[drivingpairs] Re: Pairs personalities

In my old pair of Fjords, retired now more than 6 years, these mares 
hated each other. Or more precisely one mare was scared to death of the 
other mare. More than once I witnessed the dominant mare wait until the 
low mare was in a place in the turn out with no escape and the dominant 
mare would slowly walk over, slowly turn and "put the boots" (my 
farriers colorful term) to the low mare. These girls could not be 
grazed within kicking distance of each other, but once they were 
"dressed" for work and put to they became one pony.  How I miss them!  
They were both broke to death as singles before they became a pair and 
many miles made them similar in way of going. So Hardy is right on when 
he says that once they are hitched it is work time and that is what you 
should expect of them.

Oddly enough when they were put to and going the low mare would often 
be the one to reach over and try and bite her partner something she 
would obviously never try when at leisure. I always thought it was a 
pay back issue because she knew that the dominant mare couldn't get her 
when at work. Perhaps that is a bit of anthropomorphizing on my part 
but ...

Winchester CDE is underway this weekend. Sixty entries and a very 
interesting cones course.
Happy Driving, Vivian Creigh
On Friday, August 27, 2004, at 01:01 PM, Hzlax@xxxxxxx wrote:

> In a message dated 8/27/2004 12:25:56 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>> Is there usually a dominant
>> horse in a pair?  What are the pros and cons to having a dominant 
>> member of
>> a pair?  What is the happy medium?  There aren't any issues when they 
>> are
>> together in harness, that I know of.......so hopefully this is just 
>> "hang
>> time" behavior.  They will be in a different environment, and I want 
>> to
>> keep things pleasant between the two.
>>
>> For turnout time, should they always be together?  Be next to each 
>> other in
>> separate paddocks?  The will each have their own barn space.....they 
>> have
>> been in tie stalls, with turnout time.  Am I thinking too much???
>
> No, I don't think one can think too much, but one can worry too much. 
> So
> don't worry, and go with your best judgement. In so many ways horses 
> are like
> people, so yes, in most pairs one is dominant. It's nice if they still 
> get along
> with each other well, but if not, well, then not. Again, just as with 
> people.
> You don't have to be good friends with your partner at work, yet, you 
> can still
> be asked to work with him, and at times can still even work fairly 
> well with
> him. Some pairs can live together all the time, even in the same 
> stall, and
> can be turned out with each other. Others cannot. Doesn't matter that 
> much, even
> if they are not the greatest friends, they can still be asked to work
> together. Once they are hitched, it's work time, not socializing time 
> at the water
> cooler. Of course, if they really HATE each other, that's not so nice 
> either,
> but even that can be overcome by a strict and focused driver.  So see, 
> how well
> they can become friends, that's certainly welcome, but if they aren't, 
> no big
> problem either.
> Hardy
>
>
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