If you have a mare in your herd does that mean she will be the dominant one? Are mares normally at the top of the order in a herd? Does the mare's place in the herd depend on the horses she is with?

My mare, Sierra, is at the bottom of the herd at home. She is pastured with 2 gelded horses (Harvey & Peanut) and 1 gelded miniature donkey (Little Bud). The only one she ever challenges is Little Bud. When she challenges Little Bud it is usually just her pinning her ears and if he challenges back she will walk away. Sierra never challenges Harvey or Peanut, they constantly push her around and run her off her feed.

Right now Sierra is at the trainer and is pastured with my friend's gelding, Domino. Domino and Sierra spend a lot of time together since we trail ride a lot. When we put Sierra in the pen with Domino there was no issue at all. They immediately stood next to each other and ate some hay. I have never seen either of them challenge the other one. They seem to be equal, neither one of them is above the other.

A few months ago I went on a camping trip with several friends. We put Sierra, Domino, and another mare in a pen together. The other mare was immediately at the top and the other horses never even challenged her. This mare is pastured alone most of the time because she is very dominant and constantly challenges other horses.

If a horse is dominant with other horses, will they be more challenging to train? If a horse challenges other horses will they be more likely to challenge their riders and trainers? Just a few things to think about...

Be safe, have fun, and ride on... (Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed my blog.)