Integrating the Herds

For a variety of reasons, I had been running my Fell Pony mares in two herds: three mares with foals at foot in one and two mares and three fillies in the other.  After three of those ponies left for their new home, it was time to integrate the remaining ponies in a single herd.   

I did it at the end of the day when the open mares and fillies were hungry, thinking that they would head off to graze and the other mares with foals would be elsewhere.  But when I got to the barn, the mares and foals arrived there too, so it was fascinating to see what happened next. 

I opened the gate to the pasture from the corral so that the four mares and fillies could come out.  Before they did, though, the two mares and foals started to go in.  The oldest colt, Robert, did go in with his mother and Robert proceeded to try and interact with the mares, but the other mare, Matty, took one look at the situation and headed right back out to pasture with her son Rory following close behind.  She wanted no part of the interactions that were about to unfold. Meanwhile Honey defended Robert when one mare ran at him before Robert figured out that he needed to be a little bit respectful.  At that point, everybody followed Matty and Rory out to pasture.

I checked on the ponies ninety minutes later, and they were all together in a nook of the pasture.  Well, mostly together.  Matty still had Rory off to one side, but the rest were grazing together, with Robert still expressing interest in the females and they wanting him to back off.  I know the dynamics will continue to evolve as the two herds become fully integrated into one, and I look forward to watching!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2022