Xmasha
Well-Known Member
What’s your set up ? How do you manage them ? What advice would you give a first time stallion owner
Those who own / have owned Stallions
- Thread starter Xmasha
- Start date
stormox
Well-Known Member
Treat them like horses, not like stallions.....
Breather
Active Member
Superb answer! I couldn't agree more.
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
I have my own yard, which really worked well when I had my own and visiting entires, for producing or backing.
Are you planning on using him for stud duties? Competing?
What is his purpose?
Advice will depend on reply.
As said above, treat him firm but fair.
Are you planning on using him for stud duties? Competing?
What is his purpose?
Advice will depend on reply.
As said above, treat him firm but fair.
Xmasha
Well-Known Member
I’ve a lovely colt who is booked in for castration tomorrow. But I’ve had a few people tell me he’s stallion potential.
But I’ve never handled them and not set up for them. So in my mind I’d have to sell if I kept him entire .
The plan was that he would be my future riding horse . I just can’t imagine me ever riding a stallion . I just not good enough .
So I guess I’d have to get a pro to ride /compete him alongside his stud duties
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Agree with above, stallions are generally good chaps if you treat them fairly. I have had purely competing full horses, and both covering and riding ones. I have double fenced and gated fields so there's no opportunity to reach over and get bolshy, but other than that I don't do anything out of the ordinary and they're all expected to behave politely.
ETA riding stallions isn't really any different or more difficult than any other horse.
ETA riding stallions isn't really any different or more difficult than any other horse.
Xmasha
Well-Known Member
Have you had separate barns for mares and stallions ?
Cortez
Tough but Fair
No, but I obviously wouldn't put an in-season mare right next to a stallion. However I must stress that I would only ever have horses with nice temperaments, and I absolutely insist on good manners.
Xmasha
Well-Known Member
His temperament is absolutely superb . The easiest foal I’ve had . Kind and gentle .
So basically, what your saying is it’s common sense
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
Its down to you then. If you don't want to run him on, you cut him as planned, or sell to one of the friends who thinks he is good enough.
How old?
He could easily live with a sensible gelding through the summer to see how he develops?
Decent fencing and keep mares apart by a distance and with equally secure fencing (it's not usually the boys that cause problems but others)
AShetlandBitMeOnce
Well-Known Member
Don't ever rely on/trust anyone to act with a modicum of common sense at any public outing, irrespective of whether you have him ribbon'ed up as a stallion.
Other than that it's all been said, best of luck with him and feel free to include a photo if you feel like it!
Other than that it's all been said, best of luck with him and feel free to include a photo if you feel like it!
Jambarissa
Well-Known Member
My best experience was a stallion and gelding only yard, could truly treat him as just a horse.
I have known even well set up mixed yards to suddenly decide stallions are too much hassle (usually after pressure from worried mare owners) and told to leave. If you don't have your own place be sure the yard is committed to having stallions - usually if the YO has them or it's a stud.
I have known even well set up mixed yards to suddenly decide stallions are too much hassle (usually after pressure from worried mare owners) and told to leave. If you don't have your own place be sure the yard is committed to having stallions - usually if the YO has them or it's a stud.
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
It is, absolutely.
A couple of things, stallions are not allowed (according to current and past rule books) to any PC or RC events, training etc.
Maybe get a pro to assist the 1st outing or so if you lack confidence, but if showing affiliated, you'll be fine doing it yourself.
Avoid local unaff shows if possible, you'll meet too many eejits as ASBMO mentions, unless you really know the layout and can safely get to ring and back to use it for schooling.
m.l.c coloured
Active Member
Our stallion turns out with his two gelding friends so he has the chance to groom etc,he never tries mounting them and if he does get a bit boisterous the bigger one puts him in his place. He goes out to shows and never shouts and screams or flashes his bits to everyone cos he's lead a life of living in a heard 
LadyGascoyne
Well-Known Member
Both of the livery yards I use for my horses keep stallions.
One has American barns and has a mares and a mixed barn which is generally geldings and stallions but one of my mares had a stable in it albeit surrounded by geldings.
The other has two blocks of stables, back to back. If that makes sense. My mare has other mares and geldings around her, and a row of stallions behind her.
In both yards, we would walk past stallions daily and would share the school with them. I probably would avoid sharing the school if the girls are in season but otherwise I’ve never thought twice about it. The mares and stallions are turned out separately, and both yards don’t have those fields on top of each other.
Both yards have very nice, mannerly stallions. I’ve never seen them behave badly.
One has American barns and has a mares and a mixed barn which is generally geldings and stallions but one of my mares had a stable in it albeit surrounded by geldings.
The other has two blocks of stables, back to back. If that makes sense. My mare has other mares and geldings around her, and a row of stallions behind her.
In both yards, we would walk past stallions daily and would share the school with them. I probably would avoid sharing the school if the girls are in season but otherwise I’ve never thought twice about it. The mares and stallions are turned out separately, and both yards don’t have those fields on top of each other.
Both yards have very nice, mannerly stallions. I’ve never seen them behave badly.
paddy555
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure why you want to keep him as a stallion. Is he really really going to make a good class of stallion? Something exceptional? there are far too many poor quality horses being bred from poorer quality stock.
If you are not set up for them then you would have to be if you have visiting mares.
I don't see why you would get rid of a lovely tempered colt who was planned to be your future riding horse. Why not just cut him and enjoy him?
I don't know how old he is but if he is young now by the time he may be a bolshy 4yo and may seem a bit different.
I think if you have a stallion for the most part you need your own place even if rented. What happens if someone new arrives and puts their mares in their field next to him? Do you have sufficient land to move him? There is a lot of prejudice by some yards about stallions. There is plenty of prejudice from some riders. What if someone else has to look after him due to illness etc or you have to move accommodation.
I just don't see the point. The other factor is if you ever have to sell him. Unless he is an exceptional sire and sold for stud duties as well as riding then you are limiting your market as many riders at livery wouldn't be permitted a stallion at their yard.
I'm not against stallions. I ride mine daily, I also have mares which he doesn't cover. Mine just lives with the other horses, He is often stabled next to a mare and they are touching their heads over their doors. Some riders were odd when they met him out riding. He is nicely mannered and they got used to him. I have my own place and can move the horses around at will.
before this one we had another stallion. Again he lived with the other horses and shared fields with various geldings. They have never been kept separate, they have to mix and behave the same as everyone else.
what breed is he?
ihatework
Well-Known Member
Echo Paddy555
If the intention wasn’t to breed a stallion, you aren’t set up for a stallion and want a nice tempered riding horse - why is keeping him entire now a consideration?
In this country, in general, boy horses have a much nicer life gelded.
If the intention wasn’t to breed a stallion, you aren’t set up for a stallion and want a nice tempered riding horse - why is keeping him entire now a consideration?
In this country, in general, boy horses have a much nicer life gelded.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
I rode one belonging to a friend of mine for 6 months back in the 80's in Switzerland. Nobody made a big deal of it and he was just treated like all the other horses in the livery yard, who were only ever turned out singly and for short periods. He was a gentleman to handle and ride.
Will you always wonder of you shouldn't have gelded him? It can't be undone, of course, but you can always cut him later if it doesn't work out. ETA I write this knowing your own experience and set up, in the belief that "doesn't work out" won't mean that anything terrible or irreversible has happened.
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Will you always wonder of you shouldn't have gelded him? It can't be undone, of course, but you can always cut him later if it doesn't work out. ETA I write this knowing your own experience and set up, in the belief that "doesn't work out" won't mean that anything terrible or irreversible has happened.
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gallopingby
Well-Known Member
I think far too many people keep stallions these days. In the showing world people may think it gives them more presence but that’s not necessarily true. Years ago it was common for people to suggest a gelding shouldn’t have been cut and would have been a super stallion. Unfortunately the suggestion that you should cut your colt/ stallion isn’t always well received! If they’re treated like ‘horses’ most stallions who have been properly educated are easy to manage. I think you can tell from a young age what their temperament is going to be like and if in doubt you should castrate asap. However if you don’t need a stallion and aren’t going to use him them it’s sensible to cut. My stallion lived next to mares and travelled with them - in a suitable horse box - but was never a problem around mares, but he was brought up around other horses, hacked out regularly and was easy to handle. He covered in a head collar most of the time. Without experience and the right facilities anything can happen. It’s not so much what your horse will do as what other people and their horses might do. Even with ribbons in their tails and bridle discs on some people will still ride up the back of any horse when you’re out and about. You need to be mindful of what might happen. I think if you intended to have him as your riding horse and were intending to cut him this is the route you should take. Supposing you sold him there’s every chance that the buyer could / would cut him . Good luck whatever you decide.
TheMule
Well-Known Member
If you're debating keeping him to breed, I personally would keep him until 3 then use somewhere like Stallion AI to either collect and freeze a few doses or do epidydimal collection post castration if you don’t want him to learn what his equipment does!
tda
Well-Known Member
I'm in the have him castrated camp, there are thousands of lovely, well bred geldings.
The stallion I had here was for breeding purposes so he lived with the mares, and then the foals as well, then after weaning time we took the mares away and he babysat the foals all winter. What I'm saying is he must have company of some kind.
You wont make any money out of covering fees, and you don't have to be a better rider to ride him, entire or not.
The stallion I had here was for breeding purposes so he lived with the mares, and then the foals as well, then after weaning time we took the mares away and he babysat the foals all winter. What I'm saying is he must have company of some kind.
You wont make any money out of covering fees, and you don't have to be a better rider to ride him, entire or not.
rara007
Well-Known Member
I had a pony stallion. He was kept like the others, mainly out in a (gelding) herd. He’d always lived in herds so even though he had covered, mares had taught him to behave himself well.
We gelded him at about 10 so he could go and be a pony club pony as he didn’t fancy flashy adult pony life as much as he does looking after people!
We gelded him at about 10 so he could go and be a pony club pony as he didn’t fancy flashy adult pony life as much as he does looking after people!
Xmasha
Well-Known Member
The only reason I’m questioning my decision is that I’ve had 2 studs message me about him , hes never been advertised.
He’s an Irish draught , and bred very well . His dam is a bronze merit class 1 mare .
So ticks the boxes on paper .
The added bonus is he is black . So I’m assuming this adds extra appeal as there are so few quality black ID stallions .
As for facilities , we have our own yard , and could invest to make the set up work if needed .
The question is can I handle it / do I want to handle it ? So was trying to get a handle on the day to day from those that have kept stallions
We also have Stallion A I about 20mins around the corner. So in theory could do alll the collections there .
Here’s a headshot of my lad . I haven’t got a recent confo pic
Attachments
Xmasha
Well-Known Member
That sounds a wonderful life for your stallion. My lad does have company . He’s best friends with my 2yo gelding . I can also pop another gelding in with him
SusieT
Well-Known Member
If he is Pure ID I would consider running him on for a year or two so see what I've got as the bloodlines are quite tight.
paddy555
Well-Known Member
As you seem lost about it I would cancel and rebook for Sept. It is too big a decision to make when you are clearly unhappy about it. If you do lots of training with him between now and then you may realise he is great to handle and you could see yourself riding him quite happily. Or the future may become a lot clearer.
Xmasha
Well-Known Member
That’s a great idea, and pretty much what my husband suggested too . Thanks !
Equi
Well-Known Member
Play it by ear. If he starts becoming too much, geld. In the mean time treat him as you would any other foal and get him some manners. A good buddy is essential. I always had a sturdy gelding with my stallions.
blitznbobs
Well-Known Member
This isn’t strictly true our brc riding club allows stallions as long as they are bitted and handled by an adult… we have had many attend over the years and they have never caused an issue.
I am currently looking to purchase a stallion as I actually like riding them … I suggest if you assume you won’t be good enough to ride a stallion you go and try one of the many school masters in Portugal or Spain and realise that they are no different to non stallions to ride
Lauraback
Well-Known Member
Years ago I went trekking whilst on holiday in Portugal and they put me on a stallion and it was no different to riding a mare or a gelding. Good luck with your decision and I think postponing the gelding for now is a good idea and leaves your options open 