Playing nice with others ... or not

Yesterday a mare returned to the barn after being at home for the summer with her rider on college break. This mare, Lexie, was Bestie's sidekick back in the spring before she went home. The pecking order was Bestie, Lexie, Bacardi - a little palomino pony - and Sadie, a Quarter Horse mare who came to the group last and was definitely the low girl on the totem pole.

When Lexie went home, Bacardi moved up to sidekick position. Whenever I'd go get Bestie from the field, as soon as I'd get her through the gate, Bacardi would do a couple bared-teeth-rolling-eyes-monster-pony faces at poor Sadie just to let her know who was in charge in Bestie's absence.

Then Bacardi went home, and the dynamics shifted yet again. While I wouldn't say that Bestie and Sadie become BFFs, they did seem to reach some sort of agreement whereby they would hang out together quite peaceably, and Bestie would even get upset if Sadie's rider came to get her out of the pasture. The girl and her mom would end up bringing Bestie in to the barn also (thank you to them for their niceness and understanding about that!).

So now that Lexie is back, I figured Bestie and Lexie would immediately rush back together again; after all, it's only been about 3 months. But no - no nuzzle nuzzle reunion. Lexie's owner said today that Lexie is now the lowest in this little herd. Bestie and Sadie seemed to have teamed up to shun her. When Jessica, Lexie's owner went to get her from the field today, Bestie and Sadie were at the gate and there was no way Lexie was going to walk up and approach the "mean girls." Does she have to earn her way back into Bestie's heart? Is Bestie giving her the cold shoulder to make her pay for leaving for the summer? Will Sadie drop back down into the third wheel position she held for months? Only time will tell. It's tough out there in the mares' pasture!