Colt/Stallion Owners - Advice Please?

Kao

Kao

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 September 2010
Messages
538
Location
Wendover, Buckinghamshire
Visit site
This has got to be the first time I've outright asked for advice, but any who :p
I've enquired about livery, and everyone says I'm absolutely ridiculous for getting a new horse in the situation I'm in (I have a mageek plan that nobody knows about *disappears in a poof of pink powder*) but, it just feels right...

Sorry, long post coming up. Kudos and cookies to those who get thorugh it :D

My gelding, special as he is, managed to cover a lot of mares (not just one or two...a lot) when he was with his old owners. The choice of mares leaves a lot to be desired, as was their choice of stallion. At the time, when I picked up my boy (gelded late at 4) I thought "Wow. Who would actually want a foal from this? It's a brown and white stick." well, few months down the line and seeing him as a healthy, happy 5 year old got me thinking. Did the dealers have any of his foals left?

Much to my amazement (that they kept this foal so long) they have one nice little colt left, and actually not a bad cross compared to most of what Kao was put to (a 9hh shetland and 15hh Black welsh cob from hell comes to mind). It's dam is a Chestnut TB x mare and the sire is, well, Kao...
The mare is nice natured, though never trained and now probably going to be a broodmare for the rest of it's life, decent (bog standard really) conformation and fairly uphill.
I've never seen her move freely so I can't comment on that.

The colt in question is a Chestnut Tobiano to make about 15hh (sire is 14.2hh dam is about 15.2hh) and 1 1/2 years old.
Now. Normally, I would ooh and ahh over this situation but the dealers/breeders started talking to me on Facebook (ah good old Facebook) and told me he was for sale, I naturally asked how much...
£400.
In todays market, £400 for a not-so well bred colt is fairly steep but...hell I have the money. So it's almost certain I'm buying this foal subject to finding livery.

Well, I'm asking for advice in the colt/stallion field because I want to keep him entire and give him a chance. Believe me, I'm one of the most anti-indiscriminate breeding people in the world. As soon as I see any conformational faults, temperamental issues or any other such bad things, it's the snip for him.
I want to get him graded, certified etc. Produce him like I have done with other youngsters, but though it's been my dream to own a stallion that's actually mine, I'd like to know a few basics of owning one. Is it any different to owning a broodmare that backs up to anything in a "TAKE ME NOW." fashion?
I've handled a few stallions, but nothing past light schooling, walking off and tying up for the farrier.

Was just wondering if there's anything extra I need to know?

P.S: Absolutely no way ever would I let him cover anything till at least 4 when he's grown into himself and I'm certain that he's mature enough. I know some stallions cover at 2 and 3 but most of the youngsters who cover are well bred and have something going for them. Pretty sure breeding a patchy heinz pony to anything under the sun is the best thing to do unless he's accomplished something.
 
Kao said:
Pretty sure breeding a patchy heinz pony to anything under the sun is the best thing to do unless he's accomplished something.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't there be a not in that sentence?

Sorry but why buy a colt with part pedigree to keep entire?
 
s4sugar said:
Shouldn't there be a not in that sentence?

Sorry but why buy a colt with part pedigree to keep entire?
Click to expand...

Ah D: sorry I can't type today.
Yes there was suppose to be a not in that :o

Sorry but there's tons of colts with no pedigreewho aren't registered with anything, ungraded and unproven until later in life that go on and have a successful competition career.
Just because I want to keep him entire for a few years doesn't mean I'm going to let him cover anything.
 
Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear but there are lots of high quality, graded stallions out there and a market flooded with unwanted horses, even well-bred ones. It will cost you a heck of a lot more than the purchase to have him graded but, if you are hellbent on proceeding, you should definitely go down this route. If he's not good enough to pass a grading, he's not good enough to breed from. By your own admission, neither of his parents is anything special so what mare owners would choose to breed to a stallion who could throw back to God knows what? My advice is to let this one go, let him be gelded and go on to lead a better life.
 
sorry i think it is a mad idea.

If you want to have a stallion to run on, imo you need to spend some more serious money and buy a colt with pedigree, conformation and talent to actually be worthy of keeping it entire.
 
pintoarabian said:
Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear but there are lots of high quality, graded stallions out there and a market flooded with unwanted horses, even well-bred ones. It will cost you a heck of a lot more than the purchase to have him graded but, if you are hellbent on proceeding, you should definitely go down this route. If he's not good enough to pass a grading, he's not good enough to breed from. By your own admission, neither of his parents is anything special so what mare owners would choose to breed to a stallion who could throw back to God knows what? My advice is to let this one go, let him be gelded and go on to lead a better life.
Click to expand...

That's the thing. He wont be gelded. He'll be passed from pillar from post on Dragon Driving till eventually, he'll be useless and probably in someone's back garden.
I am absolutely dead set on getting him graded. No doubt. If he doesn't pass, I'll have him gelded straight away and do the same as what I was planning on doing with him anyway :)

His sire hasn't done anything to prove his self yet! I've only had him 5 months and not been able to do a lot. Plus, he's only a 5 year old, I'm in no rush to push him into competition and I'm waiting till Spring to start competing him anyway :)

Believe me, I wont hesitate to geld if he doesn't make the grade. :D
 
Hi Kao
I could get shot down for this but i would like to say that i do believe a horse (stallion or mare) is a product of their upbringing. Our stallion happily turns out along side other horses and is stabled in a loddon type barn next to other horses with no problem. Shut them away form other horses and they will turn into raging lunatics when they see another horse!!

I do believe if stallions are treated with respect and are actually allowed to be horses rather than a breeding machine they can be happy horses. I know many people that run their stallions out with mares, and geldings alike with absolutely no problem.

I do also agree with the above comments in that if he is just average then is there any point keeping him entire. If you were only going to breed for yourself then what you do with him is completely up to you. If it great to see someone talking sense on here in the fact that if he doesn't grade or isn't good enough you will geld him. However there is the option of collecting and freezing semen from him and gelding him anyway, then you have the best of both worlds!!
 
:)Ok I'm not going to comment on whether or not you should go down this route, but what I will say is that even if a colt is easy to handle they cause logistical problems which are bad enough even if like me you are keeping him on your own yard. let alone if you are keeping him on livery. I'm just not sure it will be practical tbh. My colt is well behaved but he's a very big rising 2yo which means he has to be handled by those of us who know what we are doing, and he can't be anywhere near any of the fields with mares in or the fields that are next to my neighbour (who tends to lob mares in her sheep fields without letting me know, even though I've begged her to text me in case he's a bit close to the boundary):). I dread to think of the hassle if I kept him at livery, even if I could find somewhere to put him. Probably the only places that would have him would want him kept in 24/7.

Just read the post above and wanted to say that my colt is very happy and adjusted and runs with geldings and is out most of the time, but I don't want any unplanned babies and I don't think my mare owning liveries would either, hence I keep him away from mares lol!
 
Last edited:
I'd say go for it if you really like him and you are 100% confident that you can remain unbiased about his suitability as a stallion when he gets older.
I went against a lot of peoples advice on here 2 years ago when I bought my stallion...
JunetoJuly08098.jpg


OK slightly different as he is very well bred so does have the pedigree to back him up but at the end of the day he was an unbroken 4yo that was dirt cheap due to an injury he sustained as a 2yo. I have learnt a lot through asking select people on here (Henryhorn and Anastasia being the main ones!) also made a few mistakes but generally he has been very easy, he is easier to handle than my 15yo gelding who is a complete ****!!
We backed him ourselves (We are true amateurs) and he went to our local riding club loads in his first year ridden which was great for socialising him with other horses and he is now extremely well behaved around others at shows etc even when he has been covering, in fact he has been to group lessons on an evening after he has covered in the morning. He is treated exactly the same as the others except that he has his own paddock! I personaly think if you treat them too differently then that is when you have problems BUT I never forget that I have a stallion on the end of the rope (Or between my legs... lol!!)
My boy has now turned into a strapping chap, he has 2 babies on the ground, more due 2011 and more interest from others wanting to use him next year too.

This was him at the bramham stallion parade in June, a far cry from the scrawny 4yo I bought back in July 08!!
Bramham038.jpg
 
Yes, at least one of your replies above is from an experienced owner of a number of stallions.

Leaving aside the points raised above, you say that you have enquired about livery. I have had to find considerable ingenuity over the years to provide the socialisation and quality of life that I consider to be necessary for my well-bred, graded and very sweet natured stallion as he has matured to an adult from an "innocent" 18 month old. This is with my own facilities and nobody's horses to consider other than my own. I do not know anyone personally who has managed to do so as a livery where the constraints are so much greater.

I do, however, know a couple of people who have tried and ultimately gelded for the sake of the horse without anyone having been hurt in the process. The change came as the colts began to mature and would have been required by their yards to be kept in isolation if they hadn't been gelded.
 
Yes, I am a stallion owner with graded and licensed stallions and I did offer what I think is sound advice. I would also recommend that you fully familiarise yourself with the grading process and associated costs before you make a commitment. These are considerable costs that carry no guarantee of a successful grading outcome.
 
Kao...

things to think to yourself...

Is he going to be talented?
Is he going to be capable of achieving good affiliated results?
Has he got a good chance of passing a proper grading?
Am I prepared to throw lots of money down the loo? (Even having a decent stallion you still have to be prepared to spend alot of money that you won't get back!)

If you answer No to any of the above, don't bother!

There is many stallions in this country that are just NTR licensed or passed gradings as youngsters then never achieved anything in competition and disappear into the abis.

On the otherhand, buy the colt, keep the colt entire... make a decision when he is 3, but be prepared that the decision will be to geld and bring on as a riding horse to sell, because that will cost less than going down the stallion route... but if by the slim chance you find you have a superstar in the making, consider the Sport Pony route (if he fits the criteria) as they are for stallions upto 15.2h. Good luck whatever you decide :)
 
I have stallion and currently two colts (was three until a few weeks ago mwahahaha snip).

If you think this youngster has potential to run as a stallion, then no reason why you shouldn't grow him a bit more. The big problem arises in finding the right circumstances to keep him. So many stallions are not properly socialised. I seem to remember you have a few geldings? If he could live with them, then it would be perfect for him and would enable you to grow him to the best of his potential, physically and mentally. You also need to be prepared to spend a lot on producing him and obviously also accept the possibility of having his nuts off if he doesn't make the grade.

My 26 yo stallion, RIP :( , lived out with young racehorses for a while. He kept the peace in a pasture of up to 15 colts and young stallions. He wouldn't allow arguments or bickering. He was, however, very nasty towards geldings and we were lucky that the racehorse breeders wanted him on loan after he retired from eventing.
 
emlybob said:
Hi Kao
I could get shot down for this but i would like to say that i do believe a horse (stallion or mare) is a product of their upbringing. Our stallion happily turns out along side other horses and is stabled in a loddon type barn next to other horses with no problem. Shut them away form other horses and they will turn into raging lunatics when they see another horse!!

I do believe if stallions are treated with respect and are actually allowed to be horses rather than a breeding machine they can be happy horses. I know many people that run their stallions out with mares, and geldings alike with absolutely no problem.

I do also agree with the above comments in that if he is just average then is there any point keeping him entire. If you were only going to breed for yourself then what you do with him is completely up to you. If it great to see someone talking sense on here in the fact that if he doesn't grade or isn't good enough you will geld him. However there is the option of collecting and freezing semen from him and gelding him anyway, then you have the best of both worlds!!
Click to expand...

Totally agree! I've met some horrible stallions and they're usually shut away 24/7 on a big scale competition yard with no time other than training put into them.

I'm a big believer in "just spending time" with any horse, the pay off is huge and it's so rewarding :) I may sound like a fluffy bunny for saying that though I'm also a big believer in not letting them get away with things because they're "cute". Manners are still paramount in behaviour IMO.

Ooh, that's a good option :) I'll think about that! I would love to keep him entire, but if when he turns 3, fails his grading, shows no talent or he's just bog standard and/or possesses no qualities desired in any foal, then I wont hesitate to geld and bring on as another riding horse for myself :)

Rowreach said:
:)Ok I'm not going to comment on whether or not you should go down this route, but what I will say is that even if a colt is easy to handle they cause logistical problems which are bad enough even if like me you are keeping him on your own yard. let alone if you are keeping him on livery. I'm just not sure it will be practical tbh. My colt is well behaved but he's a very big rising 2yo which means he has to be handled by those of us who know what we are doing, and he can't be anywhere near any of the fields with mares in or the fields that are next to my neighbour (who tends to lob mares in her sheep fields without letting me know, even though I've begged her to text me in case he's a bit close to the boundary):). I dread to think of the hassle if I kept him at livery, even if I could find somewhere to put him. Probably the only places that would have him would want him kept in 24/7.

Just read the post above and wanted to say that my colt is very happy and adjusted and runs with geldings and is out most of the time, but I don't want any unplanned babies and I don't think my mare owning liveries would either, hence I keep him away from mares lol!
Click to expand...

I do have hesitations about keeping him at a livery yard, just for the sake that I've never had to deal with a public livery yard before. I'm looking into getting my own place in the near future, hopefully before he turns 3.
I've asked around a few different yards, waiting to hear back, once I do I want to check out the facilities make sure there's minimal risk to him or the horses.

Accidents do happen and I'm setting myself up for it. But I'm going to take every precaution I possibly can. At the end of the day it's the welfare of the horse(s) that are my main concern, but given my circumstances at the moment I'm in no position to get my place right now (I have enough now for livery. But I don't think, at my age, I would be capable of running a whole yard to pay the expenses involved.) :/

Foxfolly said:
I'd say go for it if you really like him and you are 100% confident that you can remain unbiased about his suitability as a stallion when he gets older.
I went against a lot of peoples advice on here 2 years ago when I bought my stallion...
JunetoJuly08098.jpg


OK slightly different as he is very well bred so does have the pedigree to back him up but at the end of the day he was an unbroken 4yo that was dirt cheap due to an injury he sustained as a 2yo. I have learnt a lot through asking select people on here (Henryhorn and Anastasia being the main ones!) also made a few mistakes but generally he has been very easy, he is easier to handle than my 15yo gelding who is a complete ****!!
We backed him ourselves (We are true amateurs) and he went to our local riding club loads in his first year ridden which was great for socialising him with other horses and he is now extremely well behaved around others at shows etc even when he has been covering, in fact he has been to group lessons on an evening after he has covered in the morning. He is treated exactly the same as the others except that he has his own paddock! I personaly think if you treat them too differently then that is when you have problems BUT I never forget that I have a stallion on the end of the rope (Or between my legs... lol!!)
My boy has now turned into a strapping chap, he has 2 babies on the ground, more due 2011 and more interest from others wanting to use him next year too.

This was him at the bramham stallion parade in June, a far cry from the scrawny 4yo I bought back in July 08!!
Bramham038.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow, he's absolutely stunning!
I have to say, you've definitely given me a lot of motivation. He doesn't even look like the same horse from the first picture.
You've done absolutely amazing work with him :) Bet it's exciting waiting for his new babies in 2011.

XmasBalls said:
Kao...

things to think to yourself...

Is he going to be talented?
Is he going to be capable of achieving good affiliated results?
Has he got a good chance of passing a proper grading?
Am I prepared to throw lots of money down the loo? (Even having a decent stallion you still have to be prepared to spend alot of money that you won't get back!)

If you answer No to any of the above, don't bother!

There is many stallions in this country that are just NTR licensed or passed gradings as youngsters then never achieved anything in competition and disappear into the abis.

On the otherhand, buy the colt, keep the colt entire... make a decision when he is 3, but be prepared that the decision will be to geld and bring on as a riding horse to sell, because that will cost less than going down the stallion route... but if by the slim chance you find you have a superstar in the making, consider the Sport Pony route (if he fits the criteria) as they are for stallions upto 15.2h. Good luck whatever you decide :)
Click to expand...

In answer to the questions:

No idea, hopefully. His sire has nice movement and a hell of a jump.
I'm hoping so, for me I think it's a bit too early to tell. Once I've bought him and he's put on *a lot of* condition then I'll hopefully see some of his potential.
I think he has, but each to their own. I think he's a nice stamp and well turned out he'd be stunning.
Have done on all my other horses :D so, yep!

I do notice a lot of the graded stallions vanish and are somehow replaced with ungraded, poorly conformed stallions who people are paying top dollar to have their mares in foal to :confused:

Definitely :D That's what my plan is. I want to have him graded with the SPSS, if he passes, well I'll be over the moon! But I'm prepared for if he doesn't :)
 
MissTyc said:
I have stallion and currently two colts (was three until a few weeks ago mwahahaha snip).

If you think this youngster has potential to run as a stallion, then no reason why you shouldn't grow him a bit more. The big problem arises in finding the right circumstances to keep him. So many stallions are not properly socialised. I seem to remember you have a few geldings? If he could live with them, then it would be perfect for him and would enable you to grow him to the best of his potential, physically and mentally. You also need to be prepared to spend a lot on producing him and obviously also accept the possibility of having his nuts off if he doesn't make the grade.

My 26 yo stallion, RIP :( , lived out with young racehorses for a while. He kept the peace in a pasture of up to 15 colts and young stallions. He wouldn't allow arguments or bickering. He was, however, very nasty towards geldings and we were lucky that the racehorse breeders wanted him on loan after he retired from eventing.
Click to expand...

The yard I'm at at the moment is my work place. The YO has this mental image that stallions are evil and destroy everything (even though one of his mares has trashed thousands of pounds worth of stuff trying to get to another mare in heat or a gelding. his choice though).
I'm hoping they yard I go to, he can be turned out with his dad and my friends all have geldings too that we see regularly.
I'm going to get him out and about regularly and tag along to shows with Mum :) I need to socialise myself too so it'll be good for both of us!
Luckily, the yards I've looked at have a lot of different horses and people but aren't too busy all the time.
 
I have owned many colts and currently have a Section D colt and a C stallion and a A stallion ;)
I personally dont think you could have a stallion unless you have your own land. I know as a yard owner we wouldnt take any colts (unless foals that will be gelded) in for livery.
I have my own colts/stallion and the only mares I have here at the moment are my own also, all the liveries are geldings thankfully.
Stallions can cause a few problems on a yard, I have a stallion block on the yard, where only boys are allowed etc.

I wouldnt have a stallion unless I was going to breed from it as I dont think its fair to have all those hormones etc and not be of use.

I am sure you will be sensible though, and good luck if you do give it a bash. Like you I always leave gelding my boys till later to see how they good, temperment and all that ;)
 
True. There are tonnes of horses on the market at the moment, even nice stallions are going for nothing at the sales :(

gingerfilly:
Yup, just want to see what he turns out like :) would hate to go snip happy now to find he's actually breed worthy at 4 or 5 :D
I would kill to be able to have my own place for him, but in my circumstances (hence why my family think I'm crazy) it's just not in my budget to pay out a lot of rent each month.
I have my savings for unexpected vets bills which I add too every month, then the rest of my money goes to paying my Mum for part of my "keep" and the rest is to go on livery when he arrives.

Not the best plan, but I'm more focused on having somewhere, even if it's temporarily, and getting him the heck out of the place he is now :/
 
You sound a little like myself 20yrs ago! But breeding in this country needs to move on?mo. He may well turn into a nice pony but there are so many horses going for slaughter,you need to think what he will go on to do. I know we still need the happy hacks but there are enough horses by good stallions that dont go on and do much. If you can keep him a little older and see what he's like? But it wont be cheap. I have two stallions one rising 3yrs who is out with my in foal mares, which is not ideal but circumstances change and my new yard is still a couple of weeks from being built. My other stallion who is older is on full livery and i pay the price because he is a stallion.
 
You may well have a superstar in the making, but keeping a Stallion carries many responsibilities, for example falling off or letting go at a show could have major consequences. I gelded a stallion with great bloodlines and lovely conformation, but the wrong attitude. he is a very happy gelding and is able to compete without worries.
 
Quote "My gelding, special as he is, managed to cover a lot of mares (not just one or two...a lot) when he was with his old owners. The choice of mares leaves a lot to be desired,"

So out of the lot of mares he covered what have these offspring done? It does not sound like he stamped his mark & without seeing him its difficult to judge, but he sounds average. I dont see how his son therefore is going to add anything to the gene pool that cant be gained by what already is on the market. Even if he turns out to be a superstar athlete, whats to say he will pass this on? With his unknown pedigree you would have to be double careful with the mares as you just dont know what is in the mix.
 
I think you have been given a lot of good advice so far, all i want to add is you really need to work out WHY do you want to own a stallion. If your future plans involve owning\running a stud then i can see why you would think its a good idea, or if he was a horse good enough to potentially produce really decent offspring. If he were mine i would get him assesed by someone who knows what they are doing in the grading area you want to put him forward in. Even is he is not looking his best they should be able to see if he has the quality to make him stand out as sallion potential.

The first foal my mare had is a stallion, i had to think long and hard as to wether to keep him entire as i have no interest in having a stallion for myself, They cost more to keep, you have to be really choosy about where you keep them and who is going to be handling them. I was really lucky to find another colt for him to run with when he was weaned and he went to a friend for backing etc. I ended up grading my lad and selling him as a 4 year old.
 
I have read this thread with interest. particularly the comments regarding socialising stallions. I have never worked at a stud, but have worked with several stallions over the years and I have to say, only three of those were the sort you had to watch, two because of the way they were managed, and the third was a fruitloop - although again, I am sure that was because of the way he'd been brought up. A shame as he was very talented.

I have an 18mth old colt, who I intend to leave entire for the next year. He had a horrific start in life and I want to give him every chance to catch up - plus his balls have yet to appear. He's gypsy bred and they do seem to be slow in that department!. He is currently turned out with two rda ponies at an rda centre! He has been no bother so far and is an absolute poppet.

I also freelance groom for a local livery yard that have a stallion there in livery. It is possible to find places provided the horse in question is well mannered. It is more difficult though and it has helped that I knew the people in question prior to asking them if they would take my chap!

I deal regularly with a 6 year old ID stallion who is turned out with mares and geldings. In fact he is probably the most laid back horse, entire or otherwise, that I have ever met.

I am sure that leading a 'normal' life is the key.
 
I won't repeat all of the points already made, but agree it is a long term, money draining commitment. There is also the possible chance that if you do geld him late, he may keep some stallion characteristics, therefore making him harder to sell on as a riding horse in the future.

As already said, one of your biggest problems will be finding suitable livery. We have a stallion on livery here, but turnout is restricted, we have to revolve certain things around him and personally I wouldn't go through the hassle of a stallion on livery again unless we had much better facilities. Luckily, he a mannerly horse, who's easy to do anything with, ride around mares etc.

Do you genuinely think he has the potential to be something special? There is a huge variety of quality stallions out there, who are proven, talented, with good bloodlines etc... When you say the sire has a cracking jump, how cracking? How far could he go?
From the pictures i've seen of Kao i wouldn't dream of buying a foal bred form him with a view to keep it entire. Just my opinion, but there was nothing stallion quality about him, or to be passed on? Not to mention the colt will have no breeding recorded on passport which will immediately put people off.
 
Last edited:
We usually keep our colts entire until they are three but only if we see potential in them as foals and their breeding is of commercial/performance value. They have to be showing quality with great movement from day one. You can usually tell an athletic foal from a not so athletic foal and their genetic potential comes to the fore in their attitude to life as well as the tangible qualities. Our colts are reassessed constantly and gelded as yearlings, two year olds or as three year olds or in rare cases they are left entire and sold on to studs.

Handling hormonal boys is no walk in the park especially in youngstock classes and in public. Hormones will overcome good handling in a young horse from time to time. Temperament does vary in uncut horses some are high as kites and others laid back.

It is your choice at the end of the day but it sounds unlikely the horse will stand publicly because he would not be commercial enough and I think the days of "stallions down the road" are all but gone. If you are going to keep the stallion for your own use and he is actively covering mares, then you do need good secure premises and accept that any livery yard will have clearly set out rules relating to your horse which may not be in his best interests.

Good luck with your decision.:)
 
As I am currently in Germany my homebred retained colt is on livery in Warwickshire. I did a lot of research into finding somewhere to send him that had the experience and facilities to manage young colts. he is barned over the winter and come the Spring will go back out into the fields with the other colts of the same age.

I will probably bring him over to Germany next year and back him and if I dont think he is going to pass his grading easily, or be the sort of stallion I would use myself, he will be gelded and sold as a riding horse. he is the first cotl I have retained that i felt worthy of being stallion material as hopefully he has the ability and attitude to back up his looks and pedigree.
 
personnalyy i wouldnt have him unless you have your own land and facilities! and i would also want him DNA d just to check he is actually by your own horse! not another py**** cross. good luck and wave goodbye to your money. he will cost you dear in every way!
 
We keep 3 (rising 3) colts at livery, one will be cut in spring but the other two (section A's) will be kept entire for as long as possible. We did have problems to start off with because one of them just wouldn't stay in the field he was put in and kept going to see his gelding friend in the next field, he is now behind a high electric fence running at 10000 volts, which seems to have done the trick. Until going in their paddock with an older gelding, they ran out in a herd of 13, mares and geldings, the mares have taught them excellent manners and the older geldings have taught them all about pecking order (they were right at the bottom, bless them) so we have some well adjusted boys. My daughter is hoping to keep one entire so she can show him under saddle and we are just waiting to see which turns out the nicest of the two before cutting the other, we are also hanging on until they are fully mature and well developed. If there is any sign of them being difficult then they will be cut immediately bbut up to now they have been an absolute dream.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top