The Forbidden Bromance

Peebs is generally a friendly horse. He tend to like everyone and everything and is happy going up to new horses and saying hi. That said, he can be an asshole and tend to be top dog in herd dynamics. Mainly he wants to play or say hi to the other horses and then is all about grazing and will get pissy when other horses *cough Cinder cough* want to keep playing.

All day, every day

 Blue, a mid-twenties Paint, is the herd boss at TCF.  He was born on a ranch in Colorado, and is the type warhorse who has seen some shit and doesn't put up with anything. He's a pretty benevolent leader, but isn't afraid to lay one on someone *cough Cinder cough* when they need to be put in their place. When he and Peebs were put out together in the big field last summer, there was a brief pissing match, then they seemed to basically ignore each other. Peebs bossed Cinder around while Blue ran herd on Giz (the other retired twentysomething QH) while Scottie floated between the two groups.

Blue acting all tough and Peebs gives no shits

A couple of weeks ago A and I were doing barn chores and moving somethings around and I put Peebs out with just Blue in one of the smaller paddocks. It was the first time they had been out with just the two of them, and the first time out together since Peebs had moved back. There was some initial squealing and striking from Blue but then they seemed to calm down. I went back to cleaning, poking my head out a few times to watch. I have no idea what clicked between the two of them, but they quickly became Bros4Lyfe. They were deeply involved in a game of bitey face and Blue was acting like a three year old instead of a 23 year old. When I went to bring them in for dinner, they took off and wouldn't let me catch them. Peebs is normally first at the gate at dinner time and it took A and I 10 minutes and a bucket of grain before we could catch them. Peebs has never chosen play over food before.

Ok, maybe he gives some shits

They were turned out together with the others later that week, and basically spent all day playing together. They play bite face, squeal, strike, kick, and go after each other. Two blankets have been destroyed in the process and both boys have multiple nicks on them. The day I took these pics Blue, Scottie, and Peebs were out together.  Obviously Blue and Peebs were involved in their own little world while Scottie was standing at the gate imploring me to get him out of there. They had been out for 8 hours and according to A's mom, had been doing that all day.

30 seconds after this they were back to bite face

We've since separated the two of them, since replacing blankets is expensive. And while I don't think they'd intentionally hurt each other, I don't want this game to get any worse.  We're tentatively planning on putting them back together this summer in the big field, once everyone's not wearing blankets anymore.