OMG i,ve got a delema need some help

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angel01

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Hi everyone

I need some urgent advice if you can please?

I bought my 16.1hh TB Gelding (Ex Racer ) 6 months ago, He is quite headstrong, and can be quite Fizzy if you give him too feed.

He is such a gentleman in the stable but can become very dominant and strong soon as you take him out of the stable,

The last couple of weeks I have noticed a change in is behaviour with the mares that are in season,

he is acting very stalion like, dominant, calls out when he sees a mare, he has actually been seen covering one of the mares in the field which is really worrying me as he has already got himself an injury last week through this, vet had to be called out damn.

I am so worried that he may try to cover any of the smaller horses, he is a big strong lad and he his shod i am very worried incase he harms any of the other horses by this behaviour.

I am wondering now if he could be a rig at 12 yrs old?

and what should I do next?

The yard owner has,nt said anything yet but id like to sort it out before he gets himself into trouble or hurts any felmales

Thankyou
 
You could ask your vet to test him to check he isn't a rig.

He won't be the first gelding though to mount mares, particularly if he was cut late.

Would it be possible to separate him from the mares?

I had a gelding who regularly used to mount the mares when they were in season but he never injured a mare or himself. He finally grew out of it.
 
My boy did this, but with geldings :S He too was quite a dominant horse (I recommend the Monty Roberts Dually Halter if he's being pushy, once mine was schooled with it he was so much easier to handle, could even ride him in it)

He only behaved like this in the spring. I wonder if maybe just the weather and grass coming through was giving him a lot of energy :o He has settled down in his old age and doesn't indulge in such inappropriate behaviour, thank god! So I'm sure my fella isn't a rig, as he never had any interest in mares :rolleyes:

Do they determine rigs by a blood test? I would definately investigate!
 
You could seperate him from the mares, put him on something like rigcalm. Contacting his trainer/previous racing owner might shed some light on when he was gelded.

Ask a vet to do a rig test.

What are you feeding to make him fizzy, I have found TB's do best on grass and fibre(not sugarbeet) if they are pleasure horses.
 
Definitely sounds like a rig. If you bought him 6mnths ago mares seasons are not so apparent over the winter mnths, but a lot of mares will be coming into their first major season at this time of year and it sounds like it is sending the poor lad demented!!

I had a 14 yr old gelding on holiday livery in last summer who was like a lamb the first week, but when the mare in the paddock next to him came into season he became a monster - unfortunately I had nowhere I could move him too so had to put up 3 rungs of electric fencing to ensure he didn't 'get at' her, and he spent the whole week pacing, whinnying and generally agitated.

Can you separate him from any mares ie not sharing grazing space and then would seek vet advice. Global herbs do a supplement for rigs so could google them too.

Good luck!
 
My ex racer is the same or was the first year I had him. Definitly try Rig Calm it was great for my boy.

Although when I first got my ex racer he was a handfull all round, nearly 2 yrs on and becasue we know get on much better and he is a lot more settled I don't need to put him on it anymore.

You might more work, routine etc and he won't bother so much about the mares
 
Thankyou everyone so far

I feed him on handfull of dengi hi fi. scoop of mint at the moment 3 small wooden spoonfulls of calm and condition, 3 haynets everyday.
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Unfortuatly we have 40 horses on our yard male and females are all turned out together.

If i kept him separated i think this would course more problems for him.

He has had to be on stable rest for a week, was let out thursday and friday saturday, threw a shoe, gets very foot sore so has had to stay in again for the last two days, was out today no injuries thankfully,,

i dont think the owner will separate the horses just because of my horse to be honest and i could,nt even think of keeping him in all the time, he goes mad lol
 
Sorry but if he has already caused damage to himself and incurred you a vets bill, I would be very wary of turning him out with mares at the moment. Also I would make sure he is insured in case he injures anyone elses horse.

Are there any other yards nearby that have the geldings and mares separate?

Hope you get it resolved but think I would be calling a vet asap.
 
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Bruce is the soppiest of sops, but did start trying to mount everything else....he's been on Rig-Calm for quite a few years now. Works perfect.

Would get vet to check he isn't a rig (we had a rig on loan years ago- displayed behaviour that you've stated).

If all appears normal and what is meant to be missing is deffo missing....behavioural. Try anti-hump powders lol and separate him from mares so he doesn't hurt himself or another horse :)
 
Definitely sounds like a rig? What a broad and incorrect statement! Lots of geldings will get fruity at certain times, it doesn't mean they are all rigs. Some are so stallion like they are tested in every way possible, and still they mount anything they can.
40+ horses, all turned out together sounds like a major worry to me, as said above your lad needs taking away from danger. If he's an ex racer trace his history, PM me if you need help. He may have been on a big yard where he's been kept with same sex, not uncommon at all. He has every right to find the opposite kind attractive, and if he's never been told he's doing wrong why shouldn't he! Very few riggy geldings are rigs. Tests are expensive, but if all else fails....
To be honest, you may find some of his handling issues are adding to his problems, he is the dominant one between you, and therefore he is the herd leader. Perhaps correcting one issue will help the other, as well as making life easier and more pleasurable. But don't risk his or a mare's health by just carrying on as you are, it's not fair to him or the other horses. Shout if I can help.
 
A lot of geldings have issues when the mares start coming into season & then settle down. My son's big softy got colic this year stressing himself trying to keep my youngster away from the mares even though they were in a sepertae field. Try rig calm, stoppy gelding or chaste berry for a few weeks & then see how he is. In the meantime if your yard is not prepared to seperate him, & I doubt he is the only gelding having a hormonla strop at the moment, look at moving to a more sensible yard. If not you will be having all sorts of problems with either your horse getting injured or injuring another.
 
my exracer turned into a cheeky git once he started getting turnout. he tries to mount anything that moves. i really don't think he's a rig though, it just looks like dominant behaviour from him.
 
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