"A mare person"

I do think you need to be a type of person for a mare, or maybe just a good horseman?

One of the grooms at my last yard was hard handed and the mares hated her. She always said ‘it’s because I’m not a mare person’ but mares just don’t take any crap. They will make you listen and make it clear when something is wrong.

My mare has the best bond with me I’ve ever had with a horse.. and I can’t believe I’m writing that but the saying ‘about once you have a mare on side they’ll do anything for you’ really is true.
 
I had only mares for years and would definitely have said I was a "mare person".

There's a long story (as usual) about how I ended up with my first gelding. I got lots of congratulations from the geldings set and how much better they are, how geldings are the same every day. They weren't lying; my first gelding was Satan every day!!

After I lost my last mare I viewed a gelding just to round out a viewing trip. I felt so sorry for him and he was so sweet that I bought him. He hadn't been cut until age 5 or 6 as the plans for his future after racing were to stand as a stallion apparently.

To keep my horses together in the same field when I bought my next horse I bought a gelding.

Then when my mum got back into horses she got geldings too for the same reason. Then that's continued when they got their own land.

Apart from my first spawn of Satan gelding I've found geldings to be cuddlier. I like that in a horse 😅

My type of horse was different back then too. I liked tricky/quirky and hot, now I'm too old and unfit to live other edge and my geldings fit that bill.
 
I prefer mares to ride and geldings on the ground.

I compete a mare and she's the perfect sporting partner. Really brave, tries her heart out for me and we just click. On the ground she's not affectionate but that's fine, I leave her be.

My gelding is really affectionate and cuddly on the ground but a bit 'meh' to ride. I'm naturally laid back though so not sure if that adds to it! Although I own the gelding and the mare is not mine, I'm definitely more of a mare person - I find they just have that spark.
 
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I have a mare and a gelding. They're both lovely in their own ways. I wouldn't hesitate to get another of either sex. The last two geldings I've had were very different personalities. My little guy had the heart of a lion and a very cheeky personality. current boy is very laid back but still cheeky, but he is PSSM1, so I expect muted days when he's stiffer. My mare is anything but mare-ish. I never even know when she's in season. She's exceptionally sensitive and scared of her own shadow sometimes, but then I've met geldings like that!
 
I’m very much a mare person. All the most fabulous horses I’ve known were mares that I developed a real bond with and it was definitely more of a partnership. However my mare died last year and we just have a gelding remaining, and I’m very much enjoying his relaxed attitude and cuddles. He’s retired now, so cuddles are about the sun of what we do.

I prefer male (neutered) dogs though. And definitely prefer male cats.
 
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Both my geldings have been quite into human attention - snuffling at pockets, happy for a hug, very happy to see their humans kind of people.

My mares are a bit more "great if you turn up, but feel free to send someone else to be our slave for the day" types. The Appy used to be fiercely possessive of me which was tricky with other horses, but she's mellowed in her teenage years. When I read the awful thread about the vicious stallion I wondered if either of them would crash through fences to protect me and thought it was highly unlikely!
 
SEL said:
great if you turn up, but feel free to send someone else to be our slave for the day
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🤣 Kind of like cats really...🤔


It's funny because a friend has a mare that is that way. I used to care for/ride/work with her on occasion when we were at the same yard. I loved her as a contrast to my gelding who was very people-y and borderline emotional. Just a sensitive type that enjoyed affection and time with his person. The mare was all business and I loved that about her. Friend preferred my horse on the ground due to him being such a nice person.

It was interesting with this mare because when she was ill or injured she was "nicer" or looked to her people more, so we could tell when something was off! She she seemed to be ok with being groomed or touched more when she was in heat, but otherwise showed no signs, really.

Definitely more business like than my geldings!

I feel like mares are more cat like and geldings are more dog like 🤣
 
SEL said:
My mares are a bit more "great if you turn up, but feel free to send someone else to be our slave for the day" types. The Appy used to be fiercely possessive of me which was tricky with other horses, but she's mellowed in her teenage years. When I read the awful thread about the vicious stallion I wondered if either of them would crash through fences to protect me and thought it was highly unlikely!
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a dog came running into the horses field the one time and I panicked and started running away from it and my haflinger saw and chased it out of the field. Im not really sure why I ran as I knew the dog and don’t think it would’ve actually hurt me but i was genuinely scared and thibk Peggy sensed it. I was quite surprised Peggy chased it off though. She wasn’t an affectionate pony although put up with most things and I’m not sure if she cared who fed or cared for her (as long as she got fed) but she obviously did have some feeling towards me. 😂

My new haflinger though is so affectionate. She loves attention, a cuddle and wants to get up close. Their personalities were chalk and cheese and they didn’t get along unsurprisingly 😂 I wonder if Tali would try to help me if I was scared though. She’s not as confident as Peggy was.
 
I personally get on with both genders. I definitely think mares you get stronger bound and my mare is very proactive of me and would definitely have protected me from a dangerous stallion. She was my first horse I will keep her forever because I would worry that she wouldn’t settle anywhere else. I do wonder are mares just smarter than geldings they know if something would happen to owner they would suffer as a result.
 
CanteringCarrot said:
🤣 Kind of like cats really...🤔

I feel like mares are more cat like and geldings are more dog like 🤣
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I've often said this!

I'm absolutely a mare person, although, when I look at all the horses I've had in my life its an equal split, two mares and two geldings stand out as very special. So I have nothing against a gelding at all, and I'll happily buy one, but in my heart mares are my favourites, I've always got on well with them since I was a child. Of the three horses I've trained to GP, two mares and one gelding, says it all really.
 
Am I a mare person - I say I am (and I am) but on reflection I think I more have a type, and my type seems to be more frequently seen in mares. But actually I’ve owned two geldings that also had all those qualities, and a couple of mares that haven’t.
 
I owned a mare in the past but she was very sensitive when she was in season and generally high maintenance. I now have a super gelding who I wouldn't swap for the world. I recently went on a riding holiday and rode a mare who I didn't get on with at all and a very easy gelding who I much preferred. At a male dominated work lunch a colleague asked whether horses have different personalities and what happens if you don't like the horse you've been allocated on holiday. To much amusement I replied, 'Yes that can happen. I rode a mare who I didn't get on with. Generally I find castrated males a lot easier to deal with'. 🤣
 
I’m not really sure what I am to be honest. I think I’m a mare person, however when I lost my mare on 2020 I sore I wouldn’t ever get another because of how amazing she was. Ended up with a filly, really didn’t get along with her so sold her and now I have a gelding. I love him to pieces, however he has such a character and personality. I often say he’s a mare in a geldings body 🤣
 
Differences between mare and gelding.

1)Leading small unbacked pony to get used to the world. Pony spooks.

Gelding…’Oh. You want me to stop? Well, in a minute then.’ Lead line splays out further and further behind me until I have to drop the thing before he has actually stopped.

Mare…’I got this, I saw him tense, slowed down in anticipation then stopped for you when he did.’


2) Hacking out with kids on small young ponies. One pony spooks and shoots past us at speed.

Gelding: Aargh! Monster! Must go too! Runs after the kids. I pull him up and he dances around all stressed.

Mare: Stops before I even knew they had spooked. Pony stops running once she is safely between him and the scary thing. No one goes very far at all.

3) Stressy anxious kid having a bad day.

Gelding: ‘Umm. What’s wrong?’ Nuzzles her. Looks at me. ‘What do I do?’ Looks back at child. Picks up some haylage and offers it to her. ‘Here. Have some food. It makes me feel happy!’ Child carries on crying.

Mare: Magically exudes calming feelings and turns child back into rational, happy, coping child.

And so on…
 
I have owned or loaned 5 mares, all but one just my best friends. I had the ride on a gelding for 5 years and he was really honest and totally splendid, he rather knocked me off my " I love mares" stool! If I was buying i would look for another mare though.
 
Well! Away for a couple days and come back to three pages of conversation! That has given me a lot to think about working through some things in current/future equine relationships.
As an adult I've always considered that I prefer mares, but have had some excellent geldings who I've been very attached to. On reflection, the ones I was most attached to as a child/teen were geldings, and as an adult, mares. Best horse I ever had, and most the most talented rides, geldings. But most the mares have made up for it with heart. But my best horse also gave me his heart and soul... I don't actually feel much further forward! :rolleyes:🤣 Maybe I'm a bit like ihw and my 'type' is more often a mare.

Majority opinion seems to be that mares make better partners, geldings make better easy-going pals, but there are many exceptions. (And a hint that people who get on well with entires may be a thing, but maybe really relating to a learned understanding of the 'entire' brain!) To para-phrase everyone quite badly...
 
Hallo2012 said:
i'm a stallion person and cant stand mares.......at least boys are the same degree of stupid every day, dont hold a grudge and are motivated purely by food or hormones!
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To be fair my current mares are motivated purely by food or hormones 😂

I've been away all week and come back and my mares have been very cuddly so they are loving really!
 
Hallo2012 said:
i'm a stallion person and cant stand mares.......at least boys are the same degree of stupid every day, dont hold a grudge and are motivated purely by food or hormones!
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Maybe THAT is the real difference between mares and stallions - the stallions (handlers) deal with the same hormones day in day out, the mares deal with them in waves. So you always know what you're getting with a male week in week out, gelded or otherwise! You now make me think maybe after all I'm a stallion person and just haven't worked with enough of them to know. Thinking back, I got on well with the very few I have dealt with. 😁 Not going to start now though unfortunately.
 
I have 2 geldings but have had 2 mares and ridden some other lovely ones, I have also ridden some lovely stallions so I don't really have a preference really.

Both my geldings have such characters and are such good fun I would love another mare but I keep them at home and don't have alot of land for 3, I have kept mares and gelding together before so maybe one day.

I love a nice well behaved stallion I did intend to keep Arabi entire, but I struggled to find decent livery at the time so I just had him gelded.
 
I'm #TeamBoys all the way. I have a mental block when it comes to mares, I know it's me and not the mares themselves but I just gravitate towards geldings. I have 2 horses, 4 dogs, 6 parrots, a monitor lizard, 2 Gerbils, 2 Guinea Pigs, 2 Giant Rabbits and 5 Jumping Spiders. All of them bar 4 of the Spiders are male!!!
 
SEL said:
Both my geldings have been quite into human attention - snuffling at pockets, happy for a hug, very happy to see their humans kind of people.

My mares are a bit more "great if you turn up, but feel free to send someone else to be our slave for the day" types. The Appy used to be fiercely possessive of me which was tricky with other horses, but she's mellowed in her teenage years. When I read the awful thread about the vicious stallion I wondered if either of them would crash through fences to protect me and thought it was highly unlikely!
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I've had three mares that were far more interested in the company of other horses than they ever were in me. Two were sweet but aloof, one was a bit grumpy but never nasty. Another thing they had in common was they were all dreadful tarts, absolutely desperate! I have had other mares (and geldings) that seemed to absolutely adore me, I never knew when they were in season but they were definitely alpha mares, one was quite evil with horses/ponies that weren't part of her herd but she was only little so never really caused any injury. As a general rule I'd say geldings make better pets but that little mare was the most wonderful pet, I miss her terribly.
 
The first horse I shared was a mare - chest shire/tb cross (not the best combination) - she was strong and fast and as a first horse probably not the most suitable for me, but would quite happily have a cuddle.
My two horses have both been boys that I have had from foals, so I've developed a strong bond with them due to having them their whole life.
OH's horse is a mare and I get on with her fine, but if she wants to get from A to B and you're in the way she'll go straight through you. My boys would stop dead first before running me over.
The best relationship I've had with a mare is one of my dad's Lusitano mares. I don't see her that often, but when I do we just gel. I've ridden her a few times and she just makes me feel so safe when on her, but man she can shift.
She's built like a stallion, but is so gentle - I just love her to bits.
Dad wanted to give her to me when my first boy died - but step mum wouldn't allow it.
So I think I'm 50/50 - I wouldn't have a stallion, just because I don't feel I have the expertise.
 
I'm not a mare fan. I quite like hard grafting, tomboy like mares. I don't do soft ones. Saying that I don't like soft animals or humans full stop.

I far far prefer my colts and stallions.
 
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