riggish behaviour

[luckyoldme]

I posted last year about my anti social horse. For the first few months of ownership he was a nightmare.. he settled nicely but had a problem with biting other horses. This resulted in him standing on his own for over a year. He wasn t really happy in this situation and then a neighbour with some clydesdales came to our rescue. Knowing the horses history he agreed to have him in with the heavies on condition we would seperate or muzzle if problems occurred. The horse is now in a field with a gelding , two mares and a six month foal... with no problems whatsoever. The neighbour within a few months told me he thought my horse was a rig .. and he does exhibit riggish behaviour.
The other neighbours have now had to bring forward the kids birds and bee talk due to the horsey porn shows taking place in the field.
Seeing my horse so settled and in such a good mental state is a huge relief and i am forever in debt to the horses owner..who has proved to be a fountain of old school knowledge and also very tolerant of my eccentricities.
I am a born worrier though and worry that if things changed and i had to leave , how could i ever find the same again.
What do others so with riggish geldings? Could you graze with a mare and just let them fill their boots? After all whats natural s not sinfull!

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

I have a horse that is very riggy! He cant go with my mare as he doesnt leave her alone and she gets quite foreful with him! He goes out a couple of times a week with my section A who has just been gelded and they get on great!

I am not sure shows will be great to start with as he isnt overly controllable when working with mares coming past him!

 

[metalmare]

Most people I have known with rigs have kept them in gelding only herds.

But then they're all individuals, so you might find a different solution works best.

 

[luckyoldme]

i can t believe i am actually thinking about getting a tart for my horse.

 

[luckyoldme]

Most people I have known with rigs have kept them in gelding only herds.

But then they're all individuals, so you might find a different solution works best.

I guess i should be happy that we have stumbled upon a sloution that works for him...he was pretty bad with other geldings but improved when he originally went in with the group.. at that time there were four clydsdale geldings and i think they taught him social skills. I would nt chance him with a one on one with another gelding though.

 

[metalmare]

LOL, sounds like he needs the heavies to sort him out.

 

[Star_Chaser]

he'll end up injuring a mare if you just continue to let him have his wicked way... wouldn't want the bill for that one.

 

[TrasaM]

Same problem here. Six year old cob started getting possessive of the mare and started to attack the other geldings. YO left him with the mare and put the other three G's in another section. All went well although he does plague her a but she's big enough to sort him out if she chose to. Then a few weeks back they were all moved in together to a new field and all seemed to be going well. Unfortunately it only lasted until he stuffed his belly priorities sorted eh..lol, and he then laid in to the other geldings. He was put out on his own and the following morning he'd broken down the E fence but luckily not crossed it. We've had to put him back with his lady friend and keep him away from the other geldings.

 

[luckyoldme]

he'll end up injuring a mare if you just continue to let him have his wicked way... wouldn't want the bill for that one.

The mares owner and myself are both aware of the status quo in the field. As for footing the bill don t worry about that any more ... you won t have to.

 

[luckyoldme]

Same problem here. Six year old cob started getting possessive of the mare and started to attack the other geldings. YO left him with the mare and put the other three G's in another section. All went well although he does plague her a but she's big enough to sort him out if she chose to. Then a few weeks back they were all moved in together to a new field and all seemed to be going well. Unfortunately it only lasted until he stuffed his belly priorities sorted eh..lol, and he then laid in to the other geldings. He was put out on his own and the following morning he'd broken down the E fence but luckily not crossed it. We've had to put him back with his lady friend and keep him away from the other geldings.

my horses lady friend is a percheron... she s a bit of a loner in the field.. she has allways stood back from the rest , but she really does seem to have bonded with her boyfriend!

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

Have to say over the years I always here the same thing. My gelding is probably a rig because he behaves this way. Having watched the process of testing on a couple, they were not rigs. They were in fact geldings. People think a gelding is a gelding is a gelding. To be honest they are the biggest pains to actually keep happy in company. I find them a giant pain compared to mares. I get I'm in the minority. I treat them like my mares. Separate herds. No mingling. People just think, oh their geldings they can go out with anyone. I've found that wrong more times than right.

OP, you have some nice people who own those mares. I'd go ballistic if a gelding was mounting my mares. Mind you I have one that would sort that out rather quickly but your gelding would be the loser. Also with blanket weather upon us horses can get hung up and even more risk of injury. I'm not saying this to be a horrible cow but his behavoir will most likely get worse in mixed company. We have one here owned by someone else. For 1 1/2 years now he's been great. That's because he got out of the mixed company situation and I keep my mares nowhere near his little posse. It really did drive him absolutely bonkers. Wouldn't settle inside, drove himself mental outside. The tests were negative. He just needed in with geldings and ones that didn't take crap. My gelding Frank put manners on him for a bit. But it was also very distressing for his owner. The YO was going to ask her to leave. But we all pitched in to try and make the best situation possible for him and it worked. Not the same horse at all.

Terri

 

[tinkam]

I am sorry, but I have a very strong opinion on riggish behaviour as my 12year old mare (at the time of her injury 18months old) was injured by a riggish gelding who's owner bought him and brought him to our yard knowing that he should never be turned out with others due to his harassing behavior, but did not inform the other liveries or YO and turned out freely in our mixed turn out.
Sadly by the time we realized what has been happening, it was too late for my girl. She ended up crippled for life and I have been totally heartbroken about this since.

I have also successfully sued the owner for the loss of use.

 

[Ginger Bear]

We have one on our yard that was never riggish until he got stabled next to a mare that had been a broody.. she sent him over the edge to the point where he began to run other field mates into fences with ears flat back biting onto their back. Thi usually happened if he could hear the mare call from wherever she was. He did this on three seperate occassions to my horse, another time to a youngster & another time to an oldie. He now has to stay on his own...

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

Tinkam, you're right too. I would do the very same. It's not cute. Very sorry about your mare.

Terri

 

[luckyoldme]

While its interseting to hear about your opinions and what happened to your horses, I don t really need to be to be told how to care for my horse .As I have said there are absolutely no signs of agression and they are a settled happy bunch.
I was more interested to hear from other owners as to how they dealt with their riggish type geldings......but thanks for your opinions anyways .

 

[TrasaM]

my horses lady friend is a percheron... she s a bit of a loner in the field.. she has allways stood back from the rest , but she really does seem to have bonded with her boyfriend!

BB's just short of 15 hh and the lady friend is a17hh WB. Doesnt seem to worry him though. It's caused a few problems for the owner as injury to either one is a concern especially as without him in tne mix they all cohabit quite happily. He was ok until she started coming into season then he started to get "notions".

Does anyone know if this will stop or are we forever stuck with his little fixation. Lady's owner is hoping to breed from the nare next spring and I can't imagine she will tolerate his possessiveness then??

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

I would never turn by riggy horse out with my mare! Its not safe, cute or funny and one would end up hurt. He is managed as a stallion most of the time to be safe. He also mounts things like hay bales if you lead him to them. He has been trained to cover and I need to be sensible. I will also need to be careful when travelling and out jumping

 

[Jools1234]

its irresponsible at best due to damage to both mare and rig.

the rig where i keep mine is out with a gelding and has injections to control his hormones when they are raging due to the frustrtion it causes him, he was out with mares and when he started mounting was seperated-how would you feel if he damaged the msre beyond repair? this is more likely to happen with a rig than a stallion due to the fact they do not get the same sense of relief after the act

 

[luckyoldme]

Im quite happy with the field arrangement and the owner of the mare is. .. If my gelding damaged the mare i would feel exactly the same as if he damaged a gelding.. or if he was damaged by another horse. I would be gutted but these things happen.
Its just different ways of managing your horse... there will be many people on here who couldn t bear the thought of their horse stood out in the cold weather... I could nt bare the thought of mine stood locked up in a stable .
There are a lot of people on here who would spend a fortune having operations on horses of his age.. but i would nt...does nt mean either side is wrong.

 

[Jools1234]

Im quite happy with the field arrangement and the owner of the mare is. .. If my gelding damaged the mare i would feel exactly the same as if he damaged a gelding.. or if he was damaged by another horse. I would be gutted but these things happen.
Its just different ways of managing your horse... there will be many people on here who couldn t bear the thought of their horse stood out in the cold weather... I could nt bare the thought of mine stood locked up in a stable .
There are a lot of people on here who would spend a fortune having operations on horses of his age.. but i would nt...does nt mean either side is wrong.

everyone is entitled to their opinion but you asked and people are telling-there is a difference to putting a rig that mounts out with a mare as any risk is increased.
insurance would be invalid for both mare and gelding if damage was caused through mounting as its something that was known to be happening (like horses kicking each other) and noone took the precaution of seperating them

 

[Twinkley Lights]

Im quite happy with the field arrangement and the owner of the mare is. .. If my gelding damaged the mare i would feel exactly the same as if he damaged a gelding.. or if he was damaged by another horse. I would be gutted but these things happen.
.

They do but to be fair he probably wouldn't be bonking another gelding. Personally I think it's too great a risk. My prev YO lost her darling stallion in a natural mating accident and as others have said the risks are higher with rigs.

It is your risk and your choice as you say and i hope it works out ok. Must admit can't think for the life of me why the mares owner allows this

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Hang on...if he is a true rig he could get your friends mare pregnant

 

[PandorasJar]

Had two that were gelding only herds and fine.

One that would kill a gelding (has taken off gates and out fences to try this) and was mare only herds and no geldings in next field either.

No mounting or bad agression unless in mixed herds.

 

[PandorasJar]

Im quite happy with the field arrangement and the owner of the mare is. .. If my gelding damaged the mare i would feel exactly the same as if he damaged a gelding.. or if he was damaged by another horse. I would be gutted but these things happen.

I'm sorry but if you have had plenty of warning then these things don't just happen. There are accidents and then there are things which could have been prevented well in advance.

 

[showaddy1]

I owned a riggy gelding - he was running with a herd, and the only 2 mares in the herd were mine. Put him on Rigcalm, as sick of explaining to my young kids what he was doing... worked for a few weeks, then he seemed to get used to it.
I ended up outing him, giving him to a gelding only owner. My vet advised as he was a risk to the girls. Now he has gone, I realise what a pain he was... the mares were constantly in season, he would herd them off when I was trying to bring them in and everyone on the yard was complaining.

 

[Jools1234]

a little haflinger i used to look after was sent to stud (22yrs ago) and was supposed to be covered in hand, but she was turned out in a herd of mares with the stallion to cover naturally-she never came back as the damage he did to her was so severve she had to be PTS. she was the adult owners first pony, she was a very wealthy woman and would have spent anything on this mare but nothing could be done.

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

My post told you what happened with the rig type gelding. How much happier he is and his owner too. Not telling you how to keep your horses, but you wanted stories. Did you expect cute little fun stories and how it's ok? Thing about mares is that at certain times they can just tell your gelding where to go rather aggressively and rightly so.

The thing is it's ok til it isn't. And with horses when it isn't it usually involves huge vet bills. Yup there's inherent risk involved with horses daily. But keeping them in a situation in which that risk is increased isn't responsible. Has your gelding been with these mares in the spring when they start back cycling? The 6 month old will likely be cycling next spring which may add an element of aggression. FWIW, the gelding I refered to in my original post was never aggressive. He was out with YO's 2 mares. Just jumped them everyday. They were compliant. When my gelding went out with him after being removed from the mares, riggy type tried to mount him. That got him a serious reprimand and he never did it again. He then ran a fenceline for a couple of weeks until he started to relax. Again stressful for the owner but little by little he got better. He's so chilled now. And again we all pulled together to make sure this horse had an environment so he could get better. His owner used to be in tears watching him.

My horses don't stand in stables 24/7. I like to keep them out as much as possible. But with the swampy ground I'm not letting them stand in that 24/7. To each his own. I don't think they really mind as they are all waiting to come in at night. They also all stand behind a single wrapped chain. So if they were trapped and felt locked up I'm sure they could just let themselves out quite easy. The rest of the year it's 24/7 out.

Terri

 

[Jools1234]

Not telling you how to keep your horses, but you wanted stories. Did you expect cute little fun stories and how it's ok?

The thing is it's ok til it isn't. And with horses when it isn't it usually involves huge vet bills.

agree completely

 

[Janette]

My mare was harassed by a riggy gelding. He was 'filling his boots' as you termed it, but my mare was being bitten, kicked, ran along the fence line and generally bullied because she is blind on the left, and he took advantage of this.
He would mount her as I was taking her out of the field, this was extremely dangerous!

The owners put him on RigCalm, but I refused to put my girl back in with him. The other mare in the field was 17.2 and he was 13.2. She had marks around her hocks but he had Little Man Syndrome where this mare was concerned.

 

[luckyoldme]

thankyou for your stories and opinions. Im sorry irsh if you thought i was having a go at your for stabling your horses.... i actually have no idea of your stabling arrangements so it certainly wasn t aimed at you and it wasn t offensive anyways.
I feel as I stated originally very happy with the current arrangements, the mares owner has kept horses for at least 40 years and is also happy with the current arrangement.

Although i do appreciate your opinions this is all they are... opinions. My opinions are based on the horse i have known and kept for four years.. and are different to most of yours... that doesn t mean Im wrong... or for that matter that you lot are with the horses you have known and kept.
Of course i do monitor his behaviour and if i need to change his arrangements I will.... but for the time being there really is no need to.