Mare or gelding?!

Gelding every time - they are just more 'obvious' to deal with, and having had some 'mareish' mares on livery, can't bare the hormonal issues….!
 
My hubby has a gelding, I have two mares.

Yes I would say his gelding is much more level headed then either of my mares but having said that I like the fact they are a bit argumentative. my older mare never lets any issues go and will ALWAYS try to have the last word. Which can be a nightmare, my competition mare will let me know what she thinks but accepts things much quicker and is in general more willing.
My hubbies gelding on the other hand just does what is asked of him. I love his additude but can also sometimes be a bit boring.
 
I am a gelding kind of girl, but have one of each.

The gelding has far more mood swings and grumpy days than my mare ever does! She is quite dominant though and if in season she will kick out at him if he gets to close. She is perfect with people though.The mare is the most loving pony you will ever meet while the gelding hates being fussed. They are polar opposites and I love them equally.
 
I have both. My mare is excellent for driving, doesn't want to mess about just wants to get on with it, my gelding is more loyal though and a bit more scatty.
 
I like both but if I had to choose, I would take a mare. I have had mostly geldings in my early years and preferred them. Then I got a mare, and I have never loved any animal as much. It was as though we were soulmates. Now I have a 3 year old filly. I've had her just over a year and she's very charismatic. Different from my mare in many ways but both have that strong personality which I find essential in any horse that I take on.
 
Always a mare for me - I have had a few geldings in the past but I find that if you can get a mare onside they will do anything for you :)
 
Hate geldings, never had a good one, found them boring,no spark and overall talentless. Currently have 3 mares, love them! So quick thinking and quirky but so talented,so muh spark :) Wouldn't even consider owning my own gelding...
 
I've always taken horses as they come and on individual character. Have to say though, I love mares and gel with them much better than geldings. I find them loyal, clever, bold, confident and I just click with them.

I have two mares at the minute and love them both dearly.
 
Mare every time, love the fact she has an opinion on everything but will always try for you. Used to ride a gelding stroppy brat. Never again
 
I've only ever owned mares :) so for me, a mare every time.
Mares can be distant and testy to begin but once you know them, they are so loyal and much more clever than a gelding. My mare only needs to be shown something new once and she has it and remembers it.
 
Own geldings through choice, and always preferred stallions when working with comp horses/breeding stock. I generally prefer the male of the species, whatever that species may be.
 
I have a mare and a gelding at the moment. I don't really have a preference between them, both are good. However given a choice I'd like a stallion again like my last one but I don't have suitable facilities to keep one any more :(
 
I have owned one mare and loaned two- found them to be a hormonal nightmare!! Currently own two geldings (20yo and 6yo) and a colt and have to say I much prefer them to the mares!! As for people saying geldings are dull my boys certainly are not. The 6yo is full of spark and has the real "look at me" presence about him- even when at home!!
 
I have always preferred geldings, however I have a mare now. I think geldings are a lot easier to manage in many ways, and are generally more predictable IME. Though I wouldn't swap my mare for the world - she's by far the most loving and kind horse I have ever come across. She completely melts my heart. :-)
 
I've always had geldings. I don't think I'm sensitive enough to own a mare. I'm a very what you see is what you get type of person and all the mares I've known have needed to be treated with a bit more guile and empathy. I'm now on a geldings only yard and I love it so can't even entertain a mare if I want to stay there which suits me.

I'm a bit like Auslander, I've always got on better with men - no matter what the species and am a bit of a tomboy myself. I have the most unromantic OH in the world and that suits me down to the ground. Having said that, I do have a bitch at the moment and she's the most loving little dog I've ever had, but by god she's needy...and neurotic....and overly sensitive. B****y women!
 
Mares..... Mine was loading yesterday and backed herself back out just as my friend said she has the temperament of a gelding she then squealed and bucked when I put pressure on and then loaded when she was ready . She then worked her socks off in our I tro tests I proving by 7% in a and 4% in b ;) and then loaded first time on way home , today I'm on a late at work so last minute ride with my friends sharer galloping long the woods jumping logs from the hunt jumps and then two huge logs (huge being about 2'6 max ;) ) in an open field ...... A gelding would have done all of the above but minus the squealing , bucks and fly kicks but he probably would t have made me feel so lucky to be alive or licked me when I got off ?!
 
stallions really, love the relationship you build with them. Would never have a mare, find them mostly hormonal and to hold a real grudge if you make a mistake.

would like it if Goof stayed entire but that in its self is not a good enough reason,so if he doesnt make the grade, he'll be a lovely gelding in any case :)
 
I havent decided which I prefer yet. My first horse was a mare but I think she was a really laid back, sweet mare and we had a great bond. Sadly had to be PTS far too early at 9yrs old. The next I bought was a gelding and he was super affectionate and we got on great but it didnt really matter to him who was looking after him. Whoever fed him was his best friend whereas my mare thrived on our one on one relationship.

My current mare I havent bonded with yet. Had her 4 months and havent really got going riding her due to struggling to find a saddle for her. She is only 5 and imported from Ireland. I dont think she has had much one on one handling so is a little green and babyish in all respects. She is also quite grumpy, pulls faces at other horses, quite sensitive around the girth area. I think when we have bonded and get going she will be great but I have this niggling doubt whether my first mare was a special one off and maybe this one is the normal mareish, slightly argumentative type. On the otherhand, my other two were both 7yos when I bought them and established in their groundwork and ridden work so having a green 5yo is a challenge I need to work with.
 
When i had a mare I loved her and she was wonderful. Now I have geldings and I love them. My boys are not dull and unexciting they are full of character, loving and sensitive. I would never judge a horse solely on their sex, their character is more important to me.
 
My boys are not dull and unexciting they are full of character, loving and sensitive. I would never judge a horse solely on their sex, their character is more important to me.[/QUOTE]

This my gelding is full of character and so loving
 
I got my first horse at the age of 46. I bought a mare although loads of people said"don't buy a mare for gods sake". We didn't really get on for the first month but now she's my best friend. Yes she's hormonal, stubborn, opinionated, grumpy, bloody minded but she makes me laugh out loud constantly, she's loving and loyal and I trust her completely. I know they're not all the same but I would buy another mare in a heartbeat. I know loads of people with geldings and while lovely they don't have that spark and spirit of my girl
 
Does this really just say that we are all totally sexist and prefer what we have?

Although it does seem to be the mare owners slagging off the geldings, rather than the other way about ;)

As the owner of a feisty, cuddly, characterful gelding who tries his little heart out when he wants and pushes the boundaries when things aren't going his way, I know there are plenty of geldings with spark and spirit. My old horse had enough spirit for three as well. The mare I had between was great but not a patch on either of the boys in terms of character.

Funnily enough, I really am not biased. When I was buying my current horse, it would have been a mare had she not failed the vetting. As it is, I am glad I ended up with my lad. She was a "mare" to catch where as he can't wait to greet you at the gate...
 
Having owned both, and leased three different mares.. in terms of handling on the ground my gelding wins out. Maybe that was just his personality and had nothing to do with gender as such. In terms of riding I find mares I have ridden have generally been tougher and more up to a challenge and less fussed about things. However they've also been less consistent on the ground - I guess due to hormones influencing them at times.

I never really found the difference big enough to strongly make me prefer one over the other but at a pinch I would probably be inclined to go look at a gelding over a mare first if I was buying again.
 
I see the merits in both... A gelding will treat all humans equally if not mistreated a mare tends to have her own human - if you are that human she'd try so hard for you but if you are not that human you can @&£* off. So if I could choose id have a mare who thinks I'm her special one ... I do like a stallion tho - I like a nice discussion about life:)
 
Mare any day!! More talent, try much harder than geldings, more personality!! Any gelding I've known has been either dull or a horrible individual.
 
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