Great Dan Dog

Herd behaviour

A fact about horses that cannot be ignored is that they are herd animals with a strong
herd instinct that drives their behaviour, because it is highly instinctive for horses to
want to be together. Living in a herd means safety in numbers: it means that each animal
reduces its chances of being caught by a predator and there are many eyes and ears
looking for predators. As horses spend a lot of time grazing with their head down in the
grass, which reduces visibility, this point is very important. A horse on its own in the wild
is much more likely to be caught by a predator and it expends too much nervous energy
having to remain in an alert state. Horses that live in herds can take it in turns to be alert,
to eat and to rest.
When allowed to live as a herd, domestic horses, like their more natural-living
cousins, have a rich social life which includes such behaviours as mutual grooming
sessions, playing, grazing and simply standing around together.
The fact that horses are herd animals rules their behaviour and can cause them to do
things that seem irrational to us, such as panic if they get separated from other horses.