Horsing Around

The horses are all a little stir-crazy due to weather, and tonight as I waited for water tanks to fill I was treated to a show of horse wrestling.  Horses are measured in hands, or the equivalent of 4" increments and their height is determine by the highest point of their shoulder, just in front of where the saddle would go.  Anything shorter than 14.2 is considered a pony.  That means Walsh, the one in the green blanket, is 13.3 hands tall (4'7" in human terms).    Monty is 16.2 hands tall (or 5'6").  Since he is a foot taller, Monty has a distinct advantage when the two of them are wrestling.  However, for what he lacks in stature, Walsh makes up in determination!

He would stand straight up and spar with Monty, then jog off only to return for another round.

When they were done they both bolted and ran a lap around the paddock.

While this is all quite dramatic to a human eye, it is very normal horse behavior.  Part of why I like my horses living in small groups, or herds, is that they can do this any old time they please.  That makes them happy and content.  It should also be noted that it's good to let them have ample play time with their four legged friends so they don't try to do this with their human friends.  Though it's normal horse behavior, it of course is very dangerous if they try to play with a human this way.  All young horses must learn how to play nicely in a herd, as well as what is acceptable (and safe) for interacting with humans.

I did capture some of the fun on video, which can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFxpSJ2Grmk

They remind me a lot of Garmin and Major.  They had their fun in my pre-smartphone days, so I don't have any video of them, but they were fun to watch.  Garmin is 11.2 hands (3'10"), and Major was 17 hands (5'8").  Just to reach Major's lifted head Garmin would stand straight up on his hind legs and swing at Major with his front hooves.  Major would merely lift his chin, wait for Garmin to come back down, then nip him on the shoulder.  When Garmin got really sneaky he would start going for armpits and the backs of Major's knees.  Ah, horsing around!