Paddock Etiquette

I had to laugh. With the miniature horses coming I built two new paddocks – male and female. With a small farm however you need animals to share paddocks and get along. The stallion – Oakey, well he didn’t get the memo.  No matter what went in the same paddock he chased and chased until exhaustion. First the chooks and then the rooster he tried to run down until they flew over the electric fence. The calf I was weaning from its mother he ran to exhaustion, well I think he was trying to mount it. The young bull he also chased around and around and the cattle dog - Bob.

So I brought out the big gun – Moley the bull. Although a miniature black angus Moley is in his prime and knocking on 500kg’s. Oakey the stallion is all of 50kg’s wringing wet. Moley is a passive guy and you can lay all over him but he wont take no tom foolery from anyone and you never never get between him and food. My theory with Moley in the paddock Oakey would realize he is not top boy and develop some better manners and learn to share.

So in goes Moley and I only put one food bowl which Oakey the stallion had been guarding furiously. While worried what might happen and with careful supervision I let nature take its course. Moley true to form suck his big fat head in the bowl and that was that. Oakey danced around, tried to nip Moley on the bum, ran up to him, faked a charge and all sorts of stuff – Moley just ate on. Oakey gaining courage decided to put his head in the bowl as well. Lets just say now Oakey sits back and waits for Moley to finish his meal. Amazing what one head butt to the forehead will do for table manners.

So to the victor the spoils – well Moley decided when it rained latter that day he would take Oakey’s little log cabin I had built. But Moley is way too big to get in there  but  determined to show he is the king he now just lays outside with his head in the shelter and the horse has to stand in the rain. Lesson learned and Moley will be going back to his paddock after 5 days of teaching Oakey paddock etiquette





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