My adventure with TL was one which was interesting in animal associative behavior, for it makes one contemplate the English American thoroughbred in the quarterhorse compared to the Spanish barb Mustang of the Americas.
In my rescue, I have two horses named Libby and Darby, after their respective female characters in Libby Custer and Kim Darby from True Grit.
Libby is a strawberry roan bulldog quarterhorse and traces her lineage back to Man O War. Darby is unknown except for she is a horse that was acquired in dog size form and has grown to horse size. She is cremello, meaning the white gene, and has one blue eye and one brown. She is what is termed a Paint being a quarterhorse Mustang cross.
I rescued them from a horse mill. That means people who would breed a horse every year to get a colt to sell to pay for the feed to house the mother, which is hard on the mare in both physical and emotional trauma as animals do care for their young. My first goat Marie had twins before we got her and she was quite upset with me when I took her twins away here to the house to raise. She only got over it when I took the little ones back out a few weeks later and when she smelled them and knew they were still around, then all was fine with me again.
Libby has a wicked scar on her shoulder from running through a barb wire fence. It appears she was not doctored for it as the wound gapes yet under the skin.
Darby was a spoiled pet of a little girl. She had ribs sticking out when I got her and a yellowish discharge from her female parts.
The problem is most people are what I call horse assholes who have horses. They are in love with the illusion of having a horse, and end up mistreating the horses they have. They dump horses into too small of confinement so they always look grubby and are quite sad.
A horse needs a playmate, some space to run, and some attention, but most people will not even do that.
That kind of stuff upsets me greatly. People always place too much illusion on their "interests" in not caring about what they have as it is never about the animal, but about the fiction of the people in what they think is being accomplished in their psychopathies.
Those two ponies have two personalities that are quite different in horses and what triggers them. Darby is always more interested in food and Libby is more interested in love for attention.
While TL and I were feeding the duo, a most interesting event took place in the Angus bull in the pasture decided to look in our direction. He never moved toward us or made any sinister action, but he was focused on us in giving treats to the horses.
Immediately Libby wheeled with ears laid back, and went for the bull in biting at it in a bluff.
The rodeo ended about that quickly, but Libby is that kind of horse.
When I acquired her, no one could touch her, and it took me almost two weeks of constant trials to be able to touch her nostrils. She exploded a few times in the corral too. It was what I termed "Libby's time" as nothing in this world could set time for her, as I had to adjust to her.
I recall fixing a goat fence and laying on the ground years ago. Libby came over quite focused on me, and was just a few feet off of standing on me. I knew she would not hurt me, as she is protective. Darby I do not know what she might stumble on me about, but with Libby she is just a different horse type.
It is interesting in she is a girl who was mistreated as a youngster, and hated humans, but the very thing she needs is human connection to fulfill her heart. TL is one of the few people who she took a great deal of interest in, and the bull incident was further proof that while Libby seemed focused on treats, she was watching everything going on, including that bull.
Libby is unique in she has things going on in her head most of the time. I can be chattering away and in passively watching Libby, see her discreetly watching me as she pretends to be more interested in grazing.
It is not that Darby does not do the same type of thing, but there is different reaction in the two in Darby is a passive observer while Libby is active. Darby is geared toward food, but Libby is geared toward human contact.....but only with specific humans.
I never have had a horse protect me from other animals. This was the first, and as I stated, Libby is quite jealous about attention. The only time she ever bit me was a glancing blow at Darby when she bit my hand as I had it on Darby.
I ponder the reality of the different genetic breeds if as in cattle or chickens do have different temperaments. Libby is more advanced, but she does have a different look to her eyes which is unique. Darby being Mustang was from an Indian program where they ate cottonwood bark and that is how they survived 40 below weather. Libby is that Arabian cross with English lines which the Arabs literally lived with their horses in tents and the English are a sedate people who tend to be horse like in brain structure in talking to them.
It is all interesting to me, and if I could I would probably have 500 horses to just study as I would always find a new reason to get another horse if I had the money. I am glad for the two I have in rescue as they love TL dearly and they are picky in their associations. It is just fascinating when you come across a horse which will protect you against another animal.
That was our adventure.
agtG
