Anyone dealt with a gelding acting a bit riggy in the field?

[Annie_Dante]

My gelding is lovely to handle and a pleasure to ride, but somewhat sensitive and easily worried. His only small vice is occasional mouthiness which is easily redirected and never nasty.

However he is a different person out in the field! He chases other horses, gets very possessive of mares, and has been seen to mount them and go all the way He only poos in a single area by the gate (stud pile?). Mares also seem unusually flirty with him, in comparison to other geldings.


He has no visible testicles and has his castration date (as a two year old) in his passport. I know true rigs are very rare, but he doesn't behave like any other gelding I know. Solo turnout isn’t working well for him, he gets anxious and won’t graze far from the gate, even with horses nearby over the fence. I also tried Agnus castus with no real change.

Has anyone had a similar experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts or advice!

 

[motherof2beasts!]

My previous horse was a “false rig” , I had him blood tested to check he wasn’t a rig. He was never out with mares but even having them In neighbouring fields /he’d guard the fence line / charging others who came by, he became very vocal when they were in season and was unsettled. I did try rig calm but it didnt work for him. He had to be alone, too much risk with him hurting the others, they were alongside him but behind fence.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

I would get him tested just in case , I don’t recall it being mega expensive .

 

[nutjob]

I've just had mine tested as he started some odd behaviour recently and was castrated late as a 4yo. He came back negative but it's not expensive and if you're worried I'd just get him tested. I do know someone who had a rig, there was a very small testicle found well into the abdominal cavity. Another that I came across at a yard when I was buying a horse had been recently gelded and the vet had found that one of the items removed was not a testicle and they were awaiting further advice. So it might be rare but it does occur.

 

[dorsetladette]

We had a livery gelding that mounted the mares etc. We gave him agnus castus. He stopped pretty quickly.

 

[fredflop]

I had one, wasn’t a rig. Just needed to be away from mares.

 

[SEL]

Known a few. One did a stint on regumate actually.

Some settle with only geldings but one needed to be out in an all mare herd where he was fine. None were true rigs

 

[Red-1]

I would do a test. My horse Rigsby was actually called Spirit when I bought him, but he was listed in has passport as a rig under the 'sex' section. I didn't think he was, as he wasn't showing those tendencies, but blood tested to be sure and it wasn't expensive.

It was worth doing as keeping a retained testicle can be harmful long term medically, plus if he ever needed livery it would be tricky to find somewhere who'd take a rig.

I had to pay to have his passport changed to gelding, with the evidence of the blood test, so, of course, I changed his name to Rigsby at the same time It had to be...

 

[Archangel]

One of mine was like that. He was only really happy leading his own small herd (all mine).
Horses coming in and out of the field in a livery situation would (and did for a short time) blow his mind.
What could have been seen as difficult behaviour in the early days, was in fact just him trying to protect/organise his herd.

It's a difficult ask in a livery situation, but could he be moved to a very settled small group where he could be a herd leader?
Mine did tolerate a gelding in with him, but it had to be the right gelding.
He did mellow slightly in old age (35 years onwards ) . He was brilliant though, taught me so much about everything.

 

[KatieDM]

Yep. Global Herbs ‘Rigcalm’ has worked great for mine in a mixed herd through summer. He’s not aggressive with it, or aggressive at all, but just responds to the mares in season and we’d rather he didn’t.

 

[Gloi]

What's in rigcalm? There's a horse on our livery yard that is a pita and has to have solo turnout well away from mares. He fights hard with geldings if turned out with any. If it is genuinely good I'll mention it to the yo who it tearing her hair out with him. I doubt he's a genuine rig , just behaves like it.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

My old man was always very stallion like but nothing ever came of it and he did the full deed. I just left him to it.

 

[P.forpony]

Find a very opinionated small pony mare...
Worked wonders with a few geldings I've had who were lacking in social manners!

How is he when he's turned out without mares around?

 

[Annie_Dante]

I would do a test. My horse Rigsby was actually called Spirit when I bought him, but he was listed in has passport as a rig under the 'sex' section. I didn't think he was, as he wasn't showing those tendencies, but blood tested to be sure and it wasn't expensive.

It was worth doing as keeping a retained testicle can be harmful long term medically, plus if he ever needed livery it would be tricky to find somewhere who'd take a rig.

I had to pay to have his passport changed to gelding, with the evidence of the blood test, so, of course, I changed his name to Rigsby at the same time It had to be...

I love the story behind Rigsby's name

 

[Annie_Dante]

One of mine was like that. He was only really happy leading his own small herd (all mine).
Horses coming in and out of the field in a livery situation would (and did for a short time) blow his mind.
What could have been seen as difficult behaviour in the early days, was in fact just him trying to protect/organise his herd.

It's a difficult ask in a livery situation, but could he be moved to a very settled small group where he could be a herd leader?
Mine did tolerate a gelding in with him, but it had to be the right gelding.
He did mellow slightly in old age (35 years onwards ) . He was brilliant though, taught me so much about everything.

Honestly I would love to give him the stability of a small settled herd but sadly almost all the livery yards around here are individual turnout only. He was happy in a group with three mares at a previous yard, but the owner kept adding new liveries to the field without any introduction, so he kept chasing them away and was subsequently removed from the herd.

My current yard manager is so lovely and accommodating but there's no one else here that's willing or able to share fields. I'm also far too broke to afford a second horse, as much as I would love to

 

[Annie_Dante]

Find a very opinionated small pony mare...
Worked wonders with a few geldings I've had who were lacking in social manners!

How is he when he's turned out without mares around?

He's very friendly and sociable with geldings if there's no mares about, but still isn't happy with individual turnout regardless of who's over the fence. It seems impossible to find stable herd turnout down here in the South East.

 

[Annie_Dante]

What's in rigcalm? There's a horse on our livery yard that is a pita and has to have solo turnout well away from mares. He fights hard with geldings if turned out with any. If it is genuinely good I'll mention it to the yo who it tearing her hair out with him. I doubt he's a genuine rig , just behaves like it.

Pretty sure it mostly consists of Agnus Castus herb, which is cheaper to buy on its own! I don't think it works wonders on all horses, mine included, but I've heard plenty of success stories. It's pretty cheap by the kilo so deffo doesn't hurt to try.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Yes. Blood test showed he wasn’t a true rig so started on Regumate, that helped a bit but sold him in the end as he was bought as a companion to a mare.