One sex only yards?

Neversaydie

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So YM has stated to someone that there will be no more geldings on the yard once the current crop go either by way of leaving or pop their clogs. Now unless I move home I would prefer to stay on my yard as it suits my needs.

At present we have four geldings on the yard, all in separate fields mixed with mares. No real issues, we have had two serious injuries on the yard, one was an elderly gelding being chased by one of the herds as he was just tossed in with them on a fairly slippy steep hill and he has done the hind suspensories. The other was a full TB mate who has degloved a hind leg by apparently slipping into and having to jump a fence. No real signs of what has went on other than one small skid mark.

My gelding is leader of his field, he herds and nips and will threaten a kick if he thinks he is being ignored. He will connect if the warnings aren't being heeded he is unshod. Typical herd leader behaviour. Now I haven't had a livery come to Me to Complain my horse has damaged theirs, there have been no incidents in his field of injury, the YM hasn't even came to me about any such thing however suddenly all geldings are a pain and there will be no more. Now I am toying with the idea of a second horse and it will be a gelding and probably quite young if even unbroken, current Yo has no issues with sex of horses on the yard. YM has always had mares and all is gelding owners are not very happy that our older boys ( not one is less than 15) who don't fight and haven't caused any issue or injury are potentially being threatened with being told to Leave for no reason other than the sex preference of the YM.

Do other YOs agree with this? I have never been on a yard where there are no mixed hers or even mixed sexes on the yard? I would be very annoyed if forced to leave just because my horse is the wrong sex! Having spoke to the liveries on my field Face to face they have no issue with my horse. YM is very controlling despite this being a DIY yard, if you don't agree with the word given as gospel you go in the troublemakers file.
 

Wagtail

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After having a couple of awful geldings at our yard (aggressive, running down, cornering and pummelling), I had a couple of years of not allowing any more geldings here. I can't remember what changed my mind but I did reverse that rule and haven't had any trouble from geldings since. But I had just had enough of it at the time and so said no more geldings. After a couple of years I mellowed. But I can understand your YO.
 

Neversaydie

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Thanks being honest YO has no issues and believes that YM is OTT however they are family and YO is getting close to retirement and the closer it gets the more insufferable YM is getting :(
 

be positive

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I have a small yard with just 2 mares, 1 is mine and tiny the other a livery, I am very careful about adding a mare into a group I don't usually have more than 3 or 4 together and would not mix sexes unless I was very sure the dynamics would work, my balance is the opposite to your yard and I would not put 1 mare in with several geldings as it may cause trouble, the other way round is usually no problem.
I don't think the YM can overrule the YO but she can make life uncomfortable if she chooses, my answer would be to suggest that if you get another horse your 2 live in a field together that way there is no risk of yours damaging anyone else's and if they hurt each other that is your responsibility to deal with, I think it would possibly be worth looking into one field for geldings only and getting the boys out of the firing line before they get blamed for every injury that occurs if the YM is going to be vindictive.
 

Midlifecrisis

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Our YM would prefer no mares ...we turn out in pairs of the same gender..six mares and fourteen geldings - they are on separate sides of the farm too..he thinks mares upset the geldings and would rather not have them. Everyone has their opinion.
 

Neversaydie

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I have a small yard with just 2 mares, 1 is mine and tiny the other a livery, I am very careful about adding a mare into a group I don't usually have more than 3 or 4 together and would not mix sexes unless I was very sure the dynamics would work, my balance is the opposite to your yard and I would not put 1 mare in with several geldings as it may cause trouble, the other way round is usually no problem.
I don't think the YM can overrule the YO but she can make life uncomfortable if she chooses, my answer would be to suggest that if you get another horse your 2 live in a field together that way there is no risk of yours damaging anyone else's and if they hurt each other that is your responsibility to deal with, I think it would possibly be worth looking into one field for geldings only and getting the boys out of the firing line before they get blamed for every injury that occurs if the YM is going to be vindictive.

Unfortunately we have a mixture of poor doers and food doers and this is how the fields are split. The poor doers going in the Field with lots of grass all year round and the good doers stay in the paddocks that have less grass. Not enough fields to separate into smaller groups even though the yard has the acreage for it.

The YM is constantly moving horses about, and changing the dynamics of the herds hence why we get little upsets. I wouldn't mind my boy being in with all boys, he's been in a gelding only herd and was perfectly fine, been in a herd with one mare and four Other geldings and was perfectly fine, I just don't understand why we are getting the blame when physically none of the gelding on the yard have harmed another and one is currently on the verge of PTs due to being on the receiving end of a chasing, by a herd of 4 mares and a very elderly gelding to whom canter isn't a common gait.
 
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Pedantic

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Mares, full of whoremones, and moods about as predicable as the BBC weather forecast, yea it's all the geldings fault......... why ? BECAUSE IT JUST IS THAT'S WHY.........
 

Magnetic Sparrow

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On my yard we have two herds, mares and geldings are separate. It works well.

As a general rule people seem keener to own geldings than mares. (I don't know why, I currently have one mare). A mares-only rule would therefore disqualify more than 50% of a yard's potential clients. Interesting business decision. However it comes down to their yard, their rules. If your YO doesn't have the appetite to overrule the YM then I'm afraid you may need to find somewhere else.
 

rara007

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We (private) are geldings only other than in emergency. Suits us to have a mellow group and a 'lads' group :). Works for us anyway :)
 

YorksG

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We keep our four mares at home, in two pairs becuse the older draught mare and the younger cob would fight to the death! (well certainly till one fell over). I do not like mixed herds, having had a mare who nearly killed a gelding by standing on her hind legs and aiming for his head with her fronts (fortunately she was too near the wall to be able to balance properly to take aim). I would be happy for all male herds, including stallions, as long as there are no mares within sight, but just do not like mix ses herds.
 

Dave's Mam

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Current yard has 1 mare (in foal), 1 stallion (runs with his "wife") & 5 geldings. Calm ponies, no dramas.

Previous yard was 7 geldings, one 2yr old colt, a mare & a filly. The filly calling when being a slapper was the reason my gelding lost his cool & flattened me.

So, in my experience all things can go all ways!
 

Auslander

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I have 3 mares, and 3 geldings here. The mares, as much as I love them, are the catalysts for trouble. The geldings are easy, as long as the girls aren't trying to seduce them. I've got them all in reasonably peaceful groups at the moment, but I know it will all kick off again when one of the girls decides to come into season!
 

Kafairia

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This I found quite funny. My yard is a single sex only yard... But it's geldings only! :D We had 3 mares on the yard since I remember - a pony which made a mess of fields and paced, and also nipped, another you gave a 2-3 metre radius from her field and double fencing to protect your horses as shed try and kick you in through the fence. I could remember on numerous occasions her hooves whooshing past my head...

Another was one that didn't stay for long; a nice big eventer type. She went out with the other eventer on out yard and generally didn't cause any problems apart from stirring up the geldings and also when she was left in the stables trying to jump out - getting stuck and nearly pulling down the entire stable front!! (Atleast we know it was sturdy :eek: )

All our geldings are really well behaved in general. We don't keep out horses in herds, I have a mini in with one of mine though because he will jump out of he doesn't have a friend.

YO has always been geldings only now! It's not been a problem until I wanted a second horse - most were mares :( but I got my gelding. :)
 

JJS

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I never understand this. My horses have always been in mixed herds and there's never been any trouble in the field. The current group consists of my three horses and my friend's four, five geldings and two mares in total. I would honestly challenge anyone to find a happier and more settled herd. But then again, they don't have anything to fight over: they have plenty of space to move around, plenty of horses to choose between for company, and plenty of forage all year round. I think that's the magic recipe, not dividing by gender.
 

Micropony

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Personally I don't like mixed turnout as it made my first sweet gentle gelding into a dangerous loon. I am sure it can work fine if the group is stable and new horses are introduced carefully. However in many livery yards, especially those with a DIY component, that's not always how it works.

As irtitating as it is, this YM seems to have a bee in the bonnet on this one and if life's going to become difficult as a redult might be worth looking around for a Plan B.
 

aussierider

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I was at a place where mares and geldings were seperated at all times. While there my gelding broke a splint bone when he was kicked by another gelding out in the paddock. Later my mare broke her jaw, again a kick from a mare in her paddock. I believe the problems with injuries were caused by overcrowding.

I have since moved and mine were in a mixed heard for a time but the gelding was causeing trouble so he is back in a gelding only paddock which is very harmonious and my mare is very happy in the mixed paddock.
 

rowan666

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I've also found it's ALWAYS the geldings that cause issues between themselves and herd has been more settled with issues from any of them with a mare as top dog but the only single sex yards I know of are geldings only!
 

MissTyc

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We have a mixed herd but more mares than geldings, which allows the boys to have a few mares of their own each. They can defend them quite aggressively (and then the mares join in the battle); however TOUCH WOOD we have not had any injuries from this as enough space for them to work around each other. We also have a bachelor "group" of submissive boys who don't have any mares and hang out with each other instead. One exmoor mare has randomly joined this group of her own volition but she seems to be a bit of a bruiser herself and rules her boys with an iron fist. I think it depends so much on the personalities, the husbandry, the group size, the turnout size, etc!

Can completely understand the decision to want only one sex in the field ... Small mixed groups can be difficult.
 

ribbons

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I never understand this. My horses have always been in mixed herds and there's never been any trouble in the field. The current group consists of my three horses and my friend's four, five geldings and two mares in total. I would honestly challenge anyone to find a happier and more settled herd. But then again, they don't have anything to fight over: they have plenty of space to move around, plenty of horses to choose between for company, and plenty of forage all year round. I think that's the magic recipe, not dividing by gender.

Agreed
 
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