Hacking out on stallions.

[apes_mum]

Hiya,
There is a lady in our area who quite regularly hacks out on a stallion. I've seen him lots of times, and never had an issue, however I am aware he can be very temperamental to say the least!
Sometimes I can meet them on a hack, and he's fine. I've even ridden back with her, as she was goung the same way, and we stopped and carried on chatting before she went on to her yard. No problems.
Other times, he's like a snorting prancing loony, doing that 'screaming' neigh, and when they approach the lady riding shouts " get out of the way he's a STALLION!!!" and we have to find somewhere to hide that's wide enough for him to pass, while he literally goes off on one, flinging himself all over the place, with the lady telling him off etc.
Luckily as I've said, I've never had a problem as my mare - so far - hasn't reacted to him at all. But the other day some new people at our yard met them while they were leading their pony down the lane, and he was in one of his loony moods, and it terrified them!!
He really is impressive when he kicks off, and well done to the rider for managing to control him, but sometimes it's a bit touch and go to be honest!!
I have wondered what would happen if he ever managed to get the better of his rider?
What are you thoughts?
H

 

[PucciNPoni]

A good friend of mine has a young stallion and is very cagey about taking him places where, should he get away from her, he might impose a threat. She makes it very clear that he is a stallion and asks for a bit of room at times. Sometimes she'll sort of make a "joke" of it....at a show someone said to her "that's okay, mine's a gelding" and her reply - "mare or gelding, he doesn't care about the plumbing - and either way if your horse gets covered, it's £400!".

She'll not hack him out yet til she's sure he's going to cope. Main reason is that she's got a friend how was kicked in the face by a loose stallion that managed to lose his rider out hunting!

And yet someone else I know hacks her stallions all the time - never has a problem.

Having said that, I've seen mares and geldings that shouldn't be out hacking, too!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

QR Any-one should be pretty certain that they can control the horse they are riding under all circumstances (I know that there can be 'incidents') and be very sure that their insurance would cover them if anyone else/an animal got hurt. If you know that your mount (stallion or not) needs special arrangements then you should NOT be hacking it out, not knowing who you might meet. You could be said to be negligent.
I have known stallions hack out/hunt and enter ridden showing classes with no problems but they were very well kept and knew their place!

 

[koeffee]

I ride my stallion out he comes out letting people know he's here but he knows his place if he has tack on then he is to behave.we pass many horses but i never have to say pass wide he is a stallion. I will sometimes stop and talk.he will neigh very quietly but he is well mannered if he is fresh he may jog but soon settles.

 

[beckiebeckyboo]

our stallion rides out alone or with mares and geldings, we hack past quite a busy show centre sometimes we have the odd neigh as hes passing but hes well behaved, certainly dont have to warn people coming the other way and hes only 5!!

 

[vieshot]

IMO if its that much of an arse that you have to shout to people 'move hes a stallion!!' then he should not have his balls!

We have a stallion who you can hack out with mares and geldings, take him to shows surrounded by mares and he will still be perfectly behaved, the way he should be.

 

[GLEEK]

I personally think stallions should be able to hack out with mares and geldings. Surely they should be well mannered or they start becomming a danger to people. i know they might have there moments. I think the bigger issue the owner/rider makes of the stallion the bigger issue the horse makes of him being a stallion. How do you think they cope in newmarket with all of the colts and fillys out at the same time!

 

[cundlegreen]

[ QUOTE ]
IMO if its that much of an arse that you have to shout to people 'move hes a stallion!!' then he should not have his balls!



[/ QUOTE ]
I have a welsh D stallion, lives on the yard with mares,he's frequently hacked out leading another horse (mare or gelding, not fussed) from him, and I have led him from another horse.
He has always been taught his manners, and knows perfectly well, that when hes saddled or in harness, he's working not covering.I don't think hes ever screamed in his life, except when hes covering. Too many people have stallions as some sort of status symbol I think, but haven't got the expertise or nerve to handle them.The trouble is, it gives stallions a bad name.
I went to the Spanish riding school in Jerez, where they have 120 stallions all living together, and usually several are tied up in the yard right next to eachother for washing. You never see any of them misbehaving, you'd have a hard time believing they were stallions!

 

[magicgirl]

We had quite a few ridden stallions over the years and have never had problems riding them out. They have hunted, shown. SJ and even Pony Clubed without any hassel to us or anyone else. Our stallions lived on the yard alongside mares, geldings and other stallions. I feel very stongly that unless a stallion is well behaved it should be gelded.

 

[PennyJ]

[ QUOTE ]
IMO if its that much of an arse that you have to shout to people 'move hes a stallion!!' then he should not have his balls!

We have a stallion who you can hack out with mares and geldings, take him to shows surrounded by mares and he will still be perfectly behaved, the way he should be.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hear Hear!

Too many people just enjoy the perceived "status"of riding a stallion and like to scream off to all and sundry about it. A stallion should know his place, and that there is a time and place for everything...

 

[joy]

In the good old days before 'elf n'safety I used to escort hacks and treks on YO stallion.

 

[apes_mum]

Thanks for the replies.
He is an extreamely impressive boy! It's the only stallion - that I know of - I've seen 'up close and personal' and when he kicks off, it's actually very intimidating because he really shows off.
My mare has ignored him so far. It seems to be other geldings I know which have more of an issue with him. I just shudder to think what he would do if the rider one day couldn't control him, and he made a bid for my mare!
My friends suggestion of " just jump off her, leap on mine and we can leave her as a sacrifice and leg it!!!" probably wouldn't work lol