Stallions

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SarahRicoh

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Just wondering if anyone owns a stallion that they ride or drive? Met one recently who was so quite entire that it made me think about it :)
How does having a stallion affect you? Im assuming people that own one are on private yards or in a field on its own?

Im talking general riding horses/driving, not high level competition horses.
Wondering if theres anyone who's kept a colt entire? Obviously most would geld but just interested to see otherwise!
 
I've owned stallions in the past. I still have the odd stallion come and live here on my farm but I'm past standing my own. Stallions are just horses and there are plenty nicely behaved and well mannered ones who know there's a time and a place for breeding. Finding livery for stallions could be tricky for many and a lot of livery yards won't accept them as they aren't set up to accommodate them.
 
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If it's just a 'general riding horse chances are it shouldn't be a stallion :rolleyes:

I have a 6 year old TB stallion, who is very quiet and can turn out, hack and go into the show ring with other horses without issue. But he's a stallion because he is an impeccable example of a hunt TB...
 
I have had stallions in the past, and currently have one at livery with me. He is turned out with three geldings and has never caused any problems. I have a separate stallion yard of four boxes that backs onto the main yard. This is surrounded by a high wall topped with a steel railing, and has high metal gates. This means that stallion owners can happily have their boys tied up on the yard to tack up etc. Without having to worry about any women getting loose. Currently the one stallion in there plus his three field mates to keep him company.

As the above poster said, they're just horses. If you know what you're doing, you're fine with them.
 
Echo that really.

Our entire yard pretty much is entire. It's a rarity to have something with no *******s on it. Treat and keep them correct, no different to any other horse.

My lad always had the plan to stay entire. Keeping him entire doesn't cause a problem to me, him nor anyone else, and do plan on some breeding in the future. I don't have any 'plans' for him at the moment as such, but do for the future. For the minute he is just a baby...though is being backed this year as he'll be 3. Very exciting. He'll also be my ride and drive one.

But, equally, I'd always advise anyone to geld if they were unsure and had no interest in breeding/showing.
 
When I used to show I had two native pony stallions that were ride and drive. One was the nicest pony you could want to meet really affectionate and never the slightest trouble even in mixed company. He did well in WHP classes but went half to sleep when you showed him in hand. He was a great driving pony too and went on to do weddings.
The other was a bit of Jekyll and Hyde. In the winter he was a quiet bombproof pony that anyone could ride but come spring he was 100% stallion and could be hard work at times. However this gave him a lot of presence and he showed himself off really well in the ring and won a lot of prizes.
 
I agree with what has been said - they are just horses but do need experienced handling.

I had one TB that came with a reputation for being 'difficult'
He had been isolated and rarely ever ridden. I put him into work, he hunted all season, did some indoor show jumping and I could ride him and lead another from him on exercise.
At the same time I was given a Welsh A stallion that was going to be PTS because he was dangerous. He was purely a driving pony until I stuck a good girl up on him. He too hunted and was fine. Daily I would drive him 3 miles to where I had some mares and youngsters, I could drive him in the field and unload hay and feed and he would just stand until I told him to move.

Both had plenty of work, strict boundaries until they proved trustworthy and then they learned that life could be a lot of fun.
 
We have a dutch wb stallion on our yard and he's good as gold.

Of course he can have his days where he's a bit of a wally but then they can all be like that!
 
OH has one. Two others owned by family too.
Two breeding and one was going to be but have decided against so will late geld. None ridden/driven.
Honestly we have never handled differently. The biggest problem is the bloody mares around them! We treat them as normal horses (bar the obvious fencing and company) and they are easy. My mares sire was one of the gentlest horses I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, could do anything with him regardless of in season mares throwing themselves at him. He had quirks but far less than our mares.
All are/were out 24/7 and either have a companion or are next door so not isolated.

I'd always geld if thinking of selling though.
 
OH had one on his yard, a racehorse built like a tank. Had all the look of a stallion but the temperament of an angel. Would travel three hours to race meetings in the lorry with two fillies and not bat an eyelid, same at the races. He would stand for me to plait him for hours, he'd go all sleepy and enjoy all the fuss.

When he was sold, having his bonkers still on saved him heading to the slaughterhouse. He broke down with his new owner and was unable to ever race again. Somehow he's ended up in Hong Kong serving mares that pull carts. I'm convinced he's in heaven because for six years of his life they left his balls on and never once let him get any action! Now he's at it all the time ;)
 
I have 2 stallions, a gelding and a mare at the moment. If you're experienced and equiped to handle stallions, then they are just horses. I have Spanish horses; in Spain the vast majority are entire, but people are used to handling stallions there and there isn't a problem. If I sell I usually geld as most people over here are not used to stallions and it is a problem finding livery, etc. I also worry what will happen to them if left entire out in the wider world. If you're not experienced with full horses I would advise to geld.
 
I have a Highland stallion who is taken out from his mares, spruced up, and taken to shows where everyone thinks he is a gelding! He is a ridden champion at county level. He can be led around by an 8yo and is ridden by kids.

After the show, he just goes back in with the mares. Sometimes he can show off to his mares, which is nice to watch, but he is never any trouble.

Years ago, when they used to "travel" Highland stallions (i.e. lead them around the small farms so they could serve mares), a stallion that could not be managed was a liability and would not be bred from, so most are good.
 
The only stallion I handled was when I went to do a working pupil job in Italy. He was some sort of elderly grey Arabian and was shut in a small stable 24/7 and couldn't even put his head over the door. Honestly you would have expected a dragon it was so dark and miserable in there. I felt so sorry for him and the owner let me put him out in the school for a run about, he was very very noisy and I guess quite bouncy to handle but had him on a long line and didn't think much of it really, it was great to see him showing off in the school but his condition was very poor :-( they convinced me this was just how stallions should be kept, thinking back it would have been far better for him to have been gelded but I suppose he was quite old so a bit late. They wanted me to start riding eventually and I said I didn't want to as he was so lively but really he was just too thin :-(

There were quite a few things going on there that British people would be shocked by though.
 
I don't own one but I take full care of a Friesan stallion at the farm where I work. He is an angel and you would never know he was a stallion. He is, however, an old type Friesan so the draft-ish side calms him down and he is also super highly trained.

I think that, like with all horses, it really depends on their specific temperament. But caution is of course the best, but I definitely think they deserve a life and not to be confined to a small dark stall like many stables do. The stallion I take care of is in his own field but he's next to a gelding in the barn and can see other horses every hour of the day. He is a very happy boy!
 
Cleveland Bay stallion in Wales, I think he is Runswick Liberator (?) hunts regularly. His owner has no transport and on occassions has to hack miles to the meet, he does a full day and hacks home again. He used to run with mares.

Another CB stallion currently at stud in the UK is driven in a team with mares.

Buffalo Bill used to drive 6 CB stallions to a stage coach in his wild west show.
 
I have 3 pony stallions and 2 colts running out 24/7 with 6 geldings. They are caught from the field, ridden and driven by myself and my children. No issues with mares out hacking, and one of them (12.2hh) was hunted by my daughter when she was just 8 yrs old. They're just ponies, and particularly settled, happy quiet ones at that.
 
As with anything, it isn't the animal, it's how it's kept. One neighbour (novice owners) bought a three year old Fresian stallion (imported from Holland, NOT breeding standard). They have sufficient land, but the dry stone walls between their land and our other neighbours land are no higher than three feet on their side. They got him a smaller gelding for company, all well until spring, when the stallion came hurtling over the second neighbours wall, all set on running her elderly gelding down. He damn near managed to bring the elderly TB down. We have a field of mares, at that time including my Old Appy (then into her 30's) If the Fresian had got in with her, he may well have killed her if he had tried to mount her. He did however, do what we had expected, challenged the opposition first, causing damage to the elderly gelding. His owners were useless when it came to getting him away from the neighbours horse and it took the neighbours and I to get them into two fields and the gate shut between them. The animal himself was not the problem, idiots who have no idea, were. He has since been gelded, but the male neighbour was very loath to do this, as "he looked so good, when he was chasing the geldings" :eek:
 
Used to ride & compete (endurance) arab stallion. Best horse I ever rode in terms of schooling & manners (not surprising as he won HOYS ridden arab).

Used to find other peoples sloppyness biggest issue. One day hacking out lady walking towards us with pony (on lead rein but rope hung over neck & her having no hold of it) with tot on board (this is on a road). Pony came over to chat, lady didn't care. He came right under big (15.3hh) lads nose, so I told her to come retrieve pony, she didn't care, then I pointed out I was riding a stallion when she screamed & ran over. Thank god for big lads manners.

Another time I was competing & we were sent down a bridleway running through a livery yard. Horses both sides & track narrow enough they could lean over & touch him. Could feel him grow, so I had to sit & kick on until we got out of range at end of field so he didn't stop, just to be safe. He was very gentle stallion, living with his gelded son. Think it was a poor choice of course for any horse to be sent down.

On a 2 way section of same course, had 2 riders coming towards us more intent on chatting. Not space for 3 to pass without bumping into sides. Asked them to go one behind another, again looked at me as though they were sucking a sour sweet. Then pointed out was on a stallion much bigger than their mares. Suddenly they went single file & passed without a problem.

On the flip side been waiting at the start when person riding in season mare approached start as well. boy started to whicker, asked lady if her girl was in season, to be told yes. Asked her to wait behind & not to close to us, which she duly did & he immediately switched into work mode again.

He had incredible manners, but for safety sake you have to watch out for the actions of other riders. Lived with only single fence between him & girls.
 
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