Advice on keeping stallion..

Fairynuff

Fairynuff

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My new livery is a 20 year old Selle Francaise stallion who goes by the name of Vivaldi Amor. Hes been here 3 weeks now and on arrival was poor, dull coated, potbellied and ribby. As a 4 yr old he was placed at Fontainebleau in the finals then won 6 classes in the 5 yr old Classics (still in France).He was then imported to Italy where he won loads of GPs etc. He jumped and covered his mares throughout his working life so was kept fairly busy. He was then "forgotten" by his owner (still same owner) who has seen him ONCE in 6 years! Owner is stinking rich, he has petrol refinaries and runs a stud as a hobby. All of his mares are AId as he doesnt want stallions around the place.
My problem is this-Valdi is better behaved than my geldings and so far, is easy to handle. Apart from the fact that I want to have him healthy and gleaming for my own pleasure he will be going to a mounting station for 2 months for sperm collection and I refuse to send him in the state he arrived in. Now that hes starting to pick up hes also starting to waken up slightly. I now have to put the leadrope over his nose to give me some more control. He doesnt bugger off but hes more decided now in where he going. So, how do I keep him healthy AND sane without overloading him but keep him stallion fit for his covering duties? He has 14 kilos of meadow hay a day and 1.5 kilos of coarse mix, salt and soya flour a day.Hes turned out with hay for 3 hours a day, gets sugarbeet twice a week and boiled barley and linseed twice a week. I only have one mare on the yard and have moved her to the bottom stables so that they dont meet (shes a first class tart!) and I put them out in turns. He goes out next to the geldings and is no problem, he ignores them. All advice more than welcome, am I doing things right and what should I expect when he gets the spring sun on his back? I have done stallions before, but only non breeders in hard work so dont know what to expect. Sorry, Ill stop waffling on.. Mairi.
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the first thing i would say is use a chain rather than a lead rope as the vast majority of studs would use them so you may find he respects that a bit more! if possible try get him to a mounting station sooner. i know you want him looking better but it will help him establish that at you're place he's a horse and at the station he's a stallion! its remarkable how many of them act differently at home and at their covering place once they learn that they don't get to cover at home. you will probably find he gets a bit more spritely with the spring sun on his back hence why i think a few "educational" visits to the ai centre would be of benefit. doesn't matter if they end up pouring the semen down the sink...it'll be more helpful in the long run! the fact that you have him getting out so much is good and keep him occupied! enjoy him and post piccies when you can...i think i saw him jump in the past...his name rings a bell
 
When I used to work at the yard, we had 3 stallions there (it's now down to one) and one still there is used for breeding every year.

From the outside you wouldn't know he was a stally - one of the easiest horses I've ever ever had to do. Where as the others were slightly nuttier (one was gelded and is now in RS).

Obviously he's kept in a stallion paddock on his own or with one of the poines. Fencing is 6ft high just incase really. You have to be aware leading in, especially going past the mares field. But he's ridden whilst there's mares in the arena & he's out at BD & BE doing very well.

Feed wise - think he's on just a usual competition mix with a couple of supplements etc.

For leading in, most days it was just a headcollar; other odd times, it would just be a snaffle attached to a headpiece/cheek pieces - so a very basic leather loop really down both sides attached to bit with a leadrope to lead him in.

Think the big issue in general with stallions is that so many people (not aimed at you) treat them differently. Treat them like a horse - they will act like a horse
 
Chiffney or bridle and stallion chain, doesn't matter how quiet they are you should always be one step ahead, esp as he is starting to feel well again best to nip any bad behaviour in the bud. Agree with Amage about taking to mounting station asap. I also think I might have seen him jump in France, used to be a SJ groom on the continent, French are very big on their young horse classes.
 
You sound as if you are doing fine.
Our stallion lives in a yard with mares and travels to shows with other horses with no problem.
The sort of trouble you are likely to face is if he ever escapes he may attack geldings or get a walloping himself from not in season mares. They are unpredictable, in the early days of owning our first one, he seemed fine turned out with a gelding, one day however he attacked him for no reason we could see and gave him over 60 cuts and bites.
They will play with geldings over a fence, will do the same if stabled within reach, but your fencing needs to be either double electric tape or high so they can only touch not actually have enough room to get hold of a gelding and bite. Over the years ours escaped a few times, once C mistakenly put her 12 hh gelding in the wrong field and the scream of terror from that pony made your blood run cold. The stallion only shook him a bit but that was enough..
You treat them feedwise like any horse, our current one eats far more in summer than winter, he has to be stabled every night of the year purely to make him stop running in summer and eat.
We handle ours in headcollars but that's because we and him know our routine, before that we used a bridle and lunge line (best precaution you can use a lunge line), we had different bits for riding and covering as that tells him what to expect.
I would ensure he can't actually touch the geldings come spring, other than that you should see no difference. Oh and ignore all shrieks and posturing, it's not aimed at scaring you but telling the mares he is ready and able!!!
 
Entirely depends on the stallion. I have an older stallion who runs with the geldings in the next field to the mares. Comes in on his own for breakfast and is put out again with a rope round his neck. The young stallion (5 years) gets lead in a head collar but will quite happily walk past mares and is stabled next to a mare, only has his chiffney on when covering in hand.

If you don't know this stallion I would err on the side of caution to begin with.
 
Thakyou all for the sound advice
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.Its good to have you all as a back up when queries arise. I "think" he will behave himself, but as from tomorrow he will be lead out in a chifney and lunge. Will post pics when oh has time-hes the brains of the household! Mairi.
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