Keeping Stallions in a herd

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No. You need to remove the mares from the situation. The stallions will not only fight each other but they will go for the geldings too when the mares come into season. And mares being the tarts that they are will probably come into season in the middle of winter just for the fun of it! Plus both mares will end up in foal and who knows which will be the father!

Stallions can quite happily live with other stallions and geldings. But putting no just 1 but 2 stallions out in a mixed herd is just stupid and ridiculous!
 

Lloyd45

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I thought so. My work have done this and they won’t listen. I’m worried one of the horses are going to get seriously hurt 😞 plus members of the public can walk through the field. It’s an accident waiting to happen
 

Pinkvboots

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Agree with above it's really not a good idea and a lot of stallions are only ever turned out on there own so they are just not used to going out with other horses in a herd environment.
 

Pinkvboots

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I thought so. My work have done this and they won’t listen. I’m worried one of the horses are going to get seriously hurt 😞 plus members of the public can walk through the field. It’s an accident waiting to happen

It doesn't sound ideal are they horses on livery?
 

Lloyd45

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No wild in a small park. They have the idea of having a wild herd like the new forest, they had a lovely little herd with 4 geldings and 2 mares and then they had the bright idea to add 2 stallions to keep the public out. I said but the mares will get pregnant, I was told it’s ok the mares have been gelded 😮 They now realise that doesn’t happen and like the idea of having foals. I’ve also said the stallions will fight, i’ve been told I don’t know what i’m talking about and it will be fine
 

Chappie

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Hi, would it be possible to contact the British Horse Society or World Horse Welfare and anoymously report this? They would maybe be able to send their local representative to talk to the park owners with advice, then they'd hopefully take it more seriously? If the park can be accessed by the general public, then technically anyone could see the situation eg. possible fighting, and so therefore the owners would not suspect one of their employees had mentioned it? Thats what I'd consider doing, for the welfare of the horses, & safety of the public.
 

fburton

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Not usually, no - I think it's a recipe for disaster. I know of an instance where two harems each tended by a stallion lived in the same field space over a summer, apparently peacefully. How the ponies got through this without injury given this was relatively limited, enclosed field space and not Dartmoor, or how this situation was allowed to arise in the first place, I don't know!
 

J&S

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The people who run this park would do well to speak to the Adjutant or a verderer of the New Forest to understand how herds are structured.
 

be positive

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The people who run this park would do well to speak to the Adjutant or a verderer of the New Forest to understand how herds are structured.

They will find out among other things that stallions are only on the forest for a few weeks a year to keep control over the breeding programme, it is totally irresponsible of the owners to just turn out 2 stallions with no thought to the outcome, especially at this time of year, the mares will come into season, get covered and be dropping foals in the middle of next winter, they may think it a lovely idea but the reality is not fair on any of the ponies involved.
 

Pinkvboots

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No wild in a small park. They have the idea of having a wild herd like the new forest, they had a lovely little herd with 4 geldings and 2 mares and then they had the bright idea to add 2 stallions to keep the public out. I said but the mares will get pregnant, I was told it’s ok the mares have been gelded 😮 They now realise that doesn’t happen and like the idea of having foals. I’ve also said the stallions will fight, i’ve been told I don’t know what i’m talking about and it will be fine

I fail to see how stallions will keep the public out!! There not guard dogs and don't generally attack people if anything the stallions are at risk being put into an established herd of horses sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, maybe get on to WHW and explain the situation I am sure they will speak to these people and say it's not a good idea
 

Lloyd45

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Good idea about the New Forest, I will suggest it. The park is only about 15 acres of land, with a lake in the middle so about 50 acres all together. I daren’t even go and look as I will get to upset. I’m dreading the phone call from a member of the public to say one is seriously injured 😞
 

cauda equina

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These people sound like numpties.
Could you get hold of a couple more geldings and say they're stallions? Would they know the difference?
 

Lloyd45

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No I can’t, I have no say. I’ve already caused uproar just bringing the subject up. I want to show them the replies on here but I will probably get in trouble for putting it on an open forum
 

Lloyd45

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No they do have people checking them regularly, also there is general public walking through, i’m just dreading the phone call
 

LittleBlackMule

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BOWS28

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I cannot believe people with evidently so little knowledge are even allowed to own horses. There is nothing wrong with being inexperienced, but ask for help and accept opinions from those who have a clue!!
Please let us know what WHW have to say!
Well done for voicing your concerns though OP - you have done everything you can!
 
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