title: Social structure.
abstract: Socially feral horses live in stable social groups characterized by one adult male, a number of adult females, and their offspring up to 2 years of age. Extra males either live by themselves or with other males in bachelor groups. The bands occupy nondefended home ranges that often overlap. Many abnormal behaviors seen in domestic horses occur because some aspect of their normal social behavior cannot be carried out in captivity.
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006702:Homing Behavior; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012919:Social Behavior; D012930:Social Dominance