06/10/08 Herd bound horses

It is a common consensus that horses are happier and healthier when they are free grazing rather than stabled, with the exception of one dangerous behavior problem that occurs in pastured horses. I 'm Jeff Keane stay tuned until after the break to find out what it is. Horses were designed to move, to graze and to live in a herd but for many horse owners, especially pleasure riders with just couple of horses in a small pasture dealing with a herd bound horse can become a dangerous problem. Jeff it is something I struggle with, with our four horses. One mare and one young gelding become frantic when the Alpha mare is removed . To cope with this I try to mix the herd dynamics up and keep them separated, even it is just over a cross fence. In studying herd bound behavior I learned that it is rare in show horses who have lived most of their lives alone in stalls or runs virtually dependant on humans for survival. My mare is a prime herd bound candidate having run in a herd for over six years obviously dependant on more dominant horses for her survival. The herd bound horse is the one that paws or kicks when companions are removed or when made to walk at the most "venerable" position on a trail ride, the rear, (where the bogyman lives,) jigs prances and whinny's. Jeff, Is this ever a problem with your ranch horses ? "MY" advice is to try to keep it from occurring in the first place especially in the early years don't let horses bond with just one group but remember horses and humans are alike in the sense that we are usually more comfortable in our own herd.