Mares Vs Geldings

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Tarbs

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After much badgering my hubby has agreed to me getting another horse (so excited!). I've been unlucky with my first horse. Short story: got him home (passed 5 stage vetting), he chipped a bone above the pastern, operated, developed laminitis through weight bearing, now has rotation so trying corrective shoeing but wont know if he'll be rideable again for a few more months.

When looking for him, I never even considered a mare but now am more drawn to one. What do you think? What are the pros and cons and do you prefer geldings or mares? I've heard you can build more of a bond with a mare but know a couple of people who have clashed with their mares but surely this can be the case for either sex?

What do you think?
 
I've had/worked with mares and geldings - to be honest, I think building a bond is more reliant on the relationship than the sex of the horse.

Nor, have I found you can 'tell' a gelding more than a mare - well, not the gelding's I've had!
 
I believe you can clash with both. I had two mares and now have a gelding (I was shopping for a mare, but kept on viewing geldings for some reason) - both my mares were very quirky and I have to admit my gelding is a lot more affectionate and straightforward but when he throws his toys out of the pram you really know about it. I think its all about personality and certainly wouldn't discount a horse just because its one or the other.
 
i have one of each currently.
the gelding is more forgiving and easier to 'do', but likes to keep him self to himself and prefers you to get the job done, rather than fuss. but i know he will be the same in a weeks time to how he was a week ago.....no mood swings
the mare is much more loving, loves human contact and sees me more as 'mum' rather than 'food bringer', but this could be because of her past background where she was one of 18, so never got 1 to 1 attention. but shes brighter, and i find this causes trouble sometimes.

id never choose a horse on its sex....id look at all things and see if there is a 'connection' between us
 
I agree with you that both sexes have there quiks so to speak.

IME I have had 3 geldings in the past and currently have a mare.

My boys were just so much easier than the mare. The boys were by no means dosiel angels but just more consistent in their behaviour and much more tolerant.

My mare is a bugger.. I never know which side of her I'm going to get. Don't get me wrong she's affectionate and a cracking little mare to ride but some days she just won't stand for anything and its an all mighty battle between us. If she's in season... I may as well just not bother going to the yard, she a typical woman! The other horse I look after is also a mare.. very quiet but very VERY mardy and grumpy!


All horses have their own personality but unless the mare was exceptional I honestly don't think I'd have another mare.

Just my opinion though sure others will have mares with no problems! :D
 
I prefer geldings. i have met some very nice mares over the years but can never click with them and the moody seasons not all are moody and marish in season and flirty behaviour lol but at least with a gelding you never have this problem. there much more straight forward and as said above forgiving. I find geldings are more relying on you then mares . I bought my horse on sex as there was no way i wanted a mare as i knew before i looked at them it wouldnt work. But if you have found a nice mare it may work for you and somtimes a good mare can be 10x better then a gelding. its all about the connection you get when you see a horse not the sex.
 
I think the key difference is consistency, you can get consistently good or difficult geldings, but mares seem to change week to week (probably genuinely to do with hormones!) A good mare is worth her weight in gold but these seem to be fewer and further between than geldings.
I only have geldings because I like to be able to work on things consistently and don't want to be randomly back to square one some weeks!
 
Isn't the saying 'tell a gelding, ask a mare'? I wouldn't consider a mare to be honest. I've worked with many and most have been quite 'touchy'. I generally find geldings easier to get along with.
 
My mare can be very moody and opinionated and demanding!! But... Me and her gel 100% she is fab!! I have a much better bond with her than the geldings I have had. But I never went out to buy a mare we just sort if clicked!!
 
I currently have 2 geldings and a mare.

My ridden gelding one day will want to play ball next he Won't he is so unpredictable.

Example today I entered a WH and didn't even leave the field,
He wouldn't load, other days he will load.

My mare is so sweet and consistent, she is just so laid back and easy to do.
Never even notice her in season.

Gender doesn't bother me as mine are opposite of their stereotypes!
 
I've always been completely open minded when looking but have ended up 'connecting' with mares. I hadn't really thought about it until I bought my current mare and my best friend (non horsey) said: "what is it with you always choosing slightly feisty girl horses?" and I realised she was right. I have tended to perceive geldings as a bit more straightforward, and they're obviously often more consistent in mood what with hormones and all... But I don't know how much of this "simpler" is us anthropomorphising their behaviour and reading into it what we like. So when my girl's being sensitive I read it as female complexity whereas if she were a gelding someone may read it as stubborn or grumpy?

There are some very sensitive geldings and very laid back mares: perhaps it's like with many things, we only really notice and remember those who match our preconceived idea and back up what we already think?

Enough philosophising - I'd certainly go and look at mares too. You want that one special horse and it's hard enough to find them without cutting out 50% of the options...!
 
I'd always had mares until I got my boy at the beginning of this year, if the saying you tell a gelding & ask a mare is true I think he must bat for the other side :rolleyes:

I've found him far more challenging in personality than any mare I've had.
 
My personnel preference would be geldings every time far easier to deal with! My boy is so affectionate and so much easier to deal with then the mare I had who was down right dangerous and she put me off ever having a mare again
 
Before reading this I would have said its was the horse itself regardless of sex,but looking back have always been drawn to mares good and bad!have rode some equally brilliant and awful geldings/ stallions too.Currently own a mare who has proper pissy knickers( but wore her brave ones today).
 
I have three mares and one gelding. The mares are all so easy to deal with, although they do have different temperaments - they are individuals after all. Chestnut mare is no different to ride/handle when she is in season, in fact you can only tell if she sees a male horse that she fancies and even that isn't hard to deal with. The gelding is the most difficult but he only 2, plus he's a great big pansy anyway. ;)
 
I prefer mares. Especially the opinionated 'don't tell me what to do' ones. Ime once you have a bond & mutual respect, they'll go that extra mile for you. And even the opinionated ones, who can appear to sometimes put 100% into being a pita, once you get them on side put that same determination into whatever you ask. Mares generally just don't do things by halves, whether its negative or positive. If you can make everything positive, then you get that extra effort all the time.
 
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