Exactly 2.34 miles from my home is a horse "farm". It is a place where city slickers and country folk with no extra room bring their horses to board. It is also where I keep my horses...
There are four distinct "paddocks" for horses. One for Mares, and a diet paddock for mares, one for studs/stallions/young bucks (that's what I call them), and one for the "fat-farm" male candidates.
Cutting down trees and scrub with the "Stiglers Farm" son in law, I noticed two "mares" almost in a dance. So I asked about it.
"See the one? She is blind. See the other? She is now her eyes."
Sure enough, the younger mare whickers, and the older mare responds back, then follows the sound of the first mare. To the trough, to the Timothy (good feed hay), to the barn, and to the field.
The two stand for hours hind end to hind end parrallel, with tails slapping at the other's various body areas, swooshing away the flys.
When apart, the younger mare "whickers" gently, quietly and constantly, just so the older mare keeps her bearings, and does not panic.
The older mare knows exactly how to time a tail slap, in order to keep the flies at bay, over both of them. (something the younger mare hasn't quite figured out yet).
The younger mare leads the elder to the rich Timothy left "especially" for them (after all the other horses are fed), and the elder mare feeds for a moment, then backs off. Then the younger mare literally prods the elder into feeding again. It's almost like a "you first, no you first, no you FIRSt", kind of game. All this time there is a quiet language of "whickering" going on.
These are friends. The young mare is fiercely protective of the other. The old mare almost laughs when we come into the field. The young one gets use to us after a minute or two (every time)
They constantly "talk" to eachother, quietly, and low. But should another encroach upon the elder mare in animosty...all hell breaks loose! The younger mare has no issue rearing and stomping, regardles of who it is.
They do get special treatment from the farm "owners", but they bide their time, in getting that special treatment. They never rush, and never try to get in the way of the other horses looking for the "best feed". The other horses in turn, do not consider them a threat to their survival.
The one never puts the other in harms way, while the elder "preens/grooms" the younger.
v/r
Q
There are four distinct "paddocks" for horses. One for Mares, and a diet paddock for mares, one for studs/stallions/young bucks (that's what I call them), and one for the "fat-farm" male candidates.
Cutting down trees and scrub with the "Stiglers Farm" son in law, I noticed two "mares" almost in a dance. So I asked about it.
"See the one? She is blind. See the other? She is now her eyes."
Sure enough, the younger mare whickers, and the older mare responds back, then follows the sound of the first mare. To the trough, to the Timothy (good feed hay), to the barn, and to the field.
The two stand for hours hind end to hind end parrallel, with tails slapping at the other's various body areas, swooshing away the flys.
When apart, the younger mare "whickers" gently, quietly and constantly, just so the older mare keeps her bearings, and does not panic.
The older mare knows exactly how to time a tail slap, in order to keep the flies at bay, over both of them. (something the younger mare hasn't quite figured out yet).
The younger mare leads the elder to the rich Timothy left "especially" for them (after all the other horses are fed), and the elder mare feeds for a moment, then backs off. Then the younger mare literally prods the elder into feeding again. It's almost like a "you first, no you first, no you FIRSt", kind of game. All this time there is a quiet language of "whickering" going on.
These are friends. The young mare is fiercely protective of the other. The old mare almost laughs when we come into the field. The young one gets use to us after a minute or two (every time)
They constantly "talk" to eachother, quietly, and low. But should another encroach upon the elder mare in animosty...all hell breaks loose! The younger mare has no issue rearing and stomping, regardles of who it is.
They do get special treatment from the farm "owners", but they bide their time, in getting that special treatment. They never rush, and never try to get in the way of the other horses looking for the "best feed". The other horses in turn, do not consider them a threat to their survival.
The one never puts the other in harms way, while the elder "preens/grooms" the younger.
This is the truth. The Farm is Stigelers Farm, and I have watched this "dance" for almost a year.
v/r
Q
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) where a "normal" 
