Mares V Geldings?

Gelding every time. Always had geldings, bought my first ever mare and took a flyer on her and she was the best longshot I ever took. Not everyones cup of tea as she not only wrote the t'shirt she insisted on wearing it too...! she is a lifer - however I later had the misfortune to buy a mare who really did turn out to be marish. By this I mean could completely lose the plot with no warning, even after being worked hard. Never again!!
 
geldings! because from being little all the mares at my riding school were horrible and moody and it's just kind of stuck....
 
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i do think some people are *mare people* and some are *gelding people*

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I agree. I am am mare person. Have had geldings, a stallion and mares. I suppose it is what I am used to as I rode the mares much more than the stallion, and only backed the gelding as he was young still when sold on. I adored seren's first two sons Charlie & Red, they were both gelded and absolute sweethearts. How they turned out as ridden horses and for general nature, who knows. The stallion was lovely natured, but lively to ride as one might expect.

We had mostly broodmares who I rode growing up and I just love mares. I love the potential that you can breed a foal from them, and have just clicked well with mares on the whole.
I would shop around for a mare specifically for my next riding horse,I dont know why and it could well be my loss but I would not shop for geldings for my next horse. Nothing against them, I just love mares and would love another one day, preferably a rare breed native who I can breed from
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There, I think I have rambled on sufficiently
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Geldings for me. Personal thing but I wouldn't touch a mare. All the ones I have known/dealt with have been fine and I've had no trouble with them - I just prefer the boys!

Consistency is important to me, a vet I know who deals with a lot of competition horses (SJ, RAID etc) once said to me if you wanted a horse to be the same horse everyday, get a gelding. He also said that a lot of riders prefer them because they are simple minded - food, work, rest, play and that's it! I thought that was pehaps over simplifying, but I knew what he meant
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I personally love mares! Once you win a mare over I think your in her heart forever. A mare will give everything if you ask it. Geldings are generally a bit thick and aslong as you feed them they love you. I agree with some of the other posts as well. gelding are much messier and if they are grumpy they are grumpy 24/7

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so true!
 
Geldings every time, I think it mainly depends on your previous experiences with mares and geldings. I've only had 2 mares in my lifetime but had nothing but problems with both of them: moody, stubborn, temperamental, argumentative, unpredictable and totally inconsistent, aloof, bargy, rude, shall I go on? And all that ask nicely/having to negotiate because its a mare stuff, absolute nonsense its half a ton of horse for heaven's sake, if I ask her to move out of my space I want her to MOVE and not have a discussion or argument about it! Sadly because of this wouldn't dream of looking at a mare if I was horsehunting, would automatically put the gelding filter on
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I'm sorry my experience has left me so anti (can you tell?) but do think I've been unlucky though as my friend has a mare who is the sweetest, kindest, gentlest horse, not at all mareish, I'm very fond of her truth be told - if I could guarantee I could buy one like that, I might risk it again in the future
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Personally I would much rather have mares!

I have never really clicked with geldings and tend to always get into a fight with them. The last mare I had on loan was a nutter and the moodiest mare you could ever imagine, it was like she was in season every day of the year. After about 4 months she realized that I wasn't going to give in to her pranks and we just clicked and did everything together! she turned from a horse that would gallop away from a puddle, cars, and refusing tiny cross poles....to a horse that went swimming in the sea, hacking down busy A roads and jumping 3ft + without hesitation!

Unfortunately I had to give her back after my loan agreement and couldn't buy her when she went up for sale, as of yet I do not know of anyone else who understood her like I do, and she has had many different owners. It is just personal preference, for some reason I get really short tempered with geldings but I have all the patience in the world for a mare!

But will deffo be shopping for a mare in the summer
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All the horses I've owned have been mares, not intentionally they just happened to be so! Although i do ride some geldings for an owner, i've always found mares desite having their odd moments when in season, or just being idiots, they always give you that little bit more if you get what I mean? If you get on well with them , they seem to try that little bit extra for you. However despite some mares being funny buggers i think my gelding atm beats them alll with mood swings and temper tantrums! lol
 
I have heard once (as some posters have said) you get the mare on your side they give you alot more etc... Sounds lovely and I cannot wait for it to happen, if it ever does. Unfortunately I am no way near there yet and the moment I can afford two horses my next will be a gelding for sure.
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I do prefer mares as a rule,you can reason with them. Geldings are a bit like overgrown schoolboys.I think they are best for pushy people! Mares are more gentle. Got two of each!
 
I have had both, and some have been laid back mares and geldings whilst both mares and geldings (arabs) have been total drama queens.

I have mares by preference nowadays because I can't breed from geldings
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I had one gelding that was horribly possessive and quite aggressive towards certain animals, and my only gelding now is one of the smartest and most intelligent horses I have ever encountered. The mares are a mixed bunch, the QH's are totally laid back ( living up to their breed characteristic) and the arab is another drama queen, very vocal and does everything twice as fast as the others (including foaling)

If I was looking for a riding horse the gender wouldn't come into the equation if it did the job, although a mare is more convenient from my point of view than a gelding because my stallion doesn't particularly like geldings.
 
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I do prefer mares as a rule,you can reason with them. Geldings are a bit like overgrown schoolboys.I think they are best for pushy people! Mares are more gentle. Got two of each!

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I would have to disagree, I have never had to be pushy with any of the geldings I have had as they all had beautiful manners. The same, however, could not be said for the mares!
 
I think it really depends on the individual mare or gelding.... I have have a 15 hand welsh cob gelding and when he is in a strop he gets very bad tempered... bangs his door, bashes his haynet, barges around in his stable, bangs you with his head, won't stand still.... get the picture...

My daughter rides a 14 hand welsh cob mare and she has the sweetest temperment and is never moody, she is quiet most of the time you don't know she is in her stable.....

so I think it totally depends on the individual.... and what you want from your pony....
 
I've always had geldings before, and never really been bothered about mares. However, although L is a pretty marish mare, she really will give you her all if you get on the right side of her, and seems to think things through more, so once you have her on your side, she picks things up a lot quicker than my geldings did! But I did love my boys too
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I have always loved geldings, every single horse I clicked with has been a gelding. So when I was looking to buy I would have been happy with either, but was pleased that I ended up with a gelding.

Sidney is the soppiest thing ever, very loving and affectionate (well, it is food oriented, but that's the kind of horse he is.) He and I have a great bond, and understand each other. In fact, I tend to prefer male animals as I find them a lot more affectionate than female ones. What I love with my gelding is that he's a simple sort of horse - what you see is what you get!

Isabelle
 
I've owned stallions, mares and geldings...for good and bad.

Had two stallions, wonderful boys and heart to spare, but what a pain to find a yard to take them.

Owned wonderful mares, several who made a Siamese cat in heat look demure...very "woohoo! Look what I've got boys!"

Owned some wonderful geldings.

I'll admit, I like the hormones kicking in to make a fuller personality. Mares are sure easier than stallions. I don't enjoy the full PMS (Pre-mareish syndrome) but being a male I'm used to putting up with this behaviour. I get a laugh when I hear friends complain of their mare being hormonal.

A good horse is never a bad colour or bad sex. Friends always say I own mares so I don't have to clean sheaths...there are some things guys shouldn't have to do for other guys.
 
I'm a mare person 110%

Of the geldings I've had, one was a nappy sod with a bucking habit, who bit, kicked etc! And then Percy, who again is a nappy spooky sod, who just tries to dump his rider every opurtunity. Then there's Andy, who's a poppet, but you have to make him do everything. I feel that to get the best olut of a gelding you have to tell them off, whereas if a mare is on your side, she'll try her heart out no matter what.

Of the mares I've had, one was a total darling, and a total schoolmistress/babysitter! Another showed me the ropes in dressage, SJ and eventing, and got me into all PC teams etc
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Then the best two horses I've ever had - Millie and Tam. They are both super super talented, and have loads of character - which I love! Millie is just under 13.2hh, and has done Pre Novice, as well as gaining mid 20s dressage often at intro level! Total pro, she won me £140
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And Tam, well, you probably all know Tam - she's already showing talent to go Intermediate, and has already won £86 with me, and I've had her 6 months. She's a superstar.

SO for me, the things I always look for in a horse are - a mare, with welsh blood. Obviously, I would look at a nice gelding too, but mares just do it for me much more
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