Two horses together, mare.vs.gelding?

Lintel

Lintel

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Thankfully I have two geldings, so this is very much not an issue for me at the moment. (Doubt it ever will be I'm in "boys are better" camp!)

If you had two horses on your own land, what would/do you have and reasons? Pros and cons to both? Attachment/Tarting etc?

Mare-mare. Gelding-gelding. Mare-gelding?
 
I have a mare and a gelding and have kept them together in a pair for 6 or 7 years with zero issues. They are a bit attached, but that is probably because they're both retired and never go anywhere without each other. I don't think there is any reason it should cause more issues than single sex pairings.
 

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Boys are not better. They are naughty, prance about, play rough and rip rugs. Mares are much calmer, more sensible and generally lovely. This is why I have two mares and one gelding. He's twice as much trouble as the two girls put together, but very entertaining.

I think it really depends on the personalities of the particular horses rather than their gender. You don't know if they'll get on or not before they meet. Most well socialised horses will rub along together quite happily though. If one of mine died, I wouldn't worry about being left with two mares or a mare and a gelding as they all like each other. If I ended up with one and needed to get another, I wouldn't be fussed if it was a mare or gelding, although I know my gelding would love to have another gelding to play fighting games with (the girls tell him to bog off).
 
we have one of each, the gelding loves the mare, the mare for the most part couldn't give a toss. We had a different 'woosy' gelding before and that didn't work too well as she was def not made up to be lead mare :p.

We generally don't leave him out if she's not there without close supervision because if he does get wound up it becomes self-perpetuating but it's not really been an issue, though he was better going to shows on his own :p, and would presume any palomino of any sex was his palomino :p. Would have been less of an issue if she were bay (or more if he thought they all were still her!) also size didn't seem to matter.

Reasons, that's what we ended up with after extensive shopping! The gelding being what we were really looking for the first time ;), older, darker coloured gelding, not a 5yo palomino mare ;)
 
I only have boys. That’s mainly because I too am a gelding fan and that’s just what came along at first. My elderly horse turns into a raging stallion if mates are even near so now it’s a definite thing. My daughter loaned a mare last summer. It confirmed I will only ever have geldings here!!
 
I think it depends entirely on the individual horses. We currently have a two mare pairing and a mare gelding pairing, it works fine but if we were to put the gelding in with one of the other mares she would constantly be in season and he would be a nuisance. Although they are in adjacent fields with no issue!
We've had different combinations over the years with no problems except for said gelding and another we had some years ago. They hated each other and I would never have put them together.
My daughter has a mare who over the last few years has been paired at different times with two geldings and a mare and you wouldn't really know the difference.
 
We have four of each, and I agrre it's indvidual personalties, not gender. All of ours will go out wth any of the others
 
Two mares and one gelding. The gelding is the oldest, theoretically the best trained (has certainly had the most time spent training him) and is by far the naughtiest. Reason is that I'm a mares person really, but owned just the gelding for about five years before getting the first of my mares. I bought him because he made me laugh.

They all get along very well, although the gelding is boss and can be a bit of a bully boy when there's food involved, but the mares are both punky enough to tell him to naff off when he oversteps the mark. For years the gelding couldn't be turned out with anything else, then only one other gelding because he was just too big and boisterous with other horses, but he's grown up (a bit) now thankfully. Couldn't have another like him around though - if there's any mischief afoot you can guarantee he's the source. If he had a partner in crime I'd never keep them in a field or stable again. All the gates have to be tied up as it is because he can unlatch them.
 
I have a gelding and two mares and they all get along very well. He was used as a Stallion until he was 10 and I think because he ran with his mares he is the perfect gentleman. New mare only introduced in April and she went out with him from second day and completely fine straight away then put the two mares together without him, bit more face pulling and running around and now all together with no problems. The mares are more likely to fall out, he is mainly interested in eating but will tell the younger mare off from time to time.
 
I used to run a mixed herd back in the day with very little problems. In more recent times my mare has lived alone for 5 years apart from just 2 gelded donkeys for company. I introduced my new gelding to them just recently without a single bother on any of them. She does of course remain the doyenne of the field, but in a very gentle, undemanding and schoolmistress sort of way. In other words if they all do as she tells them then all is peace and love. ;)
 
I've got one of each & they've been together 4 years - sometimes with other horses but recently just them .

The gelding likes a quiet life. Think hen pecked husband who says yes dear a lot. It works!
 
I keep a mare and a gelding together. They are like siblings and bicker if they are too close but they are never far apart and if one of them goes somewhere the other waits at the gate for them to return. The gelding is the boss however the mare is quite dominant too and will boot him if he gets too strong with her.
 
I have a mare and a gelding that have been together for about 5 years now. They are very attached (my gelding suffers from separation anxeity anyway - its his breeding) and if I am honest, my little mare keeps him in check and puts manners on him.

He is a cheeky soul and loves mischief, but she tends to tell him off and put him in his place too. They have a great friendship which is brilliant as the gelding gets stressed easily and has his friend to calm him down. She is such a sweet little thing that she does her best to comfort him too, especially when she knows he's upset over the pink bucket in the corner of his stable or the mouse that peeped out from under the door or some such silly thing he's invented to be frightened at.
 
I have a mare and a gelding together. The mare is the boss. Take the gelding out she couldn't care less, take the mare out he screams for the whole duration. He's more of a drama queen than her, but he only ever lived with geldings before he lived with her so there is definitely an attachment to her.
 
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