stallion out with another stallion....

[TandD]

i dont want to give out to many details, but just want peoples opinions on this event....im not saying its right/wrong...purley interested....
i have heard from a friend today that on her yard a horse stallion has been turned out with a shetland stallion. apparently they are both settled together, but the shetland stallion is quite interested in all the mares on the yard, however he is to small to do anything!

there are so many opinions on keeping stallions - by themselves, in yard enviroment, with geldings...... but i have never heard of putting them with another stallion - i would have thought they would try to rip each other to shreads!!!

i am all for turning out stallions with a gelding and have seen this grouping work very well.... a well socialied and alrounded horse who seems to cope with mares much better!!!! if i ever own/breed a stallion i will always try and introduce it to a quite gelding for companionship.

but i would never turn a stallion out with another..... that could be so dangerous! however am i just being over careful? and is it a good match? or just very silly and going to end in tears????

what do you think???

 

[*hic*]

We bought a mare who was seemingly happily turned out with two stallions, a Section D and a donkey. We did have a BOGOF and were quite worried about which one would be the father but every time we went to see them or went past the field they all seemed perfectly quiet and happy.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Have done it myself a number of times in the past, usually outside covering season tho (but not always).

At one point over a winter I had a 'batchelor' group with 2 adult entires, a 3yr old entire & 2 geldings, all got along very well.

 

[FfionWinnie]

If they a getting on what's the problem? I keep bulls together, tups together. We had a stallion years ago who was fine with mares, geldings and stallions/colts!

 

[cbmcts]

It's not unusual for studs to have bachelor herds - normally a group of youngish colts with an older gelding to keep order. I also know a few people who turn two or more stallions out together. The ones that seem most successful or where the boys have grown up together and are kept away from mares!. I have seen problems in 2 cases - once where one stallion had been sent away for backing, they fought quite badly when he came back after a few months and another which was on a livery yard which IMO was really careless about letting mares far too close. That pair didn't really fight but got really uptight because of mares in the next paddock squirting at them...but I think they would have had the same problems with a single stallion IYSWIM.

 

[mulledwhine]

I am no expert, but I am guessing the problems would come if there were mares in the mix.

If they are together in their little mans club, with no distractions, I see no reason why they could not happily live together.

Happy to be put right though

 

[Zero00000]

I kept my cob stallion with a shetland stallion, they got on fine

 

[Archiepoo]

horses in the wild would live in bachelor herds of colts and stallions -i had 3 stallions and 6 geldings live together and you wouldnt know which were entire, and non of the stallions were boss ,its only peoples attitudes that make it difficult with stallions, most could live with company if introduced correctly ,its a sad life for a stallion that doesnt get any company or turnout

 

[justabob]

I had 2 stallions turned out together, the one I bred and his son. They were in their teens and big. No problem at all, yes they did a lot of posturing and pooing, but they were just 2 lads together. They had plenty of room and were as happy as larry. Stallions are not some scary beasts that will fight to the death!

 

[MrsElle]

I've kept two stallions and a gelding together. Never had any problems.

 

[jodie3]

Several of our Section A stallions winter out together, last year we had three out after being with mares all summer and they were joined by a Section C yearling. The older ones teach the younger ones some manners and herd hierarchy. It is a much more natural way of living for them.

We have had two out all summer together as we are no longer breeding and they are quite happy. We have obviously kept the mares well away but they see plenty of horses ridden past on the lane and they don't turn into fire breathing monsters when the see other horses!

 

[fburton]

Not guaranteed to work - some individual stallions don't adapt to living with other males - but often it can.

 

[putasocinit]

However tiny shetland wouldnt stand a chance if things went wrong and that is what i fear, all it takes is for a mare to catch one of their attention.

 

[flyingfeet]

Depends on their personality

I don't put my stallion with my geldings, as I am pretty sure my geldings would eat him for breakfast and I can live without the drama right now!

 

[purplerain]

I know several studs that keep their stallions together when they're not running with their mares. It seems a much healthier and happier life for the boys than being kept separately. They tend to have a "cooling off" period on their own for a couple of weeks at the end of the covering season, between living with their mares and returning to the stallion field. I visited one stud a couple of years back and particularly enjoyed going into the stallion field to meet the boys - 15-20 mature stallions, ranging from about 11 to 15 hh, all interacting with each other and with us quite happily.

 

[BeckyCandy]

My two boys were together from birth kept them entire and toger until they were nearly 4! Still together now they are the best of friends and I never had a problem a kit of people keep Shetland stallions together. In the wild the mates are in charge so generally stallions are okay together x

 

[fatpiggy]

Ha ha - don't ever think that the little one is too smally to do any harm where the ladies are concerned! I was one talking to a local breeder of shires. During one summer several of his mares had spontaneous abortions and obviously he was very worried. It turned out that his shetland stallion that he to had thought was too small to do the business, was in fact serving the shire mares - they were lying down for him! Where there is a willy there is a way

 

[vieshot]

The forest run stallions in the New Forest! When they aren't out roaming the forest, they are often turned out together in a field, they love it!

I've turned out a stallion with a rig and a young colt too with no issues. So long as there are no mares to argue over then they should be fine.

 

[_HP_]

My friend has 2 stallions , 3 colts and a gelding together. All very fit and happy.

 

[honetpot]

If you look on the New Forest Pony website there are stallions pictured in their winter turnout. They have spent the summer out with their mares and then spend the winter together. If stallions are well socialised and allowed to socialise naturally they are no more vicious than the average mare, in fact mares tend to be more territorial and handy with the back legs.
I would think a Shetland would be ideal as its not big enough to be seen as competition and small enough to get out of trouble. Have you ever tried to catch a shetland, even in a small space they can shift. My money would be on the Shetland, small pony with a huge personality.

 

[Alexart]

I've kept breeding stallions, colts and geldings of all ages in a bachelor herd with no issues, as others have said if there is nothing to compete for i.e. no mares in with them or in the next field, and they are all well socialised horses then there should be no problem at all as they'll play and hoon around the same as any other horses! I wouldn't put my stallion, well actually he's just had his noodles off at 14 but has always been a breeding stallion, out with another stallion on this property as he'd defend his patch and his girls, but he has been away before and stabled next to stallions and all he wanted to do was play! But he would kill another stallion if it was here and was never that keen on geldings either, so he has always been out with mares with no problems - in fact he was always hen pecked by the grumpy old cows!! And he had been kept on his own from yearling to 5yrs old when we bought him and had no manners at all, so we chucked him out with the mares and let them give him a crash course in manners, it worked and he has always been the gentleman, so really depends on the horses in question, but they are far better kept with company. I think it is totally cruel to keep any horse on its own regardless of being entire, and if it can't be for aggression issues then it needs it's nuts off.

 

[muckypony]

I have two colts and intend on keeping them entire and together. Fron what I've heard, a lot of studs put stallions together over winter, as long as no mares are in the mix they are fine.

As long as they get on I can't see the problem.

 

[TandD]

im quite suprised just how many of you have kept stallions with others!!! the yards i have been on/been to have nearly always kept stallions appart from the rest.... and wouldnt even consider turning them out in a group!!!

i dont see a problem with both turned out together if settled... i was more wondering if it is really common practice and if anyone has had any major problems. but no-one seem to which is nice to hear!!!

the shire x shetland would be so funny!!!! quite a cool kids horse chunky with cheekiness and spirit, with a talent for excaping

 

[pennyturner]

I have 3 stallions and 2 colts out with 6 geldings (including a shetland). They're the most chilled herd I've ever come a cross. Caught and ridden by small children, and ride past mares out hacking with no more than pehaps a small 'nicker' or huff. I bet you'd have to go a long way to find a group of mares who're so well behaved!

Incidentally, it's the shetland who's the instigator of any play rearing - he loves to knock the big boys off balance.

 

[StormyMoments]

keeping two stallions together is fine its when you bring mares into the mix, and again that isnt always an issue if you have one stallion which is particularly submissive as the other stallion will see no threat. its when you put two very dominant stallions in together that you are likely to get problems. This is why stallion and gelding pairs work, the gelding isnt going to be as dominant as the stallion because they lack the testosterone, therefore there will be no need to fight over a mare as really the gelding isnt interested.


My stallion is kept alone and that is only because we are on a yard with 9 mares and my gelding. my gelding was already in an established pair with a mare and i saw no need to split them up when the stallion is still part of the group as his field is with all the others and he can touch noses over the fence. My gelding doesnt particularly like him and when they have been out together the gelding has tried to fight with the stallion even though the stallion backed down straight away. i think its finding the right pair rather then just dumping two horses in together and seeing how it goes!

 

[Armas]

I have a stallion Shetland called Hersus and my gelding Armas. They both are good friends play together and have never had an issue.
The Shetland is the boss and only gets shirty when there is food. He is a selfish little guy so I have to have two distinct piles of hay in the paddock.

 

[pennyturner]

There is definitely no rule that says the stallion will be boss of the gelding. One of the geldings in my herd takes the 'lead mare' role (which involves being a bossy arse occasionaly), whilst the highest ranking stallion only shows his status by tending to graze apart from the others to keep an eye on things, and greeting any new horse (yes, they can be thrown into the field safely) with squeals and showing off.

 

[DanceswithCows]

entire male animals don't *want* to die, so they will try to sort out differences any other way before that. The problem will arise if they are very evenly matched, so a similar age, size etc. so they have no choice but to battle it out. We regularly keep all our bulls and steers together no problems as long as there's a clear hierarchy - our two 'boss bulls' could not be kept together as they were too evenly matched and both thought the herd should belong to them!

 

[gadetra]

As other posters have said, stallions can live quite happily together, as long as an in season mare doesn't get between them!

It does come down to personality as well, and where/why (as in AlexArt's example). Cavalier Royale was killed in a fight when his neighbour (also a stallion) got into him...he was a big loss. It depends how they're reared as well of course, a stallion that has always been kept alone might interact, er, 'differently' (!) than one that has always had company.

Horses for courses :lol:
(I am delighted I got to say that!!)

 

[katastrophykat]

Gurnos stud in Wales turn their Stallions out together- the piccies of them playing together in the snow one year were really sweet!