Wild Horse
Herds and Harems
Like all wild horses, the
Pryor mustangs are herd animals living off the land in harems, dominated by the
strongest stallions.
According
the Save the Wild Horses organization, a dominant stallion, usually 6 years of
age or older, will be in the company of one mare or a group of mares 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. He sires the offspring, and these foals are with their
band for at least one year, usually two. Many times the band has a dominant mare
who will be responsible for leading the family group in their grazing. She will
lead the family to the water hole and to the mineral lick where they dig for these
dietary supplement. She will guide them to sheltered places out of the wind when
winter storms howl. When you see a group of wild horses moving across the landscape,
normally the stallion will be in the rear. His main job is to protect the group
from attack by another stallion.
Occasionally, a
two- or three-year old will still be with their band, but generally
the stallion will discourage a young male who is coming of age from
consorting with the band. Young females may be driven off by their mothers,
or they simply may choose to leave when they come into estrous. They
may select or be selected by another stallion who will breed with her
and guard her vigilantly from rivals. By encouraging their offspring
to leave the band, wild horses avoid inbreeding. It's interesting to
note that most wild horses are more genetically diverse than any of
our domestic horse breeds. In other words they are more able to deal
with changing conditions and environments over time and can resist extreme
drought or cold better than their domestic cousins.
This
complex social dynamic holds the wild horse bands together, and each individual
knows his or her place in the order. Rules of band behavior are carefully followed.
Punishment to a young animal is swift, usually just a head movement with ears
laid back or a nip or gentle kick. Affectionate displays of mutual grooming (simultaneously
nibbling each other's necks and backs) are frequent between family members, occasionally
even between the band stallion and his juvenile sons. Mutual grooming feels good
and lessens tensions between these powerful, large mammals.
Schweiger says the Pryor
is a unique region. "You can never again re-create what we have in the
Pryor Mountain horses because of their unique genetic make-up and their
unique genetic heritage."
You'll find more about those
questions in The Mustang Dilemma.
