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general ramble - horses/ponies

2 replies

lubblyjubblies · 04/02/2009 13:58

This is a very vague rambly post so I apologise in advance....I am basically thinking aloud.
I have 3 horses (big 16.2 - 17.2 geldings)and a 12.1 welshX pony. Now they all live out together and rub along really well. There is an obvious dominant gelding who very rarely gets a bee in his bonnet about who can and cant eat a certain patch of grass etc. He decides who can and cant stand around the hayrack, and in general it is a hormonious little herd. On very rare ocassions he will kick off and put the others back in their places.
Now, the pony is the most recent addition, and has been there about a year.
I have never had ponies, only horses and I have to admit I do not have a clue what is going on in its head. I get why the horses act as they do and normally can anticipate what will happen next, but the pony breaks all the rules.
It is out and out demonic to the horses and gets away with it?
It jumps on them when they lay down or roll.
It hangs round their necks. It barges into them until they literally fall over or move...and still it gets away with it.
None of them reprimand it. It even will walk up to dominant ones dinner and tuck in, and the most that happens is a flick of the ears?
Why why why?
I just dont get it.
Please dont misunderstand, I am not asking for advice on ponies behaviour as it is perfectly manageable around people, but I just do not know how it hasnt been seriously hurt before now.
Another thing to note is that the pony is fearless, and I think that also impacts on how they act around it.
when the pony was first introduced to the horse I separated the calmest one to befriend him first off. Now this horse has a funny mentality where it backs itself into a corner if concerned and guards its location. The fearless pony got behind it and wedged itself between the wall and the horses bum
DO horses normally not feel threatened by ponies? I dont know if I'm way off base, but do you think they think he's a baby? (he's not, he's 8)
Its so very strange
Has anyone experienced similar or can shed light on their tolerance of him, because believe me another horse acting like that would get both barrells straight away.

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Pixel · 04/02/2009 20:41

Hi, I don't know the answer either but didn't want to ignore you .

You might be right about the fearless thing though, thinking about it. There used to be a horse at our place that really ruled the roost, horses and humans alike. The owners never bothered with it and it was nasty to everyone who went in the field (I once had to dive under the wire fence to escape attack!). Actually I felt sorry for it because it was a stunningly beautiful palomino and was fine once you had a headcollar on it. It was just bored and unloved - such a waste.
Anyway, my friend bought a little shetland gelding, only about 18 months old and it was a little devil. The first time I ever saw it, it had escaped into the big field and was facing up to palomino, literally stamping its little hoof! Palomino never did a thing, I couldn't believe it! It wasn't because it was a shetland, because the shetland we have now had to be removed from the field because palomino was beating her up, it did seem to be because of the attitude.

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lubblyjubblies · 04/02/2009 21:09

Maybe it is his giant attitude then.
And to think I spent many sleepless nights worrying he would be bullied by the others
Pony deffo suffers from small man syndrome

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