Mares vs Geldings buying & selling

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kassieg

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I am genuinely intrigued about this.

I see so many wanted ad's for geldings, people ruling out mares before they have even seen them never mind tried them, but very few wanted ad's for specifically mares (other than broodmares of course !! )

I am interested as I will be selling my mare this year :( but also just generally

Do you prefer mares or geldings? would you specifically only look for a mare or a gelding & not be open minded as to me this means you could miss out on your perfect horse.

My mare is more laid back than most geldings, you can't tell when she is in season & generally she is so easy to work with so I do struggle to comprehend how anyone could have an issue with her being a mare !

I do prefer mares as I feel I get a better bond with them but most of the ponies & horses I rode at work were geldings & I fell for a few of those so I would never out rule anything !
 
I think a lot of it is to do with grazing, ie keeping mares and geldings seperated, so if the potential buyer already has only geldings/mares they will often look for the same. That being said, I would be looking at the horse and its experience before the gender would even come into it, except a stallion but thats a whole other kettle of fish!
 
I don't understand why people are so sexist towards female horses. Unless you are breeding and need a specific sex, I believe that horses should be judged as individuals, not on their sex. I have a chestnut mare and the constant anti mare plus anti chestnut comments really got me down at one point. I never wanted to change the horse (she's wonderful) but I did want to bash the prejudiced, closed minded idiots' heads against a brick wall.
 
I do agree that mares are often dismissed in many cases, before they've even been looked at, which I find unfair.

I personally prefer mares, (just find them more willing etc) but geldings can also be very good.
We own 6 very good mares, they are all very willing and never 'mareish', and we have had some bad geldings, but then again I know many naughty mares, and well behaved geldings.

Each horse is an individual, and I think they should be judged on their temperament and suitability, not their gender.
 
Over the years I've had 6 mares and 4 geldings.
My personal preference is for mares. Probably because of the horses I've owned I got on better with the mares.
But tbh I don't take any notice on an advert what the sex is as it wouldn't influence my final decision.
 
When I started my search for a horse, I said I didn't want a mare.
This is just because over the 16/17 years I've been riding, there have only ever been 2 mares that I genuinely was very fond of. However, there has been numerous geldings.

So I think it's just personal preference and knowing that I tend to get on better with geldings than I do mares.
 
My first horse was a chestnut mare and when I told my horsey friends I was buying a chestnut mare they were all horrified, especially when I added that she was almost pure Arab and an unbroken 3yo. Just wind them up more I'd then tell them she had four white sock and a blaze. That combination seemed to be all my friends worst combination for some reason. I owned her for 25 years and had the best fun ever with her. We did everything including showing, gymkhanas (she loved), team chasing, hunter trialling and SJ (she jumped out of BN in her first season affiliated at age of 15. She was impeccably mannered and never 'marish'. My next horse was also mare, this time dark bay ISH. She had to kindest nature ever and again, never 'marish'. Yes, I've known tempremental mares but also tempremental geldings and currently, the most tempremental horse I know is a gelding.
 
I have only ever owned geldings, so for me I'd prefer to stick with what I know. I'm not saying that I'd entirely discount having a mare, especially if an advert said the mare was never mare-ish (and she ticked all the other requirement boxes).
 
Faracat said:
I don't understand why people are so sexist towards female horses. Unless you are breeding and need a specific sex, I believe that horses should be judged as individuals, not on their sex. I have a chestnut mare and the constant anti mare plus anti chestnut comments really got me down at one point. I never wanted to change the horse (she's wonderful) but I did want to bash the prejudiced, closed minded idiots' heads against a brick wall.
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Mine is a chestnut mare also & she is so opposite to the sterotype of "chestnut mares" it is unbelievable, she is literally a saint I wish I could keep her as I know I will never find anything as genuine and willing as she is.

I have had bad of both & good of both which is why I would never judge on sex! I don't understand why people feel the need to keep mare & geldings in separate herds either mine was in with another mare & a gelding on livery & they were perfectly happy.

Now I have 3 mares out of pure coincidence of the horse I liked at the time of buying !
 
I only look at geldings but purely because I have colts & stallions as well so obviously boys are easy for me to manage.

Pre stallions then mare/gelding wasn't a concern
 
I've got a mare; she is the best horse I ever had. I'm generally anti mare though in all honesty. There are 9 on our yard (more than half) and the only one I like is my girl. The rest all seem to be moody, difficult, wilful, quirky beasts. This is the same as humans for me; I generally get on better with guys than girls as they tend to be more predictable, like me!

I wouldn't rule out a mare if ever buying again, but I think the chances of me actually buying one I went to see would be lower than with a gelding as what you see with a gelding is usually what you get!
 
Deltaflyer said:
My first horse was a chestnut mare and when I told my horsey friends I was buying a chestnut mare they were all horrified, especially when I added that she was almost pure Arab and an unbroken 3yo. Just wind them up more I'd then tell them she had four white sock and a blaze. That combination seemed to be all my friends worst combination for some reason. I owned her for 25 years and had the best fun ever with her. We did everything including showing, gymkhanas (she loved), team chasing, hunter trialling and SJ (she jumped out of BN in her first season affiliated at age of 15. She was impeccably mannered and never 'marish'. My next horse was also mare, this time dark bay ISH. She had to kindest nature ever and again, never 'marish'. Yes, I've known tempremental mares but also tempremental geldings and currently, the most tempremental horse I know is a gelding.
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My first pony was a chestnut PBA mare with four white socks and a blaze.
We had her for 30 years, she lived to be 46 and taught dozens of children how to ride.
Maybe that's why I love mares.
 
Stick to what you know!? A mare is still a horse, not a separate species. *sighs* Are you female? Would you like to be judged purely because you have ovaries. All women are hysterical (as in the old meaning of the word), you know? *rolling eyes smiley*

It's certainly true that the most vehement anti-mare people that I know/knew have all been female themselves, which really makes even less sense to me.

I have wondered that maybe some people don't want their horses to have sexual impulses, so possibly think that a castrated male will be easier. Both stallions and mares are entires after all, but IME the division isn't entire V neutered, but male V female.

By gelding isn't an easy horse, but it's not because he's male (castrated or otherwise), it's because some idiot ear twitched him and has caused him to be head shy.
 
My first horse as an adult after a long gap, was a mare. Never again! She was stubborn, inconsistent, nappy and difficult. I persevered with her for 6 years, we reached a sort of understanding but my next 2 horses (geldings) have been a joy and so easy by comparison.

I think when you get a good mare they can be deeply rewarding but I won't be buying one!!!
 
Personally, I prefer mares. I don't discount geldings, but of the 4 I've had, I only really clicked with one & he'd been a stud stallion for 10 years. I go looking for mares if I'm shopping.
 
I was talking to my vet once about this subject and they said that in their experience, owners of male horses will investigate things like kissing spine, ulcers, sacroiliac issues, bilateral lameness etc... quicker than mare owners do as the symptoms/bad behaviour due to the pain is often dismissed as mareishness to start with. I find this very sad.
 
Faracat said:
I was talking to my vet once about this subject and they said that in their experience, owners of male horses will investigate things like kissing spine, ulcers, sacroiliac issues, bilateral lameness etc... quicker than mare owners do as the symptoms/bad behaviour due to the pain is often dismissed as mareishness to start with. I find this very sad.
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Sounds like what happens in humans too, women have a grievance and they MUST be suffering from PMT! LOL
 
Faracat said:
Stick to what you know!? A mare is still a horse, not a separate species. *sighs* Are you female? Would you like to be judged purely because you have ovaries. All women are hysterical (as in the old meaning of the word), you know? *rolling eyes smiley*

It's certainly true that the most vehement anti-mare people that I know/knew have all been female themselves, which really makes even less sense to me.

I have wondered that maybe some people don't want their horses to have sexual impulses, so possibly think that a castrated male will be easier. Both stallions and mares are entires after all, but IME the division isn't entire V neutered, but male V female.

By gelding isn't an easy horse, but it's not because he's male (castrated or otherwise), it's because some idiot ear twitched him and has caused him to be head shy.
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Well okay, I'll embellish:

I've owned 3 geldings over the past 20 odd years. I'm the wrong side of 50. I lost my horse of a lifetime last year and it hurts like hell. I miss my horse more than one can imagine and my thoughts are never far from him. He died the day after my Mum's funeral, so it was/is a very painful and traumatic time. My horse was only at the half-way mark when I lost him through illness. I'd expected him to go on for many more years, which would have been about the right time for me to give up riding/owning horses. I imagined we'd both grow old disgracefully together and just hoped I'd be fit enough to do all the mucking out etc when I hit my 60's.

So, although I'm knocking on a bit and have arthritis, there's a part of me that thinks I have one more horse in me before I'm even more creaky and past it, but, given my age, I would need to be very careful that any horse I purchased was suitable for me. It's 17 years since I last bought a horse and the thought of going off to buy another terrifies me, but life without a horse is just empty, but I just don't bounce well these days. Hence, my preference to stick with what I know... I just couldn't cope if I bought a mare that turned out to be problematic when in season. But as I said, if a mare ticked all/most the boxes and I was assured that she wasn't mare-ish, I'd be interested.

Sorry if it sounded sexist, but the OP did ask and I just gave my honest opinion:-(
 
Historically my relationships with mares generally have been less than positive. Therefore I'm afraid it's geldings all the way for me although I probably could make an exception for something that really caught my eye.
 
My mare is my horse of a lifetime and one of the flashiest horses at the yard ;) (yes she is chestnut). A good horse is never a bad sex/age/color/breed!
 
[QUOTE
It's certainly true that the most vehement anti-mare people that I know/knew have all been female themselves, which really makes even less sense to me.
[/QUOTE]

Oh dear, this is me. I'll try and explain - I know how irrational, over emotional, uncomfortable and moody I am at certain times of the month. I don't like dealing with me when I'm like that, never mind dealing with half a tonne of horse in the same state! I hasten to add I'm not vehemently against mares but I prefer geldings as a rule x
 
A good horse is a good horse - doesn't matter what colour or gender they are :)

That being said I do like mares and at the moment I have three, two of which are chestnuts. I think it partly stems from the fact that I occasionally breed a foal for myself and I like to breed my own :)
 
My horse if a lifetime was a mare - pts after being together for 20 years. I am finding life so empty now and am looking to buy another horse - I cant even look at geldings, they don't do any thing for me!

I doubt I will ever have anywhere near the bond I had with my mare again but I think I am more likely to get close to that with another mare. Just personal preference based on my own experience - irrational but you can't ignore it!
 
Well I have 3 chestnut mares! :) Never set out to have all mares (or all chestnuts), it just happened. And I absolutely adore them. They have never shown any signs of being hormonal or 'mareish'. They are super intelligent, safe and bloomin' good fun! :)

At the same time, I'm certainly not anti-gelding having had 2 geldings in the past. I think I probably do prefer mares a little, however if I were looking for a new horse I'd be looking for one that could do the job I wanted it to do and the gender/colour would be neither here nor there.
 
I've had 2 mares and 2 geldings. I currently have a mare and I can hand on heart say the saying 'tell a gelding ask a mare is so true'
I didn't want another mare but this one has been a horse of a lifetime. We clash personalities sometimes so deep breath and walk away but do I regret buying her 9 years ago - nope :smile3:

I now compete a mare for my YO - she's a typical mare, stroppy as hell but love her and all her grumpy quirks to bits.

If I was going out to buy another horse I think I'd go for a mare !
 
M&M&G said:
My horse if a lifetime was a mare - pts after being together for 20 years. I am finding life so empty now and am looking to buy another horse - I cant even look at geldings, they don't do any thing for me!

I doubt I will ever have anywhere near the bond I had with my mare again but I think I am more likely to get close to that with another mare. Just personal preference based on my own experience - irrational but you can't ignore it!
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I was like this after I lost my last mare & i bought my current mare as a 2.5 year old, have broken her myself & honestly I can say that I have probably a stronger bond with her, I adore her & she loves me like if i walk to the field gate & she is over the other side she will see me & walk over despite being with the others, I often call her a dog :p
 
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