Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
I confess I wouldn't run ONE stallion with my mares, even if they were all in foal to him. Some people do so - safely enough. Some stallions are smart enough to accept a 'no' from a mare who might be showing in season but not quite ready. Oters are smart enough to figure out the safest approach to a mare who ALWAYS kicks at the stallion beore and/or after he mounts. Some people I have heard also leave foals in the field with the in-foal again mothers AND the stallion. That to my mind carries enormous risk: I once knew a herd of wild donkeys whose owner did that. Young jacks would be chased out of the herd or even killed at the very first sign they were becoming 'interested' in the jennets, and of course the very young jennets were mated by their sire. The Alpha mare is often a bully to other mares over food, I guess they would be just as bossy to the stallion lower down the stallion pecking order.
I wouldn't leave stallions with a mare carrying and definitely not with a new born foal, I have looked after stallions had one myself most are very good but you just never know, we ran colts together so they could play and grow but if one got too aggressive they were separated I can't be watching horses being chased and bullied all day, my own gelding was cut late his an absolute horror with new horses in the field I am very careful who he goes out with.