Why do stallions lead a herd?
Simple answer, they don’t. Every herd has a lead mare who is the actual leader of the herd. She decides when the herd should move and where to. She’s also the first to graze and the first to drink from a watering hole. When the herd participates in mutual grooming, she will either groom with the stallion or her foal. The stallion’s role is to breed and to protect the herd from rival stallions or predators. When the herd moves, he can be seen at the very back spurring on the slow ones and making sure no one falls behind. I’ve heard from somewhere that if the herd is running away and a foal can’t keep up and the mother slows down with it, the stallion will actually kill the foal to get the mare moving (Sounds harsh, but it makes sense in the wild) If a stallion actually leads a herd while running, he will probably lose it very quickly as mares decide to stop following him.
