Neighbouring stallion.

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packwood

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Is it really fair to put out a stallion in a paddock with dodgy fencing, right next to my mares? We have put up better fencing inside that of our neighbours but now cannot use the paddock which is next to him. They do have other paddocks. I appeasr there are guidelines for fencing in stallions but they are just that - guidelines.
 
If you feel the need to ask, then you i think you know in your heart of hearts it isnt fair. As a mare owner i wouldnt be happy the correct precautions were not being taken and would worry about the risk of people, the mares and the stallion.
 
It's their responsibility to make sure the stallion doesn't get through to your mares, and in reverse your responsibility to make sure your mares don't break through into him. If your fence is adequate to stop your mares getting to him, then anything else is their responsibility.
 
Having watched, as a teenager, our neighbours mare being well and truely rogered by the stallion owned by someone else put in the field neighbouring it, I would say where there's a willy, there's a way! He came down over the solid Cornish bank with a considerable drop on her side and had a whale of a time :) Trouble was, her owners couldn't then catch her as he turned quite aggressive.
 
I have never had any trouble from the stallions, it has ALWAYS been the mares that can be awful tarts when in fields close to stallions so you're very wise OP to fence your mares in.
 
Im kind of on the flip side. I've always had shetlabd stallions and now I have a Sec D stallion, have well fenced fields with a secondary inner fence of electris fencing (stops the shetlands from destroying the places!) and 2 mares have just been put in the field next door to me. The first time my D was out I took him out on a lunge line just incase and very quickly ran him back inside and locked away as I had 2 hormonal mares come flying over the fence and then through the elctric! My field is now trashed, my dartmoor traumatised as these are big 16hh warmbloods and can I find the damned mares owner?! No!!! So for now my poor D is having to come out on a lunge line and stay near his stable and not get to roam about and have a buck and a play. If I am using a new field with horses next door/ around then I will always track down the owner and ask what gender their horses are before putting some of my lot out.
 
People love to take sides in these situations don't they. Really? It takes 2 to tango so why not be grown up about it. Mares, even tarts, deal with things just fine without stallions around and stallions deal with things just fine without in season mares around. Since I'm a mare owner, I would probably just have to not use a field next to where stallion is. I would also reinforce my fencing even if it meant solid permanent and also electric. And I would run electric both in and outside. If stallion caused issues with the geldings next door with no mares in sight I would have issues. As it stands now I have one paddock totally off limits to my girls because of the gelding that lives in the next field. Total head case. I didn't have to do that as it's my rental land. My girls like eating more than pestering geldings. They are next to my geldings with no issues. So not all mares are evil trouble makers. But yeah, to keep the peace I do what's right instead of listening to the owner bitch. Not like she'd do anything with her problem horse.

But really no matter what is next to you, you should take the precautions even if it costs you more. If you have the stallion or the mare just be responsible. Stallions don't need mares busting through crap fencing and mares don't need stallions doing the same.

Terri
 
Thank you so much for your thoroughly nasty post. In fact we have been he for nearly forty years. They have been here a few months. My mares have, so far ignored him - after all, one is 41 and another 19. The third had ovarian cancer and now has no ovaries. However he knows they are mares and it is actually not fair on him to be next to them They have other paddocks they could use. I do not. Yes, I have reinforced my fence but he is a big stallion and I have no idea how high he could jump. It is a serious worry to me every day.
 
My post wasn't meant to be nasty. I have mares. So believe you me anything that happens around here has to be because of MY mares. I'm so sick of people always bemoaning mares. So actually I was trying to be diplomatic about both sides. As a matter of fact I've been asked several times to not keep my mares with acess to MY paddock next to the arena. Nope, I won't do it. This from people who want to take there horses to shows. Deal with it.

The thing you can only take responsibility for yours. If this guy is being a jerk when he clearly has other places to keep his stallion I don't see as you have any choice but to do as much as you can. Maybe raise the issue with local authorities talking about the dangers. There is no magic answer for the situation. But read loads of posts on here and you will find out most people blame mares for everything. Mixed company and geldings start getting stupid. Mares fault. My Pookie is so good until a mare is around. All mares are tarts. On and on. I have a group of 4 that as of yet do not hang around pestering geldings. It's nature. If everyone, not just a few, used common sense, life would be easier. You've done what you can OP. This guy is clearly not concerned about any welfare issues that arise so you're left holding the bag. No it's not fair. You just have to do your best and it still may not be good enough.

Terri
 
I would not be happy if they were my mares next to a stallion with not great fencing.

I'm stabled at a yard with about 15 stallions (some who cover and some do not) however, the owner would NEVER turn them out next to mares full stop. Even the ones that are quieter than geldings. They can turn and it is nature. Also I believe it is nearly Spring so that is not going to help.

In my opinion I do not feel it is fair on either of them. I would be worried especially with the ages of your girles and one had issues too.

Fencing in my opinion is down to the yard not the livery!
 
My x-youngster (been sold two years now) was a late developer and shared his field with another colt. The field was well fenced, with a shelter. The next field had a mixed herd who used to spend the winter in there. In the two years he was in there, neither him or his field mate never attempted to cross the fencing, nor the mares.
They could talk over the fence, and were often seen dozing on opposite sides, in fact people couldn't believe how well mannered he was. His field mate was gelded before him (he'd only dropped one) and he was gelded in his third year (rising 3).
Had he been hot blooded towards the mares, he wouldn't have been allowed to stay in that field, and vice versa, if the mares had been. In his time with me, he'd always been able to socialize with other geldings at the very least (before we moved to that yard) and it really had a positive effect on him.
Every horse is different, I'd say I was just very fortunate with him, as it could just as easily have gone the other way.
 
Speaking logically and without experience of stallions next to mares (though exp of "tarty" mares!). If you have already tried speaking and been ignored and if the entire onus is being placed on you, I would have a look at who is legally responsible if the stallion gets to your mares. Having 2 elderly mares plus 1 would mean I would be concerned about the damage that could be done but just wondered.. if you have tried to talk, have addressed fencing from your side and still no response, how would a legal document stating you have done a, b and c and therefore if the stallion is found on your property, owner would be legally and entirely responsible for any damage? I could well be talking rubbish but perhaps its a route you should investigate?

I had a gelding who we ended up putting out with a bunch of mares as he get them sane and no kicking etc. However this had to end as a new mare in the field next door became obsessed and would bust the proverbial to try to get to him. I ended up having to move him which was a massive pain, not least because I did the mares in the morning and my gelding was then 1/2 mile away in a different field.
 
I've previously had stallions in a single standard post and rail with electric a foot in on both sides.
Stallions were never a bother and mares used to show off to the geldings in with him more :rolleyes:

Had a stupid YO turn off electric fencing with mares next door (one nightmare who has previously tried to get through gate into stallions when loose). After a hooly round the paddocks and both electric fences ran through both lost interest quickly, far sooner than stupid YO turned electric back on.

Currently have stallions next door to a herd that they normally run with... no electric briefly as someone managed to unhook it the other night (lord knows how as it's strong enough to pop me on the ground just goin near it) the only one throwing toys out of the pram is a filly who is only annoyed when food goes in to the boys :rolleyes:

Although it's good practise to fence well, I wouldn't be panicking with most stallions. But I'd have a word with YO about the fact that they ought to be monitoring this and that it needs sorting... bill will be on them and public liability if anything should happen. Or if own land, I'd put up a solid fence and good electric a way inside it rather than wasting a paddock.

All in all the mares I've known have been far worse and had to be fenced away from the stallions than the other way round though.
 
We had a similar problem to yours OP, a few years ago. All on private land. Neighbour had one elderly gelding, used to being kept on his own. We had 4 mares, 2 quite elderly, who had been kept on the same yard as a stallion previously with no problems.
We had both lived here for several years. Horses were in Summer fields, next to each other with a 3rd neighbour's land across the top of both fields. Numpty novice 'nouveau riche' 3rd neighbours decided to buy Friesian 4 yr old colt and put it next to our fields with no warning/discussion. I should also say that there is a stud across the road whoese mares and youngstock were out in their fields, literally a road's width away from the colt.
Friesian jumped the wall into gelding's field and attacked him. Fortunately both owners were around. Gelding's owner managed to open a gate and get him into another field without the colt. I must say tht if it had got into my field with the mares, I would have mde a great deal more fuss than the gelding's owner did and would have been looking for rather more compensation than the bag of carrots which the colt's owner took round.
After a while when it was obvious that the owner didn't have a clue about keeping the colt safely in his field - he was corralled behind some pallets!- I rang Redwings and their rep came out and talked to owners about their responsibilities and the best way to keep the Friesian. He was gelded not long after that.
It isn't necessarily the mares which are at risk from a stallion. He is quite likely to try to get rid of the 'opposition' first.
OP, I would be sending a strongly worded letter to this stallion's owner spelling out the consequences of his getting into your fields.
 
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