Guard Mares

They move like white tanks rumbling through tall weeds.  Fast, swishing their tails and tossing their heads at flies.  Big dog still thinks they could be meat eaters - looks apprehensive as they beeline for us.

Everything in the big pasture interests them.  They explore and lay claim to anything new - testing fences and lifting improperly installed gates off the hinges.  Throwing them to the ground with a big thud.

They are territorial.  They poop in the same spots, including on the new driveway. They have a pecking order and follow each other around that way. 

They eat anything.  Including the new cottonwood.   They eat like goats.  They might eat goat too.

They must be locked inside the corral when anyone comes to visit.  Otherwise they'll knock over the surveyor's equipment.  Walk out through open gates.  Stand in front of the mower.   Assess equinophobic tendencies in dogs and humans in order to seek out likely candidates for thorough nudging and nosing or - if they get lucky - a good chase.