Re: RC: to catch a horse conclusion

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/11/2000 8:33:51 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
Pamnetus@aol.com writes:

<< This is the first time I have 
 seen a horse be so viscious.  I can't understand why she didn't kick him or 
 get away. Can anyone offer an explanation?     >>

Suggsted explanation:  Horses establish the pecking order early on at their 
first acquaintance.  Some fight viciously, others merely lay back ears and 
sneer.  But the dominant one is determined at first contact.  This is not to 
say that somewhere down the line, a subservient one can't re-arrange the 
pecking order, if only temporarily.  The pecking order is not always 
determined by the size or age of the horse, nor always by who has been in 
that particular location the longest, nor by sex.  I've also seen what I call 
the "musical feed tubs" syndrome, where horse A displaces horse B who 
displaces horse C, who goes right back and displaces horse A.  
We once had a wimpy little gelding, not too bright, small, gentle and kind, 
who was so intimidated by the other geldings in his paddock that they would 
cormer him and refuse to let him eat at all.  He literally would starve to 
death before he would make any attmept to fight his way out of that corner or 
the order they put him into.  I had to feed him specially so he wouldn't 
starve.  Hating domination or prejudice of any kind, it used to make me 
furious.....at the dominating geldings and at the wimp who wouldn't spit in 
their eye.  But of course, I was reading human nature into a horse's society, 
and that doesn't always work.
All this obeservation is not a scientific work, but merely my 25 some-odd 
years of observation of horse behavior, made possible by the fact that our 
horse paddock is immediately across the driveway and a perfect view outside 
my home office window.  Pretty fascinating stuff.  I study people, too!  Have 
done so all my life.

Barbara