work. They had lions in the reserve & he survived just fine
So they some domestic horses can do it.

 

[ladyt25]

My pony definitely would revert to his instincts - he has always been one to display very natural stallion-like behaviour and herd leadership behaviour so i think he's just fall in to it nicely!

 

[maccachic]

We have a herd over here in NZ:


http://kaimanawaheritagehorses.org/about/

It was way back in 1876 that the first wild horses were recorded in the Kaimanawa mountain ranges. The Kaimanawa horse originated from Exmoor and Welsh Mountain pony stock released in the 1870’s. These ponies came to New Zealand on sailing ships and were a huge part of pioneer life selflessly working to aid European settlement. Escapees and releases of horses from farms and the cavalry at Waiouru have added to the gene pool as have “Desert Road Drop-offs” of other unwanted horses.

 

[flirtygerty]

I don't think it would survive.

As far as I know... wolves will not accept a dog into their pack (although they will mate), and wild rabbits will kill "pet" rabbits if the pet was released to go and live with them.

We live out in the wilds and have hundreds of rabbits about, so many they warranted getting a gun, among the wild rabbits there is a black rabbit, assume it's an escaped pet, that has survived all summer and was alive and well this morning

 

[FfionWinnie]

I think it would usually survive. Even if it was rejected by the herd it could live alone in the wild. Also would depend what sort of wild, wild Wales or wild Africa

 

[FfionWinnie]

We live out in the wilds and have hundreds of rabbits about, so many they warranted getting a gun, among the wild rabbits there is a black rabbit, assume it's an escaped pet, that has survived all summer and was alive and well this morning

You do get black wild rabbits. Does it have any domestic characteristics other than colour?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

You do get black wild rabbits. Does it have any domestic characteristics other than colour?

A woman on our yard who just lives opposite has a black rabbit that escaped and now lives in the fields behind their cottage - apparently it was a vicious brute :eeK. It has no intention of being caught and has lived out there for several years. I've seen it out there grazing with the other wild rabbits.

 

[jeeve]

I'm not sure either way tbh. I think it would also depend on how intune the individual was. I would imagine a native, used to living in a large herd with a natural balance of herd members would fare better than a horse who's spent its life with very limited socializing. Plus age. I imagine a foal or young filly would be accepted easier than an older horse. And gender. A wild stallion might accept an in season mare, whereas I doubt he'd allow another mature male displaying dominant behavior to join. And I'm not sure where geldings would fit in. Would they be accepted into a male only herd? Or with a submissive one would a stallion view it as no threat?
Of course there's the practical side. A native or good doer would manage pretty well on sparse grazing & walking miles to find it, however I doubt an elderly poor doer tb would cope well.
Regarding other species, there's been quite a few well documented cases of wolves taking in human young, so I think the age would play a major part. And loads of true stories of domestic animals fostering young, sometimes of a different species. I think too the wild herds current dynamics would effect it too. If for example a herd has just lost its lead mare who oversees smooth daily running of the herd, & that space is empty, I imagine a domestic mare who has that role in its domestic herd would be accepted easier than if the role was filled. Very interesting question op!

This - some domestic horses are very much survivors, I had a mare from horse rescue like this, she was tough and had all her survival instincts very much in place, whereas, my ISH gelding, he would probably be someone's dinner in no time flat.

 

[MissSBird]

This summer I went to Colorado and spent some time on a ranch where I rode out to see wild mustangs (truely wild ones, not the feral ones).

Was an amazing experience, but as we were driving out of the 'range', we came across another herd running and they stayed alongside us for a bit. When we spotted a mule in with them, realised there was no stallion (you can tell because they move in a different pattern to mares) and it became pretty clear that this was a group of domesticated horses someone had just turned out onto the range. From the distance they certainly looked in a similar state of health to the wild ones, and were running/moving like a normal herd (minus stallion).

Of course, if they were released as a herd then that would have helped him. The integration of one lone domesticated horse would be something different. I'd imagine they would have incredible foreign smells as well.

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

Some interesting answers here. I have a little mare herd but domesticated obviously. But yet all of them have grown up in a herd situation all their lives and for the most part stay in the herd no matter what they do work wise.

Over the years I've watched the mares do amazing things and keep order. But the alpha mare is just that, not to be confused with the false alpha. Because I have one of those too and she will always be out with at least 2 that put her in her place with no fuss. If she can get over on horses then she is a nightmare, no pun intended.

The alpha mare of my group is amazing, well to me because she has taught me more on how horses really work. She is very sweet and also very quiet with her group, but one ear flick and the rest respond. The last year she was pregnant she had a group of 7. We added another mare that lived next to the group and had been out with them before. This was a client horse. On the way out to the field, Stella all the sudden double barrelled this mare as quick as anything totally out of the blue. Had never seen her do that ever. She was fine with that mare in the group but that mare had to stay on the edge. No violence. Another time my jumping mare got into the field with my last 2 foals. I ran out thinking she would kill one. I was in a panic. By the time I got there, 3 broodies had formed a circle around the foals and kept walking in circle formation with the foals in the middle until I removed Abba. I've also seen my Alpha Stella chase and keep the herd away from tree lines during wind storms. Kept them in the middle of the field huddled together. And had a new client gelding that upon first arriving had issues with electric fence. Sorted now but twice he got in with my mares at the beginning. The mares went to the highest ground. Alpha stood with the 2yo. But then exactly the same, Heidi went one way as a flank and the false alpha did the job of bouncer. Not horsie language but I rather found it amusing. These 2 did the work of keeping him away while Stella kept the 2yo safe.

I will be the first to admit that I really was not a person who understood her behavoir but over the years I have witnessed some amazing things from Stella. The way she keeps order and the way the others work in her herd. She is most likely never going to have another baby but she very much has a job here. I really do need her. Most people ask me why I keep her if she's not foaling anymore. She keeps order and raises the young ones to be solid citizens too. In short the herd would probably go to heck in a handbasket without her. I also have ease of going out to get anyone I need without drama and fuss. No hassles at the gate, no horses worried they're away from the group. She makes my job easy. As for them living out in the wild, how should I know. Despite how well they work together, in this type of weather, everyone is patiently waiting for me in the afternoon to come in to their very non wild big straw beds, ad lib haylage, and hot dinners! So probably not!

Terri

 

[ridefast]

I don't think it would survive.

As far as I know... wolves will not accept a dog into their pack (although they will mate), and wild rabbits will kill "pet" rabbits if the pet was released to go and live with them.

My pet rabbit escaped and I would always see her with the wild rabbits, laughing at me

 

[wench]

My response to the question was assumption what would happen if you plonked a lone tb in with a herd of mustangs. Ie it wont survive.

Herds of domesticated horses turned loose is a slightly different matter.

 

[Tnavas]

The Kaimanawa herds that roam the Central Plateau in New Zealand were at one time domesticated horses. Now the herd is made up of wild horses bred oout on the Ranges.

Some were released after they were no longer needed as army mounts, some escaped from domesticity and some were introduced to improve the stock. They all coped OK.

The New Forest and Welsh ponies all had stallions released from domesticity to improve the quality in days gone by.

There will be the usually establishment of the pecking order

 

[Brightbay]

If the horse is otherwise healthy and a mare, they would fit in with a normal band very quickly.

If the horse is a colt, stallion or gelding, they would likely manage to integrate with a bachelor herd - harder, but not impossible for a gelding, I would say.

Even wimpy humans manage to survive in extreme conditions if they have to

We've just introduced a new gelding and a young filly to our established herd of three (two geldings and a mare). It has been fascinating to see how they gradually integrate. The filly was accepted immediately by the two geldings - she knew what to do to appear harmless, and they both understood this. The mare is not too happy to have her access to lead gelding diluted by appearance of another female, but is coping. New gelding has been driven out for about three days, but yesterday morning in the half light at 6am, I saw lead gelding invite him to play, so there is gradual integration going on.

All of them had a whole range of instictive behaviours to determine how to handle the challenging social situation - exactly the same behaviours they'd use to integrate with a feral herd.

Poor old geldings are the ones least likely to succeed, as they're trapped in a permanent state of pre-adolescence, but they would probably manage OK in an all male group.