These Icelandic stallions throw jabs, hooks and uppercuts as they battle it out in a paddock in Germany.

The horses were photographed as they squared up to each other in a fascinating fight to show who was the alpha male.

They reared up and lashed out with their front hooves looking for a knockout to prove they were the head of the herd.

I'm the boss: German photographer Ingo Gerlach spotted these stallions fighting it out

The fight, which lasted for 10 minutes, was captured by 63-year-old photographer Ingo Gerlach in the Westerwald region of central Germany.

He said: 'I noticed two stallions who were clearly involved in a fight for hierarchy.

'They were constantly whinnying loudly and appeared very nervous. Suddenly, they both galloped off to sort out their fight for supremacy.

The stallions bit each other and clouted each other with their hooves during the scuffle

'They barged each other with their shoulders and tried to bite the other's heels.

'One moment the stallions were kneeling on the ground to avoid the painful bites, the next they reared up and threatened each other with teeth and front hooves.

'It looked more dangerous than it actually was, but even so the attacks were powerful.'

Male bears, tigers and lions are well known for fighting for dominance in the wild but the alpha male concept is one that is also known in the horse world

Boxing clever: Unconfirmed reports said the horses were known as Rocky and Apollo