keeping stallions

Stinkbomb

Stinkbomb

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Due to the pettymindedness of some of my so called "friends" we are now having a re shuffle of our fields. I wont bore you with the details except to say the events of tonight have really upset me. Short story is that YO rang me tonight and told me that Inkys field mate will now be in a seperate field and Inky will have his own next to this pony.
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To which i replied well i have to find somewhere else then as im not keeping him on his own. YO very upset so agreed one of her colts could go out with him.
I know some people keep stallions on their own but it just doesnt sit right with me keeping animals on their own. What is other peoples opinion on this do you think its fair to keep them on their own?
YO and others seem to think that as Inky gets more mature ( he's a yearling colt ) he will nolonger tolerate another horse and will eventually have to keep him alone anyway? How do other people keep their stallions and do you think their right? Just a point to note is that Inky is very small compared to his companions and even at 14 month he still mouths to them and shows no agression. Any comments?
 
There is an interesting post on this in the breeding forum which I agree with whole heartedly. I, personally, believe that companionship & being part of a herd, no matter how small, is integral to the the horse's development & happiness, snd that the result of is a happier, more chilled out horse!
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When I worked as a groom, they had two stallions who took it in turns to go out with a gelding.

The stallion at my current yard is kept alone (unless he has a visiting mare!!).

If the horses get on, I can't see the problem with keeping a stallion with company.
 
I have to say it must be difficult when you don't have your own land, as you have to do what YO tells you pretty much.

My stallion was kept with his own band of mares plus a couple of small geldings. The mares who were not being bred were taken out when they came into season and then put back in afterwards. I also had a sterile mare who lived with him all the time. The 2 bred mares (he bred them) were left with him all the way through their pregnancy; one foaled 8 weeks ago (Legacy), the other isn't due until August. He was a perfect gentleman at all times - I have never had a moments worry over that horse; he is just wonderful.

Anyway I did geld him, mainly because I have some very expensive horses here who do not belong to me and I was finding that, for my own peace of mind, I kept him in fields which were not adjoining the fields where these fillies were. This was becoming slightly inconvenient to me and also for our future business plan, therefore the decision was made to geld him a week before Legacy was born.

He is now a gelding; nothing has changed about him (apart from his stomping and squealing that he used to make when he met a new mare LOL!!); he is still a treasure of a horse and he knows fine well that Legacy is his daughter! He now runs with his herd again and he has never tried to mount the mares, so he does seem to have it out of his system now.

One thing I will say though; my guy is a very highly bred horse with very rare bloodlines and I had many people wanting me to stand him to the public, something I was not prepared to do, but having seen 2 of his offspring already I have to say no matter how good his bloodlines he may have, he does not have what it takes to be a stallion - apart from his devine temperament, he does not appear to put much into his foals.....hence fabulous gelding, not good enough for a stallion.
 
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Utter Tripe! Not tolerate another horse! Well, in time he may not tolerate another male horse if there are mares around but to say he should be kept alone is old fashioned and ill-informed.

He's still a horse. They need and deserve company. If Inky is used to company then he will be a calmer, happier boy for it. Are you planning on keeping him entire?

If he was mine I'd have him out with a mixed group and if they all got along then great. I'm sure Tia will come on and answer this as she successfully kept a stallion in a very sociable group. Of course hormones will come into the equation in the end if he is left as a stallion, and that can be handled accordingly when the situation arises, but right now he is basically still a baby and needs company so that he can learn to be just a horse, diminutive or not.

I know you have come to a solution over this this time, but I would be casting around for somewhere else to keep him. You don't exactly need a vast area do you! I'd also be looking about for a companion, an older barren mare, or a gelding, maybe a donkey?
 
you are right imo.
he`s a horsey and he needs to do horsey things with his horsey friends.and also know when to do his `people` things,and be a well rounded adjusted chilled out pon.
follow your instincs.
i do love seeing inky pics!
 
We had a Section B stallion (from birth) he was always kept with company, he used to be stabled next to other horses and up to the age of 3 he went out in the field with bigger geldings, then he had his own hareem of two mares
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Thanks everyone. I was of the opinion that as long as he was ok now with another horse them he can stay that way. The only reason he is only out with one other is that the other horse are just too big. my opinion was that when it became a problem THEN thats when ill have to make a decision on what to do. I am hoping to keep him entire. He is doing pretty well on the show circuit and i have many encouraging comments from both judges and miniature breeders about keeping him entire and eventually breeding from him. However he is still young and this might change, and i appreciate that winning shows doesnt mean that he'll make the stallion grade. He does have very good breeding so i was just going to wait and see what happened. If in the future him being a stallion doesnt work out ( ie have to keep him alone or he becomes unhappy ) then i will not think twice about having him gelded.
TBH it is probably for the best. I dont have to rely on someone else, i look after my own field, he still has company and i can do with it what i want. If they all want to leave their ponies looking like they are going to burst, in a field full of s**t with no water then they can now!!!
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Normally adolescent males would live in an adolescent herd all goofing around and practicing being grown up. This as much as possible is how they should be kept. You should try and keep them away from close conact with mares as this will confuse issues as they will become aware of the hormones and will then become more competitive .
My stallion was just another horse with my geldings and his shetland mate until he was 4yrs then he got a bit too much for my old boy to cope with so i separated him, he used to try and carry the shetland around like a hand bag!!! and he then used to play knee biting games and kept loosing!!,so for everyones safety he was then separated.
Now all 5 of my stallions have stallion paddocks which are very much 'in' the yard. I tend to watch closely the reaction to horses to determine how close i let them get to others all my horses can 'talk ' toeach other through their 'talking' holes in the wall.
I find i have very few problems with my stallions at competitions because they have been socialised.
 
My 2 4yo stallions, were turned out together until just before they turned 4, they had separate stables from the age of 2 but went out together everyday up until the end of their 3rd year and although not turned out together at 4yo they were still good buds up until they went to separate yards because they were doing different disciplines. They were best of friends, they travelled next to each other in the lorry to training and their first shows and Teddy use to put his head through and pull Bells headcollar off and slob on his plaits, and I never had any trouble between them, I wouldn't try and put them back together now because they have been apart now. I take my colts on a case by case basis, all the yearling and 2 year old colts are turned out together and after 2 I take it on how they are behaving together, if they are happy together they stay together in their 3rd year too, obviously if there is any trouble they would be split. We try and keep the stallions as well socialised as possible, they are all stables next to mares and gelding and see everything that goes on on the yard.
 
Stallions can get very aggressive with geldings. One of my brother's andy stallions was absolutely fine going out with a gelding until one day he took exception to him, pinned him on the ground and kicked him almost to death.

I wouldnt want my horse to go out with a stallion, no matter how small. Sorry!
 
ust like to say that my friend keeps a stallion who is now nearly 20, he goes out with the colts and keeps them in order! the only thing to be aware of as he matures is that you keep the stally/colt feilds a good distance from the mares, this is what she does and has no problems whatso ever with either the stally or the colts.
 
Both of my stallions are kept with a gelding companion. I think keeping them alone only exagerates (sp?) the problems. When I got one of my boys he had been kept alone for 8 years - the owners were selling him because they couldnt cope with him and he was becomming agressive. We got him home - introduced him to a friend and he is now the least agressive pony you will ever meet.

My boys are both chilled little characters who have exactly the same treatment as any other pony. I think it is important for them to socalise with other horses or going to shows can turn out to be a nightmare.

Have you thought about getting a gelding mini to keep with Inky? If you get them happy with each other whilst Inky is still young and less mature I don't think you will have any problems.
 
I think that Inky needs to socialise!
It's healthy for them to mix with each other. It's the same for dogs etc.
Where I keep my horse, the yard owner and a friend of hers have always got a lot of youngster's about and their all kept together where they play and have fun!
 
The YOs 3 year old stallion has to be kept in the feild on his own as he bullies/plays roughly with anything that goes out with him. He is a bit sex crazed as he tries to mount anything that moves even if it's a boy!
He is also stabled next to geldings without a prblem.
 
It is difficult when you are on a livery yard, but i don't agree with keeping stallions on their own at all.

I had a 7yo stallion who i put with my gelding and they lived together for a year happily even with mares in-season a few fields away.

My friend has had stallions all her life and her arab and welsh stallion are put together from september to february. They are then sperate but in ajoining paddocks for the breeding season.

Also her Welsh stallion was kept with a gelding, who he absolutely loved to bits, for 8 years. It was very sad when the gelding had to be sold, Blaze pined for him for days
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He loved Smartie so much.

So if i were you i would keep him with something, as he will stay used to this and i doubt will need taking away except for breeding season.
 
We have 3 stallions at home (mum's home anyway), all of whom are lovely to handle and gentlemen to cover with. However they are all kept alone and one in particular will not even tolerate a gelding in the paddock next door - we once turned a young gelding out in there and the stallion virtually hauled him over the fence by his throat!

You have to be very careful with them - especially when they are older and used for covering, no matter how laid back they are. We have liveries and refuse to take even colts that are to be gelded as it's just too much hassle. I have to say that if I was a livery I wouldn't agree to a gelding of mine being turned out with an entire...sorry.
 
At a trekking centre I used to go to, they have the most gorgeous stallion, and he's kept out with two entire yearling colts in a massive field, and they all get on fine together!
 
was talking to a local showjumping guy who has a gelding and a stallion turned out together, they know each other well and have been together a long time, recently the stallion nearly killed the gelding (literally) he's got terrible wounds
 
I haven't read it all yet Tia, ploughing through it, but some common sense comments in there too. They are as bad as us
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By the way, I sincerely hope you handled Ezzy's winkie everyday!
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I would like to keep my horse as naturally as posible.
But unfortunatly i dont have my own land so keep my horses at a DIY Yard.
Therfore we all have to get on and compromise.

As its the othet owner that are concerened aboy there horses there itnt alot you can do. They are thinking of thier horses and dont want then to get hurt.

I two horses, a mare and a gelding, at our yard we keep mares and gelding seperate.
I feel my gelding would prefer and be much happier in a mixted group but again we have to compromise as the other owners are think of their horses.

I have just purchased a three year old colf, (collecting him tomoro!)

I would have like to keep him entire for at least six months to help him grow, if not for life as he has good breeding.
But at my yard they will not consider trying him with the geldings of let me have my own field.

So i have decided to have him gelded ( on the way home tomoro!)

He is ultimatly a pet. A riding horse that i plan to compete, so the breeding was just a dream that wont happen.

I think you are lucky to have a yard that will let you have a field for him, my yard would even let him come to my yard as an entire colt.

What do you plan to do with him?

I want my horse to be happy in his work and have company and friends. That means getting him gelded.
I do feel mean but in the long term its in his best interest.
 
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