Stirring Up Some Trouble

Hello everyone! We had two really warm days last week so my friend and I took advantage of it and hiked several miles to reach as many horses as possible. The horses tend to move this time of year and one of the spots they pick can be difficult. We wanted to spend the day with the five bands we could see so we headed out. When we arrived, Thunder and Sidekick were grouped together near a butte and seemed to be on edge. We quickly learned that Guardian, Remington, and Xander were putting a lot of pressure on them. Thunder went out to confront the three while Sidekick stayed back. He managed to get the boys to leave and all seemed well. As my friend and I made our way over to the plateau they were on we could see the three boys were creeping back around the side of the butte towards the bands. We quickly moved to a safe spot and watched as Guardian led the other two straight for the mares. This time Sidekick came out and stopped the boys in their tracks. Remington and Xander seemed to just be following whatever Guardian did and he was determined to stir up trouble. Angel, of Thunder’s band, finally decided she would take control and led the girls right by the bachelor boys. The three boys stood there for a moment and then began to run after them but were quickly chased off by Thunder. We decided to walk around the butte on the other side to try and catch Thunder interacting with the boys. When we got there, Thunder was next to his son, Xander, and the two looked as though they were play fighting as yearlings would. Xander would try to bite the back of his dad’s leg and then nudge his neck. It was actually kind of sweet to see how gentle Thunder was with him. Thunder grazed with Xander for a few moments and then quietly walked away. After that, things calmed down and everyone went back to grazing. For those few minutes though, the three bachelor boys really upset ALL the horses. Guardian has experience as a band stallion so it doesn’t surprise me that he took control. Maybe he can teach Remington and Xander a few things so they can get a mare of their own someday. Below are a few photos of the three bachelor boys from this past week. I will write under each photo so be sure to scroll through. Stay tuned for more from that day and have a great week!

Sidekick keeping all three boys away from his band. Xander is next to him with Remington and Guardian behind them.

Sidekick and Thunder gathered their bands while the boys stood and waited to make a move. L to R: Xander, Remington, and Guardian

Angel had enough and led the girls away from the young bachelors. L to R: Cowgirl (Xander’s mom), Winter, Pale Lady, and Angel

After Angel and the others ran by they tucked in on the side of a butte. The boys quickly followed but were once again chased off by Thunder.
Pictured: Remington and Xander

Once we made our way around the butte, we came upon Xander and Thunder (left). Thunder fought for a long time to remove Xander from the band so it was nice to see a calm moment between the two. Even though he is now a bachelor and no longer with his natal band, I believe Xander still has respect for his sire. It is really neat to witness in person.

2014 Stallions, Remington and Xander – You can see Guardian in the back. All three bachelor boys finally decided to back off and go back to grazing.

2014 Stallion, Xander – I love how dark he gets in the winter.

While Remington and Xander continued to graze, Guardian still kept an eye on the other horses. He is a very determined stallion and I am sure will have a mare again soon.