The Rear – Level V

“You’re a tough guy, but I’m a nightmare wrapped in the apocalypse.”  ~James S.A. Corey

Said one stallion to the other!  Here we are, rearing—the fifth level of agonistic behavior and more often than not usually displayed between stallions!  The reason:  to make your opponent believe you are bigger than him! 

Rearing is technically only a threat, but the body position indicates a more intense agonist interaction, and will allow the stallion to move into a stance for striking, boxing and dancing behaviors.

In the case of these two stallions, from the McCullough Peaks Herd Management area near Cody, Wyoming, the dark stallion on the right had a blast the evening of this image taking on no less than thirteen stallions.  He would finish harassing one group and then move on to another group.  Jamie and I had a blast watching him and she started calling him a ‘little Pistol’, which then became Pistolero.