With three new horses joining the herd, how will they fit in?

By Natalie O’Rourke

Rocky, Joey and Buttons are all new arrivals, so this is the perfect opportunity to talk about how we will integrate them into the herd, and the all-important pecking order.

Buttons in Bushy Park

Joey in our field

Rocky on his arrival

We’ve talked a lot about how important it is for horses to be part of a herd. Friends and family are just as important to them as they are to us. But within a herd there are lots of dynamics going on, mostly invisible, but incredibly important in the wild for the herd to live together harmoniously and safely.

Just like humans, some horses are followers and others are leaders. Every herd will have its lead gelding (stallion in the wild) and lead mare. And below that is a distinct pecking order, a hierarchy in which every horse has their own place and is happy and confident in their role.

So what happens when new horses arrives to join the herd?

Recently we have welcomed not one but three new horses at Park Lane Stables. Rocky joined us a while back, and just this month came Buttons and Joey. Over the coming months they will find their position. New friends will be made and those connections are often instant, and can last a lifetime. All the horses will check each other out and establish the place for the newcomers. And just as with humans, a new horse may start low down the pecking order and rise up as respect is won. Nothing is guaranteed.

Rocky arrived only a fortnight ago and seems very calm, he is more of a sensible grandad figure in the herd. But for some reason he has decided he does not like Annie so she will move in with the oldies. Annie does seem to be pushed out of the herd a lot, but does well in the slower, more gentle pace of life with the older horses, so this should be a good fit for her. 

Joey (owned by Liz, one of our volunteers) seems to be very friendly and although at first the mares tried to put him in his place, his nonchalant response flummoxed them and they left him alone. He has already made friends with Daniel and Eliott which is lovely to see. Buttons is a mare and has a fondness for Joey but it is unrequited love unfortunately. Dougie and Princess have welcomed Buttons with kindness, and she is older so with their support and her kind nature she should soon find her place. Joey’s and Buttons’ new friends will back them up when other members of the herd are unsure, signalling ‘it’s OK, we like them, you can too’.

Watching a new horse join a herd is fascinating. There are always exploratory sniffs, squeals and stamping. Sometimes warning kicks (‘back off, I don’t know you well enough yet’). And they will poop to show that ‘I belong here’. But as much as friendships are quickly made and can seem random, horses can also take a dislike to one another. Mostly this just means they’ll avoid each other, horses are peaceable by nature and it’s rare for it to be a problem.

We’ll be watching the herd over the coming months as the integration beds down and behaviours change until every horse knows their place in the pecking order with the security of their close friends around them.

We’ll keep you updated as Rocky, Joey and Buttons settle in. If you’d like to welcome them with treats or a few extra carrots, do pop along to our Donate page.