Romance The Ladies: Durango Meets His Brother and Sisters!

This is kind of old news but I snapped some cute pictures and it was a good point to start with. Since Durango was separated alone with his momma while he was a baby (he was a late foal with a protective mom so we decided for his safety against the bigger, older, stronger foals and momma's we'd have to keep them separated), he was never able to meet his brothers or sisters and get social interaction with other young horses. After he became bigger and stronger, quite quickly considering his age actually, he is almost as mature as the other foals, I decided to give him some social interaction and let him out with the other guys. I felt bad that he was always alone, with no one to play with.

Well, his brother and sisters (all by Chance), in all their completely solid bay glory, did NOT know what to make of this spotted butt mutant! It was comical at first, with Durango chomping his teeth in the baby language for "I'm young and innocent! Please have mercy!", while the other yearlings stared at him like he was an alien from Mars. I snapped some pretty cute pictures during this period that illustrate the story very well! After their initial spook, they decided that he wasn't so tough, and they took turns chasing and bullying the poor guy. :-( Eventually, they settled down, and Durango settled into one side of the pasture and the rest onto the other.

The next day, however, proved to be quite vicious. Parker, his brother and only other colt in the herd, decided he wanted to protect HIS girlfriends from this intruding spotted beast. He started rearing, mounting, striking, biting Durango's belly and legs, and chasing him in lap after lap around the pasture. They did not settle down, and Durango only got more terrified, and he came running up to me at the gate like "Mommy, HELP!" I decided enough was enough, this was not a playful situation but an increasingly dangerous one, and I swiped him out of there. Poor guy was covered in sweat but shivering - terrified! I felt horrible, and went to put him in his stall, but he wanted nothing of his stall. You could tell he was still worked up, and he didn't get his day outside, only 15 minutes, so he was like, "why are we going back in here already?! I don't understand!". So, I decided to pony him with the golf cart, just at a leisurely walking pace, all over the property. He settled down and relaxed, and enjoying walking through the woods and around all the other horse's pastures, and seeing all the sites.

When I got him back inside, since his thick winter coat was caked with sweat and dust, I decided now was as good of a time as ever to introduce him to his first bath. I turned on the hose, and after a few initial snorts and backing up, he stuck his nose in the stream and realized that this is the good stuff that he drinks (and plays in!). After that realization, he had NO problem with it at all. He even played with the hose, and let me hose him down all over his body! Prodigy, I tell you. It was by FAR the easiest baby's first bath I have ever dealt with.

The next couple times I put Durango out, I put him out alone, and all he did was pace back and forth and whinny at the other yearlings in the distance. Despite how awful they were to him, I supposed he decided being lonely was worse. I decided the next day that I would try ONE more time to introduce him to the other yearlings. Even though it had been what he wanted, when we got to the gate, and the other bay faces were waiting in a row with ears pricked, he decided to change his mind! He planted his feet and would not go in the gate. It took some coaxing but I got him in... teeth chomping and pleading immediately ensued... followed quickly by ear pinning and charging! Poor guy got the usual laps around... but this time, they didn't seem QUITE so vicious. Dominance asserting, yes, but not deathly. I kept watch and they eventually settled down into opposite sides of the pasture again. After a over a week of daily turnouts with his siblings, the first part of which they would do the usual chasing and then dividing... I am happy to report that today, I saw them all hanging out together in a close group! There were still a few ear-pinnings and butt-bitings, but it's progress, right? Durango now leads out to the pasture in the morning like a little angel, enjoys his day out with other horses (for the most part), and then comes back in for dinner like a little angel. :-)

Here are the photos of his first escapade with his siblings!