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Post by angelsdream on Jul 5, 2009 21:41:21 GMT -5
I've had Lakota for a year now and it please's me to no end to tell this story. I do see that with kiger mare's it takes them a bit longer to accept you into there herd and bond with you, which is fine, just shows you have to earn there respect. I had noticed it starting a month ago - had metioned it to a friend of mine. Last night was the 1st time it was completely obvious. We were at a ranch sorting waiting to go in and compete, I was standing off Lakota with 5 other horses, one of which was Smokey, her pasture buddy and head horse in the pasture, someone was coming out of the gate so I walked over to help and when I looked back, here comes lakota following me. I didn't have her tied and for her to leave those horses to come with me was a HUGE thing for me. I kept noticing that every time I would take a step somewhere, she would take one with me, sometimes blocking me from other horses as I was leaning on the fence - she'd move wherever I was, so I thought I'd test it a bit and walked over to pet smokey and give him loving, lakota walked right over and stuck her nose out to me like saying "uh, hello" she was definately jealous....needless to say - my heart just melted. She already drops her head down to my chest for rubbing and if I stop, she'll nudge me. Has anyone experienced this? There is nothing greater than when a horse gives you that respect  |
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Post by DianneC on Jul 6, 2009 10:16:53 GMT -5
Its the sign that you are her best friend. Mares particularly will have a best buddy that they groom and hang out with. If one of them has a foal the other will be auntie. They defend each other and can be very jealous of attention to another horse.
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Post by fantasykiger on Jul 6, 2009 15:37:43 GMT -5
I have experienced just such a thing with Fantasy she also used to, protect me from geldings she deamed unsavory charactors. I say used to, because she was rather violent in her protest and I had to put a stop to her need to control situations. Even if she feels it is in my best interest.
Fantasy has matured past the point where she needs to be in my pocket at all times, her daughter has taken' over that position. But if I enter the pasture with grooming tools or a halter she is sure to push everyone aside for first chance at what I am offering.
With Fantasy our bond has been astablished over 13 yrs, she was born here and other then a handful of trainers I have been the only one to ride her. I have spent LOTS of time with her, alot of what she does that seems amazing, is out of respect and training.
I think what gives us such a great bond is our history, good and bad times, we have had a fair share of both. I look forward to even greater future.
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Post by lindad on Jul 6, 2009 23:07:42 GMT -5
Angel, I think it means you are officially a horse/person, because a horse has determined you to be worthy to be a person included as a member of her herd with all of the rights and privileges there in. Sooooo verrrrry coooool!
Linda D
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Post by angelsdream on Jul 8, 2009 10:59:29 GMT -5
Yea I saw it as a very huge compliment on her part One thing about these kiger's, when they give it to you, you know your special, especially with a mare. I think geldings are much easier to SWOON! ha Dianne - I do see the jealous thing as well. I will spend time with Bella and when I walk by Lakota's stall, she will pin her ears back at me and turn her head, she only does this when I'm working with Bella Tiffany - sounds like you and fantasy have a truly special bond that will be forever. |
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Post by fantasykiger on Jul 8, 2009 11:24:01 GMT -5
I think as time goes by, you will find the bond between your ladies getting stronger and they will certainly compete for your attention.  I think you have been given' the seal of approval there by Lakota, I know that does warm the heart and bring great joy to the horse owner. ;D To have folks tell you your a good horse owner is one thing, but when your horse tells you they appreciate you, it is priceless. |
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Post by angelsdream on Jul 9, 2009 15:21:38 GMT -5
I got to thinking what the difference (if any) is the bond with a gelding, stallion or mare? Has anyone really bonded with a gelding or stallion? To me it seems that geldings tend to bond to anything as they are so much more laid back. Like I said before, you can swoon them a lot more!!! |
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Post by stormyranch on Jul 9, 2009 16:34:32 GMT -5
I have had a couple geldings that didn't bond with me at all. Dino our stallion is pretty bonded to us. He gets very jealous, even moving in front of the camera if I'm taking pictures of another horse. ;D
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Post by DianneC on Jul 9, 2009 17:38:32 GMT -5
Geldings are much more adventuresome and social, I think. The boys seem to be easier to train when they are young. The baby girls are busy looking to see where mom and the herd are. Even as a stallion with a herd Chinook would come up to me and greet me with his head down around my knees. My trainer, Beth, who has been working him with dressage came to the pasture for the first time. Chinook looked surprised, then came running over to the fence and called to her from the other pasture until she went and said hello.
I had a friend who would come to the stable to visit and always made a big fuss over Smoke. One day she was talking to me and was petting the horse in the next stall. Smoke reached out and gave her quite a nudge with his nose. Smoke was very jealous of Chinook when Chinook was in training at the same barn. A couple times I rode Smoke while the trainer rode Chinook. Smoke never put a foot wrong and he was so proud. I could imagine him saying "Nany, nany mom's riding me" He was the lightest, softest horse you could imagine. I told him "Hah! Now I know you can do it, lets see that all the time".
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Post by fantasykiger on Jul 9, 2009 18:54:49 GMT -5
I have two older mares, that are not big time bonders. One spent her life as a horse with a job pack horse, hunting horse, cattle round-ups, she was loaned out to anyone who needed a mount. She never really developed that horse human relationship bond with so many differant riders and jobs. Even though she had only one other owner before me, she experienced alot people. My Clydesdale mare had 13 owners before me, it took months to get any kind of nice relationship with her. While she is really a big softy, she could take people or leave them, not really interested in bonding.
My geldings are dorks I call them, they love everyone or at least want everyones attention and usually do stupid stunts to get attention...LOL. Spar with each other, play with toys and annoy the fillies and mares.
My fillies born and raised here are just like puppies or pocket ponies they just follow you around a whisker away, hoping for a pet or a treat.
Both the geldings, fillies here and majority of the mares really want someone to bond with and shower them with attention, they just go about getting attention differantly.
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Post by desperatehorsewife on Jul 9, 2009 22:29:20 GMT -5
I think much of it depends on their place in the social order of the herd, too, don't you? In respect to how quickly they bond with their people. Quiet Storm was an instant bond. She loved her people. Then again, she was along to begin with. But I've had solo horses who were aloof, too. Quiet Storm was the bottom of the pecking order in the adoption pen, and continued to be once we added more horses.
When you've got an otherwise independent horse and they choose to hang out with you, like Lakota obviously has been, I think it really shows how fond they really are of their person.
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Post by kigermamma on Sept 25, 2009 10:40:58 GMT -5
Missy is very bonded to me as I am the only one that rides, grooms and feeds her. She was started by someone else, but after those thirty days, I'm the one that has worked her. But I've noticed she doesn't really care for other people in the recent months. She comes up to see if they have food or a treat, then walks away and doesn't want to be petted. I had her in a turn out pen yesterday and there were a lot of people working horses around her. She would run around and play for a minute and then come back to make sure I was still there. I was sitting on the top rail and she would stand under me. I haven't seen her act like this before, but it seems like she is getting more and more exclusive in her interest in people. Although I'm flattered and I adore her as well, I'm a little worried this could turn into a problem at some point. Has anyone else experienced this?
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Post by fantasykiger on Sept 25, 2009 14:53:21 GMT -5
The older Fantasy gets the less interested she is in new people that come to visit. I don't see it as a problem just as maturity on her part. She is not being anti-social so much as ho-hum about the situation. She will look up and she does not walk away if people come to greet her, but she longer has that young at heart curiosity of "OH ..who is that?, I need to check em' out" as much, occassionally she still will approach but on the most part she just as soon let the young horses do all the investigating. She will keep to relaxing in the shade or eating which she is doing at the time.
In your situation it sounds like she may have been unsure with all those strange horses and people working around her. Sense she was loose, she went to the one place she felt safe, beside you.
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I think you have been given' the seal of approval there by Lakota, I know that does warm the heart and bring great joy to the horse owner. ;D To have folks tell you your a good horse owner is one thing, but when your horse tells you they appreciate you, it is priceless.
