A small red bay stallion grazed the periphery of the herd, frequently lifting his head to reassess his surroundings. Horses employ a wide range of aggressive behaviors ranging from flattened ears to powerful kicks. Pinned ears, a hostile look in the eyes, and a tossed head often precede a kick or a bite. Sometimes these gestures are emphasized by a cocked hoof or punctuated by a squeal.
The subordinate stallion was somewhat ribby, probably about three or four years old.
Generally the herd stallion will not permit another male past puberty to remain, but occasionally exceptions are made. A two-stallion herd is usually formed when the stallion allows one of his sons to remain with the band for longer than the initial one or two years of his life. 
The subordinate is tolerated as long as he remembers his place and doesn't attempt to mate the mares. In October 1995, the breeding season on Shackleford Banks was over. With mares no longer coming into heat, the herd leader was less vigilant, and didn't expend much energy keeping the mares together. I recognized the stallion as such from quite a distance. He was a muscular, round-barreled sorrel, probably weighing half again as much as his gaunt mares. He was obviously in command, but didn't threaten me in any way, even when I topped a dune and accidentally intruded between him and his herd. He lifted his head and gave me the same patiently annoyed look usually reserved for foals when they bothered him.
He was thin, though not as bony as the mares, and his scruffy coat was furrowed by scars. In contrast to the lead stallion's relaxed attitude, the young subordinate took every task seriously, seemingly hungry to assume the responsibilities of running a harem. When two mares and their offspring strayed too far, he lowered his head into the menacing driving position and herded them back. The lower the head, the greater the threat, and if the head is snaked from side to side, the threat is extreme. Mares and foals leap into action at a glimpse of this posture, knowing a bite is likely to follow.
He dragged a hind leg as he grazed, obviously suffering from some injury. Yet when another herd migrated along the south beach, driven by a mature herd stallion, the young red bay became animated, trotting with nary a limp to stand his ground perched atop a sand dune. He was ready for a battle, but the other stallion took no notice, and herded his mares to new territory unconcerned by the young bay's posturing.
Sometimes this living arrangement works out to the benefit of the young stallion - if the lead stallion is injured or dies, the youngster inherits a ready- made band, and does not have to go through the traditional hassle of stealing his mares one by one.
This web site is an online companion to the book Hoofprints in the Sand: Wild Horses of the Atlantic Coast, serving as a scrapbook of information, observations, and photographs, and providing links to related sites.
Hoofprints in the Sand is published by Eclipse Press. You may order your copy at www.eclipsepress.com or from Amazon.com
