Sags_Deer
Well-Known Member
Does anyone have one, any tips etc about owning one for competing one, not for breeding purposes. Do you keep them in put them out in the field etc etc. Any advice help gratefully received. thank you.
Owning a Stallion
- Thread starter Sags_Deer
- Start date
timmy1977
Well-Known Member
to be honest if your not thinking of breeding from a stallion i probably wouldnt reccomend owning one, the costs involved and time you have to put into one. i enjoy looking after my stallion but i dont think i would bother if i didnt hope to breed from him.
having said that if you have your heart set on owning one there are no problems with turn out so long as you have decent fences, preferably electric. you just have to remember to always be on the ball with them the minute you start getting a little too comfortable round them and switching off they tend to give you a reality check.
having said that if you have your heart set on owning one there are no problems with turn out so long as you have decent fences, preferably electric. you just have to remember to always be on the ball with them the minute you start getting a little too comfortable round them and switching off they tend to give you a reality check.
dressager
Well-Known Member
I don't own one, but I know some stallion owners and they also agree they wouldn't bother owning one unless it was for breeding. I think Carl Hester was quoted saying something similar recently.
sachak
Well-Known Member
i also dont think its that fair to keep a stallion if not for breeding
lucretia
Well-Known Member
the trouble is and this applies to henry horns post yesterday as well, that its not your stallion that often causes problems but other people and/or their horses. i sort of think that if you are asking the question you probably dont have sufficient experience for the job.
Weezy
Well-Known Member
Unless you are breeding there is absolutely no reason to leave a horse entire IMHO, especially in this country where stallions are not the norm and are completely excluded from anything but affiliated comps.
I have had and have handled plenty of stallions as in Spain it is the norm NOT to geld, but Spanish stallions are handled correctly from the outset and they are known for their kind temp, they never seem to have raging testosterone! When I brought my Stally over here the first thing I did was geld him as I never had any intention of breeding from him - and thus he can go to RC and local shows too!
I have had and have handled plenty of stallions as in Spain it is the norm NOT to geld, but Spanish stallions are handled correctly from the outset and they are known for their kind temp, they never seem to have raging testosterone! When I brought my Stally over here the first thing I did was geld him as I never had any intention of breeding from him - and thus he can go to RC and local shows too!
Darkhorse
Well-Known Member
If you are not planning on breeding from a stallion then it really would be best to have him gelded.
Ideally ALL stallions need a couple of mares a year to keep them happy.
My friend has a stallion and it is a lonely life for them.. Apart from when he is out with his mares.
You have to have very good fencing and somewhere safe to keep him where he wont lead a life torment... ie - not turned out near mares if he doesn't get to cover them !
There are also restrictions with some competition re stallion entries. So you really do need to think what you want from your boy.
Ideally ALL stallions need a couple of mares a year to keep them happy.
My friend has a stallion and it is a lonely life for them.. Apart from when he is out with his mares.
You have to have very good fencing and somewhere safe to keep him where he wont lead a life torment... ie - not turned out near mares if he doesn't get to cover them !
There are also restrictions with some competition re stallion entries. So you really do need to think what you want from your boy.
RachelB
Well-Known Member
We have a gorgeous Luso stallion at work. We cope with him because we are experienced horse people (we keep the children who help out well away from him at all times) but he can still catch us out at times. I think it's a shame for him that he has to be kept entire and seperate from all the others as he is a very sociable horse - I remember when he went off to a clinic a while back with one of my boss's geldings and they were stabled overnight at the place, next to eachother and with bars in between the boxes so they could talk. I have never seen that stallion quite so chilled and happy as he was after he had been allowed to chat to the gelding all night. I can understand entirely why he is kept seperate but I wouldn't like to keep a non-breeding stallion myself.
timmy1977
Well-Known Member
touching on what silmarillon has said i think it is totally unnecesary to keep stallions out of the way. stallions are very sociable and like to be able to see whats going on around the yard. too many people get a stallion and think right well put it round the dark dingey side of the yard where there are no horses and out of the way of people, this actually makes them agressive and gives them the bad name they somtimes get, because theres nothing for them to focus they're attention on and they get bored. as long as they are in a secure stable and everyone knows what they are dealing with they should be amongst the rest of the yard, this way you find you have a much more chilled friendly stallion.
Thistle
Well-Known Member
I went to a recent Trak stud open day, the horses were in an american barn with V doors and all could put their heads out. It took me a while to realise theer were stallions in there as they were all so chilled out, there were mares and geldings in the barn too.
Weezy
Well-Known Member
Stallions SHOULD be chilled and happy animals, it took me a long time to get my head around why they are soooo different over here, then I realised that they are just not socialised enough and are almost feared
ecrozier
Well-Known Member
There is a lady in our RC with a stallion, he is a luso as well. She competes him at local/RC level eventing/sj as well as affiliated dressage and some affiliated eventing. She has never been excluded from a competition as far as I know? She does have stallion disks on his bridle all the time but he is impeccably well behaved, lives on a normal yard with other horses etc, comes to RC camps, you'd never guess he was a stallion unless you know!
SAMgirl
Well-Known Member
We have competition stallions, mares and geldings all stabled together on a small yard without any problems - but we have the luxury of our own yard. All the horses go out (not all in the same field
), but the stallions are used to being out with other horses around them.
I think one of the most important things to take into account is your potential stallions nature, as the horse you want is ultimately for competition some lads are not cut out to do both! Like a lot of men, some boys find it hard to think of anything other than the obvious.
We have had a few 3yos (remember these are competition horses) that we have decided to geld because of stallion tendencies interfering with training - a 3yo has enough to try and take in - why make his life extra difficult? Similarly some 3yos are just babies, regardless of gender - providing they are well bred, these are the lads that will stay entire as someone can always geld them if they so wish later on.
IMO I would rather give someone the choice if possible - if it's making no difference to their training and handling.
I think one of the most important things to take into account is your potential stallions nature, as the horse you want is ultimately for competition some lads are not cut out to do both! Like a lot of men, some boys find it hard to think of anything other than the obvious.
We have had a few 3yos (remember these are competition horses) that we have decided to geld because of stallion tendencies interfering with training - a 3yo has enough to try and take in - why make his life extra difficult? Similarly some 3yos are just babies, regardless of gender - providing they are well bred, these are the lads that will stay entire as someone can always geld them if they so wish later on.
IMO I would rather give someone the choice if possible - if it's making no difference to their training and handling.
Weezy
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
There is a lady in our RC with a stallion, he is a luso as well. She competes him at local/RC level eventing/sj as well as affiliated dressage and some affiliated eventing. She has never been excluded from a competition as far as I know? She does have stallion disks on his bridle all the time but he is impeccably well behaved, lives on a normal yard with other horses etc, comes to RC camps, you'd never guess he was a stallion unless you know!
[/ QUOTE ]
That is interesting as I was told in no uncertain terms that I would NOT be welcome at RC with a stally!
There is a lady in our RC with a stallion, he is a luso as well. She competes him at local/RC level eventing/sj as well as affiliated dressage and some affiliated eventing. She has never been excluded from a competition as far as I know? She does have stallion disks on his bridle all the time but he is impeccably well behaved, lives on a normal yard with other horses etc, comes to RC camps, you'd never guess he was a stallion unless you know!
[/ QUOTE ]
That is interesting as I was told in no uncertain terms that I would NOT be welcome at RC with a stally!
ecrozier
Well-Known Member
Strange. She's in all our teams and I see her at most shows I go to doing SJ. She also def does unaffiliated ODEs too - and when there are any elem/med tests available does our local RC dressage too. Maybe depends on the RC? Or maybe she just doesn't mention it! ALthough most people round here know them, a big shiny white luso with a foot long mane doesn't easily get missed!
Weezy
Well-Known Member
I was probably given mis information, wouldn't be the first time and bound not to be the last!
kit279
Well-Known Member
There's a Lusitano stallion that draghunts with the same pack as me - you'd never know he was a stallion. The guy who rides him told me he also does dressage and SJ but has never covered a mare and is treated just the same as all the other horses at his yard, turned out with the geldings. He's a very relaxed little chap and no trouble whatsoever out hunting. I think he's the exception though.
teapot
Well-Known Member
One of the easiest horses I've ever had to do was a stallion. He was out all day, only in at night, turned out with company about half the time but could speak to everything else around him, the mares field had to be reached by going past his. Total dope on a rope in the yard but obviously you were careful as you always are.
The reason why? He was treated like a normal horse, doing normal horsey things, was even a hack escort for clients etc. Saying that, he was spanish bred too
but was only 4 when he came over so who knows. Treat them like normal horses (as much as you can under the circumstances) and they tend to be pretty chilled. It's the whole "keep them in a stable for 23hrs a day" that I can't understand
The reason why? He was treated like a normal horse, doing normal horsey things, was even a hack escort for clients etc. Saying that, he was spanish bred too
henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Unless you intend to use him for breeding I really wouldn't bother.
ours lives within a stable block with geldings on either side, and mares further along. He goes out at night and even then he fence runs his weight off for hours at a time. We stuff expensive feed in to compensate.
A lot depends on the stallion, this one is much less agressive than our last one, but he still can be a bugger to handle just taking him in and out to the field. he knows comps are different and is very chilled, partly because he has none of his own mares to worry about and also because he knows going out in the box doesn't mean sex.
You have to have secure fencing or one who respects tape, and it is possible to keep mares next to them, but if you intend to keep him celibate that could wind him up even more.
Our last one would attackgeldings if he ever escaped (and he did, jumping over a 6 feet high banked ditched fence, then a five barred gate then a post and rail with tape on top into the field where he did loads of damage to a gelding. they use their teeth like can openers and rip the other horse open from shoulder to tail in seconds.
So my advice is please don't. I agree with the person who said if you need to ask you shouldn't get one...sorry.
ours lives within a stable block with geldings on either side, and mares further along. He goes out at night and even then he fence runs his weight off for hours at a time. We stuff expensive feed in to compensate.
A lot depends on the stallion, this one is much less agressive than our last one, but he still can be a bugger to handle just taking him in and out to the field. he knows comps are different and is very chilled, partly because he has none of his own mares to worry about and also because he knows going out in the box doesn't mean sex.
You have to have secure fencing or one who respects tape, and it is possible to keep mares next to them, but if you intend to keep him celibate that could wind him up even more.
Our last one would attackgeldings if he ever escaped (and he did, jumping over a 6 feet high banked ditched fence, then a five barred gate then a post and rail with tape on top into the field where he did loads of damage to a gelding. they use their teeth like can openers and rip the other horse open from shoulder to tail in seconds.
So my advice is please don't. I agree with the person who said if you need to ask you shouldn't get one...sorry.
jhoward
Demon exorcist...
its intresting that the quietest stallions seem to be the spanish ones,
ive recentley bought a pre stallion, he is such a gem, hes living out, but has horses near him, he has a post and rail and leccy fence hes side, and theres another fence to stop the other horses getting to close. he proberley would be fine without the tapes, but im not willing to chance it, hes perfectley fine to stable directley next to the other gelding, he has the odd prancy stallion moment but a firm NO and he stops,
when i first got him he didnt lead very well, but by teaching him to keep he shoulder by me, he will prance and shout but thats it.
HOWEVER, i shall be having him cut, i have no desire to breed, and i have no desire to promote bad breeding (have 2 people near me with arabs that would love to use him), and also i feel so sorry for him watching the other horses and being stuck up in the end field as he loves attention.
so i think having a stallion for the sake of it is a bit daft.
ive recentley bought a pre stallion, he is such a gem, hes living out, but has horses near him, he has a post and rail and leccy fence hes side, and theres another fence to stop the other horses getting to close. he proberley would be fine without the tapes, but im not willing to chance it, hes perfectley fine to stable directley next to the other gelding, he has the odd prancy stallion moment but a firm NO and he stops,
when i first got him he didnt lead very well, but by teaching him to keep he shoulder by me, he will prance and shout but thats it.
HOWEVER, i shall be having him cut, i have no desire to breed, and i have no desire to promote bad breeding (have 2 people near me with arabs that would love to use him), and also i feel so sorry for him watching the other horses and being stuck up in the end field as he loves attention.
so i think having a stallion for the sake of it is a bit daft.
wonkey_donkey
Well-Known Member
Unless they have a real purpose and you have stallion friendly facilities they can often end up leading a bit of a miserable life in isolation which I think is very sad to see.
Stick with a gelding and leave the stallion owning to the pro's.
Stick with a gelding and leave the stallion owning to the pro's.