With considerable trepidation, I brought home Rags yesterday to join Smoke and Lily. I put Lily in a stall so she could meet Rags over the gate, and flinched when Lily squealed, struck and half reared to impress Rags. Rags seemed more intrigued than offended. Later, when I let Lily and Rags out of their stalls after their evening meal, heels flew in all directions, and I was only slightly relieved when I noticed that the two horses seemed to maintain at least one horse length between them when they kicked. Although the night was chilly, I left the bedroom window open so I could listen for sounds of fighting in the horse field.
This morning, they were still displaying enough snarkiness that I carried a whip as I handled the horses, to discourage them if they got carried away while they were next to me. A careful inspection showed no signs of impact injuries or injury caused lameness, so I decided they were adjusting. I saw almost no signs of aggression when I fed this evening. Jack let them out of their stalls when they were done eating their concentrate. I watched from the window and they all acted as if they had known each other for years.
It is probably too soon to be sure, but Lily may end up as the dominant horse. Without making a big deal of it, Rags drifted around her to get to a pile of hay, rather than driving her off from the one she was eating. I’ve never cared much how herd hierarchies work themselves out, as long as they are reasonably stable so the horses aren’t continually stressed. However Rags has run this field for quite a few years now, and I will feel slightly sorry if he is displaced by a redhead with an attitude.