Owning a PRE stallion

H

Hug

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Hi all,

To all owners of this lovely breed (or persons knowledgeable of the breed) can you please advise if this breed has any specific health issues that owners should be aware of, e.g. prone to laminitis etc? Any special feeding requirements? Any other issues? Many thanks.
 
ooh you lucky thing! i have a PRE but am in no way an expert, my friend has 5 , what seems to crop up is hock problems and pidgin toes, really can't say more than that but i would imagine there are a few as in all breeds
we totally love ours and my friends are so gentle, i visited a dealer once here in France and he had 10 stallions, amazing to see them all, many over here are left entire but i am not sure if it's a macho thing or because the breed is highly intelligent and docile.
sorry i can't help more.
 
Echo casey76.
http://miriamfrenk.net/some-advice-for-the-new-andalusian-horse-owner/
Here are some tips for starters from MF.
You will definitely need to adapt your pasture if you plan on doing turn out (and your horse is ok with turnout). I use the most rubbish, rocky dry bit of field I could find, and I over sow with this mix
https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/product/natural-pony-paddock
My boys are PRExPSL. I plan turnout times very carefully around sugar levels, esp frost at this time of year (bit of a nightmare).

Mine do like to supplement their feed with their bed. I feed mine off the floor and add chopped straw into the mix.

They are hugely prone to post operative laminitis. If you are considering having him cut then get this done in spain to reduce the increase of risk from feeding changes. I would try to spend a bit of time out there to get a feel for the rhythm of his day so you can adapt it with sensitivity. Also it is quite normal for a mature stallion to pine for his previous handler and this could ease the transition a bit.
 
Thanks all! Also, when it comes to hay, I read they do not really need the best quality hay? Which ingredient is more suitable for them? Oats? and I also read low starch high oil feeds are not appropriate right? Sugar beet not suitable either?
 
Ehhhh well... it's not the quality of the hay per se compared to the profile of the grass it's made of.
Timothy is much better than ryegrass. Broodmares get fed lucerne. Some places in spain will feed oats on straw/ green straw as a "hay".

TBH even though you are doing some research it doesn't sound as if an imported stallion from spain is going to be an ideal match at this point in time. You might be better off considering a uk bred horse; as you're not experienced with the breed nor intending to implement a particular blood line in a breeding program this might be a better match for you and the horse.

PRE are a glorious horse. However they are not for everyone and do take sensitive and attuned handling which is almost specific to them. The style of riding and handling they are used to in Spain is also very different and they can become easily distressed and upset if they don't understand what you are asking of them.

Sorry if this is way off the mark. If you could wait until march-ish next year you'd be welcome to come and hang out with mine (moving farms at mo... nightmare) to get some idea of what works day to day/ look at their routines. I am sure many UK studs would be amenable to a visit to get a feel for the breed too.

HTH.
 
I've got a part bred Luso, but I remember being told once that Iberians can be prone to being intolerant to barley. I have no idea if that's true (and I don't see why it would be the case). Don't see that they need much different feed-wise but probably feed them as if they are a native as I think some are generally good doers and can put on the pounds pretty easily. Mine came from Portugal and now he's retired he literally lives on air! If a stallion, probably best to feed something non heating. I'd go for fibre, something like Allen & Page Fast Fibre and an all round vit & min supplement. If it's coming from Spain then you'll obviously be sensible and consider what its come from, so don't chuck it out onto a lush field of UK grass straight away ;)
 
There are several things that you should be aware of if importing from Spain. Many, many Spanish horses develop sweetitch, it often takes around 3 years for this to become evident and there is no way of knowing before they are imported. Lush grass is obviously a danger to animals which will have been reared on dry lots or very sparse grazing, but most UK hay is also very high in sugars (sugar is the Spanish horse's worst enemy). I feed mine very stemmy timothy and clean straw in strictly measured quantities. A lot of Spanish horses will not have had a lot of turnout and may need time to adjust to a freer routine. And do not let your farrier "normalise" the feet: PRE's naturally have rather upright, "mule" feet. The horse will most likely have been ridden in a very different way than you are used to and may not be used to a snaffle bit. Good luck; there is no finer horse - IF you are able for him!
 
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