Mares or geldings?? Best competition horses?

[opinionuk]

Over the years I have noticed that the majority of top competition horses are geldings!

To be I would pick a gelding every time (even though I currently have a mare!)
Geldings are predictable, sensible, bold and will generally look after you
Mares are opinionated, stroppy, unpredictable and if u got in trouble your on your own!
Do geldings make better competition horses...

 

[Blitzen]

I can't speak for all mares, but mine is so kind, such a trier, and is forgiving of my mistakes. She thinks for herself and gets us out of trouble XC with her forward-thinking manner. She is bold and brave, clever and always gives it her best shot.
Of course, I know many geldings that are like this too!
You can't be so quick to generalise sexes!

 

[PoniesRock]

I personally think if you get a great mare then she'll be a winner I'm a bit bias tho! But my opinion is that good mares will try their hearts out for you and I find that a lot of the 'attutide' which comes with mares, as long as its harnessed in the right direction, will deffinatly work in your favour.

 

[ATrueClassAct]

We've got two horses who were bred for competing. One a 15.2hh gelding welsh x tb and the other a 14.2h welsh x Arab. The gelding physically cant compete, he gets far too stressed and looses his head. Where as the mare had an international career competing, she loves competing and I believe it "makes her complete"when she does. But then these two might just be odd!

 

[ATrueClassAct]

*Welsh x Arab is the mare

 

[QueenOfCadence]

Refuse to own a mare EVER (unless she is exceptional). I've met/handled so many mareish mares that I do believe geldings are more suited to sport as they're the "best of both worlds" between a stallion and a mare. Mares are not consistent as they have hormonal days (like humans), gelding however are gelded which means a lot less testosterone and not enough oestrogen to be bitchy - they're usually predictable and the same day in and day out

If you look at the top sport horses there are very few mares in comparison to geldings and stallions (stallions have a natural will to compete and dominate, and geldings are reliable and manageable)

Just my opinion though

 

[miss_wilson]

I have a mare that i compete on and can say she is fantastic, i just need to remember to ride every stride as she is quite sensitive but trusts me 100%

 

[Anglebracket]

There was an article on this in H&H:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/275690.html

It suggests that mares perform no worse than geldings in eventing (however, the majority of horses competing were geldings).

 

[Meowy Catkin]

geldings are more suited to sport as they're the "best of both worlds" between a stallion and a mare.

I don't agree.
Both stallions and mares are entire, geldings well... aren't.

I have three mares and a gelding.

I think that you need to be a team with your horse, so it really is alot more about getting the horse that you click with, rather than the gender of the horse.

It really amazes me how sexist (against mares) so many female riders are.

 

[be positive]

I think many people opt for the easier option and generally geldings are less complex than mares, if you get on with mares they will really try for you.

There was a saying that you tell a gelding, ask a mare and discuss it with a stallion and to many people that is the reason they prefer to ride geldings. Although there are always exceptions and geldings are not always uncomplicated.

 

[Jesstickle]

I never used to like mares. Would only have geldings. But, what I have come to realise in my old age, (ie since I've learnt some patience and some tact and how to rephrase the questions I'm asking if the horse isn't getting it so they can understand rather than just say 'do it now or else' ) is that if you can get a mare on side you will have a fantastic horse. I was talking to my friend over Christmas, who backs and competes youngsters for a living, and she was saying more or less the same. She has also really warmed to mares since she has to work with them.

My mare isn't particularly mareish but she is a mare in the sense that she is a real 'thinker'. BH is the archetypal big stupid gelding and you have to tell him everything as he just won't/can't work it out for himself. When I was younger that was what I loved about geldings, that they were simple. Now I find his stupidity and inability to work things out for himself frustrating.Nitty will try really hard to please and is very quick on the uptake. He is anyone's ride whereas she is very much my horse (obviously no one else rides her yet but even to lead about etc she will try it on with new people and be off with them)

I think mares are just as talented as geldings. Perhaps the difference in numbers in the top flights of competitive sport is down to the fact mares can be more of a one person horse than geldings often are which doesn't necessarily mean they will thrive on a big yard with lots of different staff and ridden by someone who might not spend that much time with them. I dunno, just a musing really

 

[alesea]

I think it's a matter of taste; at the risk of being horribly generalising, I like a simple, straightforward ride and I've always got on better with geldings. On the other hand, my sister doesn't tend to enjoy riding geldings at all; she doesn't actively choose not to ride them, but she always likes a bit of 'spice' in a horse, and seems to naturally gravitate more towards mares. (In fact we've recently been looking for another horse for her, and we were determined to steer more towards geldings as her mare has been so difficult, but typically the only horse she tried that she 'clicked' with was the only mare we looked at...)

I know that's over-simplifying the matter, but in the end it's that connection between horse and rider that gets the results, not the gender of the horse.

 

[kerilli]

Mares are opinionated, stroppy, unpredictable and if u got in trouble your on your own!
Do geldings make better competition horses...

Difficult to generalise, but I've evented both to a fairly high level, and have found that when the chips were absolutely down (i.e. i messed up the line or the stride to a huge fence xc!) the mares would do it for me on their own because they wanted to, because they knew it was their job, because they loved it, and the geldings were far more likely to say "you muppet, if you do it like that i'll run out to teach you a lesson!"
so, mares for me, by slight preference. i like having the whole horse, with nothing taken away.

 

[FanyDuChamp]

My lad is an ex-pro comp horse and he is a gelding, all be it gelded very late. I think it is ore down to attitude and temperament that sex. My boy has an amazing work ethic, learns incredibly quickly and most important loves being the centre of attention. To me it is temperament and quality first, sex last.

FDC

 

[Lolo]

I think a lot can be due to personality.

I don't cope with mares very well. I managed to make the fattest and most placid mare I've ever met turn into a squealing and grumpy madam in 5 minutes without asking for anything at all... With geldings I just seem to ease along with them more. But I also get on with men better than woman?

My sister has always clicked with mares and the quirkier/ more sensitive geldings though. She's got a more even temperament though on the whole and is much better and asking and being tactful. She got a lot out of a little mare who had clashed hugely with her previous 2 owners despite being no better than them at riding when she got her. She just could work with her better, and so gained massively from their partnership.

So I reckon it depends a lot on your personality rather than simply the sex of the horse.

ETA: I think, kerilli, I almost disagree with you. Reg will do absolutely anything to keep Al happy if he can, and will look out for her as well as himself and only says no when he doesn't understand at all. Ellie looked out for herself first and Al second. But she also almost always came through for her to get them from one side of the fence to the other regardless of personal cost?

 

[QueenOfCadence]

I've actually owned a mare before (so that no one thinks I'm being unfairly biased), she was imported from France (sired by Blue Hors Romanov) - her name was Blue Movie De Muse (will add some pics of her to this post). She was sweet, and totally predictable - but generalizing and saying that mares are not mareish at all would be like saying that stallions don't have stallion vices .

Mares (a large portion of them) get pains similar to period pains because of hormones (they have them too!) which means that they wont be consistent through out the month (it's not something they can help and isn't a temperament flaw - but it DOES happen none the less)

Just my few cents worth

Here's the mare I use to own (as proof of my previous experience with mares xD). We had to sell her at the beginning of last year though because of finances ...

(Miss my blue-boo regardless of the fact that I'm not a mare fan)

 

[BallyshanHorses]

I read an article cant remember where but international when asked what was better said that mares will give you 110%,geldings and stallions 100%.Just look at Jessica Curtans Castleforbes Libertina!!!!

 

[BallyshanHorses]

That should say International Riders,when asked!!!

 

[Mithras]

I've had two mares and two geldings recently, all competition horses. The two mares were particularly good mares and not mareish, and I had a lot of success with them, but they weren't as consistent as the geldings and somehow both seemed prone to making silly mistakes, falling over things, falling flat on their faces and being distracted. That said, both would also occasionally perform totally outwith their ability or surprise you by correcting a horrendous mistake that I, as rider, had made, and were also willing to try things that should have technically been beyond them. And to be fair, both mares were cheaper than my geldings and not so well bred/correct physical types. Therefore I would say if you got a truly exceptional mare, it would be just about the best horse ever.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Mares (a large portion of them) get pains similar to period pains because of hormones (they have them too!) which means that they wont be consistent through out the month (it's not something they can help and isn't a temperament flaw - but it DOES happen none the less)

Sorry QofC for quoting you again.

If a mare is really in pain because of her seasons you should get a Vet to look at her, it is not normal and they souldn't have to suffer as there are many treatment options.

With my chestnut, the only way that I could tell if she was in season or not, was if I rode past a particular bay gelding that she fancied. If she was in season, she'd try to stop so that she could pee at him (easily prevented with a gruff 'walk on') if she wasn't in season, she ignored him. She never bothered 'flirting' with any other horse that we knew.

 

[QueenOfCadence]

If a mare is really in pain because of her seasons you should get a Vet to look at her, it is not normal and they souldn't have to suffer as there are many treatment options.

Sorry for quoting you Faracat xD. Lots of them (especially the older ones I have noticed) get cysts on their ovaries (like some humans do) and this causes them a great deal of discomfort, it is also not always practical to medically treat cysts and you simply have to wait for them to pass . I know an EXTREMELY moody mare (though she does have a bad temperament so it's not just mareishness) who you can clearly see when she is in season because she kicks at EVERYTHING and will flirt with everyone (including my gelding much to my disliking)

 

[Venevidivici]

Wasn't it in this week's HH magazine that a mare has won Badminton or Burghley(or some other big event,sorry,can't remember exactly which it said!) only twice. It didn't comment on the proportion of mare/gelding/stallion entries tho,which would give a more accurate picture of this statistic.

 

[Puppy]

Geldings are predictable, sensible, bold and will generally look after you
Mares are opinionated, stroppy, unpredictable and if u got in trouble your on your own!

I would describe my mare and gelding completely the other way round.

I do love my new gelding, but I'm a mare fan through and through.

 

[luckyhorseshoe]

My trainer would always choose a stallion as a comp horse. But had always said that if you have a good mare on side, there isn't anything better. She also had said that she doesn't have time for a mare, that mares like to have 1 on 1 time that she doesn't have.

I think she's right. My lady is very loyal and truly believe that she looks after me. When I went on holiday in the summer, she was quite upset when I got back, really quiet around me. I think she was upset that I left her.

She's sensitive to another level, now this could be breed as opposed to gender. But I think there is a mixture of the two there.

When my trainer rides her, she had tried to nap towards me too.

After having retired a gelding - I think I will only have mares, sounds awful but at least they will have another job. I expect that not everyone will agree with me. But just my experience.

 

[Nagling]

I don't think you can generalize too much but personally I'm a mare fan. I like feeling that I'm in tune with the horse I'm riding and knowing that I have to ride each slightly differently. I suppose lots of competitors choose geldings as they think there may be problems in a competition environment if your mare is in season but I've never had a problem with it at all. Half the time you wouldn't even know if they're in season!

 

[dafthoss]

I went out looking for a mare but ended up with a gelding. He has been likened to a mare though as he does play mind games with certain people and gets on better with those who like mares. I have found that once you get a mare on side they will try their heart out for you but thats just my personal experiance.

 

[Kenzo]

Does gender really come into it, I think its more down to the individual horse and its breeding, thing is how could you possibly compare unless you had bred/trained and competed full siblings?

 

[jenki13]

I only had geldings until I got my mare 6 years ago. I can't exactly describe any of them as simple rides though.

My mare is probably the most opinionated horse I've had in the fact that she thinks she's doing the right thing! However she does look after me & on a good day she gives me her all... get us both on a bad day & you've got two stroppy mare's to contend with

I think mares or stallions would be the most "competitive" horses as they are entire & geldings won't have the hormonal edge to have that drive... but I think that could also make geldings less temperamental and so a "safer bet" that they'll be having a good day.. (if that makes sense!)

 

[Venevidivici]

My boy (gelded late) is v coltish in behaviour. My vet said he has gelded stallions who display gelding behaviour virtually immediately,the next day after the op,including some who had been covering up to the day b4 the op and others who never lost their coltish/stallion traits/behaviour. He said it really just depends on the horse. Perhaps there are lots of geldings around who,like mine, are not rigs but retain that whole 'look at me',competitive,exhibitionist personality? Best of both worlds for a competition horse??