With the addition of Nykur, the icelandic horse gelding, to our co-op, Pyro found a friend his own age to play with. We refer to the pair of them as "The Wonder Twins", as they can often be found cavorting together in turnout.
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The bromance is real |
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"Did we just become best friends?!" "Yep!" |
As Nykur settled into the herd, it became apparent that he wants to play at least as hard as Pyro (if not moreso).
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If you look closely, you can see the Wonder Twins playing bitey face in the shed. |
Of late, it appears that Nykur might be Pyro's penance for incessantly playing with the older horses... whether they were willing participants or not.
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Exhibit A: Pyro pestering poor Ivan |
Last night, I got to witness our tiny resident Viking lay the WWF SmackDown on Pyro in turnout.
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Bounced him off the "ropes" and everything |
Pyro didn't seem as enthusiastic about returning Nykur's advances at play as he normally would be, so it appears he's getting a taste of his own medicine.
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"Buzz off!" in a very polite way |
Nothing I witnessed was overly aggressive, so I'm not too concerned. Hopefully Pyro learns to say "no" and have it stick... without any injuries involved. However, horses will teach horses, so I think (hope... pray...) both of them will come out of this with better social skills.
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Best frands ...I'm thankful it's muzzle season |
In the meanwhile, I get to enjoy watching Pyro have his ass handed to him by a horse 3/4 his size, knowing he's getting plenty of "exercise" even on days I don't work him. (I'll also be checking him for any bruises/soreness from the nightly wrestling match.)
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Impressive flexibility on Pyro's part, but Nykur definitely "won" that round |
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"Sweep the leg!" |
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Ivan looks thankful he hasn't been tagged in. |
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They couldn't be more different in appearance. |
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But they're so similarly driven by play. |
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Chasing intermission |
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Though his is small, he is mighty. |
I'm so grateful these young geldings have each other to pester, and I try not to cringe too much when I witness them body slam each other, reminding myself it's good for their mental health to have these social interactions as an outlet. Horses gotta horse!
So cute haha — nothing makes me happier than seeing horses out enjoying a good herd life (even if sometimes I question their decision making LOL)
ReplyDeleteLol, yes, that sums it up pretty well.
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