page_title: Horse behavior
section_title: Role of the stallion
hierarchical_section_title: Horse behavior / As herd animals / Role of the stallion
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Hengst, typisches Verhalten in der Paarungszeit; er nimmt Witterung zu rossigen Stuten auf, im Fachjargon „Flehmen“ genannt (falsch/selten auch „Flehnen“), aufgenommen auf einer Weide bei Altdorf, Rheinland-Pfalz, Deutschland English: Stallion, typical behaviour during the breeding season (Flehmen response), taken at Altdorf, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
context_page_description: Horse behavior is best understood from the view that horses are prey animals with a well-developed fight-or-flight response. Their first reaction to a threat is often to flee, although sometimes they stand their ground and defend themselves or their offspring in cases where flight is untenable, such as when a foal would be threatened.
  Nonetheless, because of their physiology horses are also suited to a number of work and entertainment-related tasks. Humans domesticated horses thousands of years ago, and they have been used by humans ever since. Through selective breeding, some breeds of horses have been bred to be quite docile, particularly certain large draft horses. On the other hand, most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness, and endurance; building on natural qualities that extended from their wild ancestors.
  Horses' instincts can be used to human advantage to create a bond between human and horse. These techniques vary, but are part of the art of horse training.
context_section_description: Stallions tend to stay on the periphery of the herd where they fight off both predators and other males.  When the herd travels, the stallion is usually at the rear and apparently drives straggling herd members forward, keeping the herd together. Mares and lower-ranked males do not usually engage in this herding behavior.  During the mating season, stallions tend to act more aggressively to keep the mares within the herd, however, most of the time, the stallion is relaxed and spends much of his time "guarding" the herd by scent-marking manure piles and urination spots to communicate his dominance as herd stallion.
caption: A stallion (foreground) exhibiting the flehmen response
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