What are stallions like to keep?

[Footlights]

Not planning on having one, just wondering!

Obviously they need to be kept by themselves, usually with very secure fencing, but what are they like with humans?

I know there are probably many out there who you would never know are stallions, extremely polite, well behaved etc, but what about the more difficult ones? What are they like?

Could a nice stallion become nasty if handled by people who are not used to handling stallions?

 

[crabbymare]

Why do they need to be kept by themselves? many stallions are kept with other stallions or geldings and get on well with them. ok there are some who are not so easy but a lot is down to the people who handle them. They are usually fine with humans but again it depends on the horse there are some who are nasty and the wrong person can make any horse turn nasty so stallions are no different. They are best owned or kept by people experienced at working with them as so many places are not set up for having a stallion and on most livery yards there are too many people who just don't think enough to make it safe for them, not the yard owners or managers its the inexperienced people who keep the horses there.

 

[the watcher]

I know some stallions that are very sweet, however I would never forget that they are stallions and can be territorial.

what are the bad ones like? I've met one or two that will cheerfully savage anybody who walks into their space, that have put people in hospital with broken bones from being stomped on deliberately.

Yes, nearly any stallion can become extremely difficult if wrongly handled.

 

[Enfys]

Not planning on having one, just wondering!

Obviously they need to be kept by themselves,Not always so, mine always has youngsters with him in the winter, in summer he can see everysingle horse on the place, he isn't isolated and kept like a leper usually with very secure fencing, Yes, but nothing more than any other fence here. Wire and electricbut what are they like with humans?Mine? A big sook. I have had him since he was 2, in all that time he has never ONCE offered to kick, or bite

I know there are probably many out there who you would never know are stallions, extremely polite, well behaved etc, but what about the more difficult ones? What are they like? The same as any other unpredictable horse, just with more hormones

Could a nice stallion become nasty if handled by people who are not used to handling stallions?

Yes of course, as could any other horse Would go into more detail. but I have to dash....

 

[Ladyinred]

My friend hasd a stallion who lives a happy life with two gelding friends. He is treated like any horse and hacks out alone most days,

OTOH I also knew a stallion that lived for 25 years that I knew of, alone in a field with no companion and no care...

Any horse can become 'nasty' if mishandled, stallions are no more prone to this than any other, except maybe for the fact that many seem to be treated as if they are some sort of different and alien beast.

Please.. really please.. don't have a stallion unless you understand his needs and can provide company. Imagine a lifetime spent in solitary confinement...

 

[Tickles]

They can be kept with geldings (more often so if no mares around) or turned out with mares (assuming you want foals or have a barren mare!).

I don't know any really well though.

 

[Jenni_]

The lovely sweet looking horse in my avatar is a stally

He was kept by himself with a gelding shettie for company on a farm.

He was mostly fine to handle but was a bit more 'nippy' than a gelding and you did have to watch him... many a time I actually growled at him when he just chanced his luck a little.

I competed him locally and he was very vocal, but no more so than an excited youngster. I had to keep him busy but in time he started to settle down and would graze in the middle of a showground quite happily... it was other peoples naivity / stupidity that caused the problems out in public (someone walked a mare right under his nose one time...)

It could be very tiresome at time his attitude / excitability - but it was all forgotten when you got on his back and he just came alive from underneath you. He felt absolutley electric and like nothing else I have ever sat on.

 

[Polotash]

Ditto, don't keep them alone, and you don't create so many behavioural problems!

Our Arab stallion had a "wife" who lived with him, and our local coloured has a shettie gelding. Both have super temperaments and you wouldn't know they were stallions to be handled.

The three areas of difference I've found are; they can be a bit mouthier (colty nipping should be nipped in the bud, but they still like to hold and nibble things!), they are more vocal, esp at shows etc, and they are lovely and responsive to ride I have always found...

 

[Sparkles]

Depends on the horse.

But yes, the majority is down to handling essentially.

Most things on our yard have a pair....some you are aware of it, some you aren't.

The ones that have covered, are certainly more 'aware' of when there is a mare in the vicinity. The one's that haven't, couldn't give a hoot.

That said, the ones that have covered, should know the difference between 'guy time' and any other time. They shouldn't by any means be thought it be acceptable to turn into a hormonal mess just because they're 'a stallion'. I find the ones who run into problems with colts or stallions are the 'novice' owners who don't geld the horse in question, have typical 'youngster' problems with it ie, handling, which then escalate from the added testosterone thrown into the reactions also. Not so much it being a 'stallion' being the problem, but just inexperienced handling just like any other youngster can go.

Various ones are kept differently. Some are barn kept, some live out 24/7, and then rotated onto the grazing and vice versa. Any up to 3, all live out together as one herd with no problems. Only problems arise if a 'new' one is added to the mix we've found. Ironically enough, we have a very dominant older gelding who is the 'leader' of them all and is the boss, not any of the entires. The ones kept inside have large pens, chest height next to each other. Only one we keep seperate, is a slightly 'sharper' one, who is awful next to others, so he has is own pen made for him, just out of reach of the next pen, but with a small shetland next to him for direct company who he tolerates.

Best example of an entire we had was probably this fella. Brick wall of muscle, had covered before, came to ours to be broken middle of Spring. Mixed livery yard he was kept on as was down the main yard. Honestly, other than looks, you wouldn't have known he was entire. He was the biggest gentleman ever. Hack out with mares, pub rides, shows, kids handling him, everything he did without batting an eyelid.

Day 2....

Day 3....

Day 5/6...

3/4 weeks later
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207316_10150220944361753_6359665_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/207007_10150224775246753_8107760_n.jpg

6 weeks with kid on first time...
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/265000_10150316340006753_3872127_n.jpg

bareback
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/269794_10150316341356753_6720063_n.jpg

First little pop
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/261892_10150316341101753_6782702_n.jpg

Open day at his breeders, about 8 weeks being ridden. Mares/stallions/etc all about as showcase day and his first time out anywhere. Didn't care at all.

Pub ride
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284407_10150330949846753_4329645_a.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/281719_10150330949436753_6236262_n.jpg

4 months later
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254715_10150351785636753_458643_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223680_10150351797946753_2254446_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223615_10150351799246753_7051159_n.jpg

And his first dressage comp where he came 4th 5 months on

Best thing for a stallion, is a job to keep his mind occupied.

 

[Littlelegs]

I've never worked on a stud or where stallions were regularly covering mares, but the ones I have had much to do with were all fine really. Admittedly all had been handled properly from an early age, so manners etc all well established.
As far as with humans go they vary like any other horse, some just weren't that fussed. One who was pretty much the stereo typical snorting & prancing nutter loved was as soft as a kids pony. On the whole not as easy as geldings but compared to strong willed, determined stroppy mares I always found them pretty straightforward.
I imagine the potential for damage by badly handling a stallion is more so than for a gelding though. In my limited experience the most difficult one was one that would get very aggressive at any slight hint you thought you were in control. If you asked he'd do anything. Tbh, he had such a huge desire to please there wasn't a need to ever shout. But he had caused injury in the past to people who tried to order him round.

 

[Enfys]

The palomino is a stallion

This is an unrelated filly sharing with him.

He's a good boy, but I always have to be aware that he is a covering stallion and I don't take, or allow, liberties....and one more to prove that he is not actually a filthy, hairy donkey

I would also like to add that as he does not stand in the UK, and isn't available by AI, this is not advertising.

 

[PandorasJar]

Not planning on having one, just wondering!

Obviously they need to be kept by themselves, usually with very secure fencing, but what are they like with humans?

I know there are probably many out there who you would never know are stallions, extremely polite, well behaved etc, but what about the more difficult ones? What are they like?

Could a nice stallion become nasty if handled by people who are not used to handling stallions?

Why do they need to be kept by themselves? Ours is turned out with a companion, no fuss when companion had to be boxed but no need to be alone. Fencing is simply post and rail with mains electric, we have an electric second fence about 2ft inside as a back up too, but more for our peace of mind as he's very laid back.

When the mares next door are in season he ignores them and they squirt at the geldings not him. He's just like his dad who was a brilliant stallion and very easy and gentle.

Personally I handle as a horse. Any horse can be dangerous, look at the individual and the situation it's put in rather than what it is.

OH's mum has kept a number of stallions from different bloodlines and breeds, all lovely

Pan

 

[KVH]

The palomino is a stallion

This is an unrelated filly sharing with him.

He's a good boy, but I always have to be aware that he is a covering stallion and I don't take, or allow, liberties....and one more to prove that he is not actually a filthy, hairy donkey

I would also like to add that as he does not stand in the UK, and isn't available by AI, this is not advertising.

Oooh Enfys, he is stunning!

 

[Crosshill Pacers]

My boyfriend had a stallion up until last October and he was a perfect gentleman. He had stroppy days where he wanted to bite and be a big grump but they were no more frequent that several of the mares! He was taken to the races almost weekly and never batted an eyelid at the fillies/mares roaming around and he was like a bit teddy bear at home. He would stand for hours letting me plait his mane and tail and brush him.

On the other hand we have a 4yo stallion at the yard where I work and he is a nightmare. As a 3yo he was generally quite placid and despite the fact he was a stallion was quiet to handle and well-behaved at the races when surrounded by mares. However since returning to the yard from his owner's for the winter he has turned into a cantankerous and frankly quite nasty horse. It takes two people to catch him in the stable, he kicks, squeals and rears up at the door whenever any horse is led past his stable. We can't keep any of the geldings in the stables either side of him as he kicks the partitions to hell and back! It might be because he's a stronger horse this year, having filled out and strengthened up. Or it may be because unbeknownst to my boss and I he covered mares whilst he was with his owner? Who knows!

 

[Cortez]

I know there are probably many out there who you would never know are stallions, extremely polite, well behaved etc, but what about the more difficult ones? What are they like?

THEY ARE USUALLY GELDINGS..........

 

[PandorasJar]

I know there are probably many out there who you would never know are stallions, extremely polite, well behaved etc, but what about the more difficult ones? What are they like?

THEY ARE USUALLY GELDINGS..........

But even more often mares

 

[lcharles]

I went to help my dads friend with her horses and one is a 9hh shetland stallion, adorable little thing!

I went to tack up her mare and picked her feet out and as i was bent down picking out her feet, the stallion mounted me and put its little hooves over my shoulders much to everyones amusement!! lol, it was funny but its only because he was little that he didnt hurt me. If he was 11.2 upwards his weight would of made it hard to stand up and get him off lol

Only last week was the little stallion killed by another stallion in the field across the way. Didnt stand a chance against a 16.2hh stallion

 

[Queenbee]

great, once you have them gelded I dont say this because I dislike stallions, just that there are way more than needed.

 

[Enfys]

great, once you have them gelded I dont say this because I dislike stallions, just that there are way more than needed.

Fair, and valid, point

When I decide that I no longer wish to breed I will have Zeus gelded, until then he will go on producing quality babies from useful, proven mares. I will never sell him on as an entire, I have had plenty of offers for him though.

 

[PandorasJar]

Fair, and valid, point

When I decide that I no longer wish to breed I will have Zeus gelded, until then he will go on producing quality babies from useful, proven mares. I will never sell him on as an entire, I have had plenty of offers for him though.

I wouldn't sell any of ours on entire either as far more worried about where they'd end up and how they'd be handled than your standard horse

Pan

 

[Queenbee]

Efyns, I adore zeus and all your gang, and please dont think I judge you, I don't. You always present as a very responsible breeder on here. I suppose what I am really getting at is the amount of people who arent responsible, who go about it all the wrong way, they buy a youngster or a foal and decide to keep it to breed from (either to cover their mares, to sell on the foals) or to cover other peoples mares for a nominal fee. They may buy it because it is a certain breed (eg Friesian) and think 'because its friesian, lots of people will want its service' but the fact that it has balls is seen as a money scheme, why would you pay to geld when you can make some cash from not gelding These people know nothing of the logistics, the breeding of their horse, its generally an unknown, with crap conformaition. 12 months later, there are x amount more horses, with crappy confo and no homes... perhaps one of these colts ends up in the hands of a similar dunce and the cycle continues and the badly bred, unknown foals keep flooding the market.

I think that, there should over here be a bloody big cull (well not necesarilly a cull, but a geldathon) Imposing compulsary gelding on all stallions (who are badly bred, unused for breeding purposes) There should be an imposed age limit... must be gelded by a certain age, and those who want to remain stallions should go through a grading process, even at a lower level and only then should they be allowed to remain entire. I understand that logistically there will always be exceptions (horses that are being kept entire to see what their competition record will be before the decision is made, travellers, moorland ponies) but I really think it needs to be taken in hand

 

[PandorasJar]

Efyns, I adore zeus and all your gang, and please dont think I judge you, I don't. You always present as a very responsible breeder on here. I suppose what I am really getting at is the amount of people who arent responsible, who go about it all the wrong way, they buy a youngster or a foal and decide to keep it to breed from (either to cover their mares, to sell on the foals) or to cover other peoples mares for a nominal fee. They may buy it because it is a certain breed (eg Friesian) and think 'because its friesian, lots of people will want its service' but the fact that it has balls is seen as a money scheme, why would you pay to geld when you can make some cash from not gelding These people know nothing of the logistics, the breeding of their horse, its generally an unknown, with crap conformaition. 12 months later, there are x amount more horses, with crappy confo and no homes... perhaps one of these colts ends up in the hands of a similar dunce and the cycle continues and the badly bred, unknown foals keep flooding the market.

I think that, there should over here be a bloody big cull (well not necesarilly a cull, but a geldathon) Imposing compulsary gelding on all stallions (who are badly bred, unused for breeding purposes) There should be an imposed age limit... must be gelded by a certain age, and those who want to remain stallions should go through a grading process, even at a lower level and only then should they be allowed to remain entire. I understand that logistically there will always be exceptions (horses that are being kept entire to see what their competition record will be before the decision is made, travellers, moorland ponies) but I really think it needs to be taken in hand

Unfortunately this is true in more than the horse world. Look at dogs and cats. I have no problems with responsible breeders, I don't like stallions being boxed away and never seeing a blade of grass (no wonder they're mental) and likewise young unhandleable stallions being put to everything they possibly can. More than the horse being graded, the owners should be!

Pan

 

[Footlights]

I didn't realise there are so many stallions being kept with geldings and alongside mares. A very interesting read, thanks everyone

 

[Queenbee]

Unfortunately this is true in more than the horse world. Look at dogs and cats. I have no problems with responsible breeders, I don't like stallions being boxed away and never seeing a blade of grass (no wonder they're mental) and likewise young unhandleable stallions being put to everything they possibly can. More than the horse being graded, the owners should be!

Pan

Totally agree and more often than not I think the world would benefit by some humans being stopped from reproducing too

 

[Dry Rot]

Highland stallions are usually pretty laid back because they were "travelled" between crofting townships so that crofters (small farmers) would not have the expense of keeping their own stallion. This was encouraged by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland who maintained their own stud of Highland ponies (Knocknagael) near Inverness.

Even so, I consider myself very lucky to have a particularly laid back stallion who is taken out from his mares, polished up, taken to a show, then returned to his mares at the end of the day. At the show everyone thinks he is a gelding (but he isn't!). He's a bit slim in the first picture because at that time he had six wives at home!

There is always the element of hormones to consider with stallions. They object to having their mares taken away, so need to be secured first. I prefer double fencing just in case they get too enthusiastic. No, I wouldn't like to keep one alone, they do need company. My aunt, who has always kept TB's, warned me very strongly about keeping a stallion but Highlands are generally no bother. Not so sure about TBs though, some can be nasty as selection has been for speed, not manners.

Yes, there is too much indiscriminate breeding, but I hope there will always be room for quality too. No names, so no advertising!

 

[pec]

Here is my Welsh Cob Stallion taken in the field last week, whilst out with two mares and foals. He covers in-hand but does live out with the mares for a while during the summer. He generally lives in but has a lovely open stable and is quite happy for us to walk the mares past him every day.

He is like a lamb in the stable and all our visitors want to go into the stable with him. The vets are quite prepared to jab him etc when we are out at work.

He does come alive in the show ring however as these two pictures testify.

He is the first stallion I have ever owned and what I find really refreshing is he is my horse. Of all our horses if he is out and I walk to the gate he comes running up to me (unless he is out with mares), this is not something that any of our mares do.

 

[Karran]

When I was 14 I was absolutely in love with the NF stallion at my riding school.
He had to be handled carefully of course but lived on a yard with both mares and geldings, used in lessons with them, although we obviously never put him behind a mare. Don't think he was ever used for breeding though.
He was 25 when I knew him, and lived for another 6 years after that.
He nipped constantly and in his younger days was only ridden by experienced riders but mellowed in his late teens.
He's the reason I'm in love with NF's still.

 

[Queenbee]

Highland stallions are usually pretty laid back because they were "travelled" between crofting townships so that crofters (small farmers) would not have the expense of keeping their own stallion. This was encouraged by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland who maintained their own stud of Highland ponies (Knocknagael) near Inverness.

Even so, I consider myself very lucky to have a particularly laid back stallion who is taken out from his mares, polished up, taken to a show, then returned to his mares at the end of the day. At the show everyone thinks he is a gelding (but he isn't!). He's a bit slim in the first picture because at that time he had six wives at home!

There is always the element of hormones to consider with stallions. They object to having their mares taken away, so need to be secured first. I prefer double fencing just in case they get too enthusiastic. No, I wouldn't like to keep one alone, they do need company. My aunt, who has always kept TB's, warned me very strongly about keeping a stallion but Highlands are generally no bother. Not so sure about TBs though, some can be nasty as selection has been for speed, not manners.

Yes, there is too much indiscriminate breeding, but I hope there will always be room for quality too. No names, so no advertising!

Dry Rot, he is gorgeous! I agree, there will always be room for quality, and if they ever did narrow it down and insist on quality only, Im sure your boy would be fine

 

[Enfys]

Efyns, I adore zeus and all your gang, and please dont think I judge you, I don't. You always present as a very responsible breeder on here. I suppose what I am really getting at is the amount of people who arent responsible, who go about it all the wrong way, they buy a youngster or a foal and decide to keep it to breed from (either to cover their mares, to sell on the foals) or to cover other peoples mares for a nominal fee. They may buy it because it is a certain breed (eg Friesian) and think 'because its friesian, lots of people will want its service' but the fact that it has balls is seen as a money scheme, why would you pay to geld when you can make some cash from not gelding These people know nothing of the logistics, the breeding of their horse, its generally an unknown, with crap conformaition. 12 months later, there are x amount more horses, with crappy confo and no homes... perhaps one of these colts ends up in the hands of a similar dunce and the cycle continues and the badly bred, unknown foals keep flooding the market.

I think that, there should over here be a bloody big cull (well not necesarilly a cull, but a geldathon) Imposing compulsary gelding on all stallions (who are badly bred, unused for breeding purposes) There should be an imposed age limit... must be gelded by a certain age, and those who want to remain stallions should go through a grading process, even at a lower level and only then should they be allowed to remain entire. I understand that logistically there will always be exceptions (horses that are being kept entire to see what their competition record will be before the decision is made, travellers, moorland ponies) but I really think it needs to be taken in hand

No offence taken at all, I completely understand, and agree with your points. I lived in Wales, my field was on the edge of the mountain and it saddened me greatly year after year to see bedraggled, bony little mares with yet another badly put together foal.

I lived on dartmoor too and saw the same thing. A lot of farmers, and I know plenty of them, saw ponies as a cash crop and put spotted or coloured stallions out on the moors/mountains, to improve their prices, not the ponies, I rarely, if ever, saw anything approaching a true native pony, all these were just feral foal factories. I think the NF have more rules and regulations than Wales or Devon, but I know very little about NFs on the forest. Thankfully their are committed native breeders who do produce purebreds to keep the breeds going.

The trouble with saying "Geld the lot of them" (and I agree) is who is going to bear the cost, the people who breed willy nilly don't care and certainly won't shell out for an operation.

 

[Orangehorse]

I know of a stallion and gelding that are driven together as a pair. It is a lot down to handling but some stallions are more difficult than others. Most riding horse and hopefully pony stallions would be of a nice nature, but TB stallions are only bred for speed and a TB stallion would probably be handled by professionals, at least in the early days.

There are lots of lovely stallions going out and doing lots of competiting and looking after their rider. My 14 year old daughter "won" a ride and the quietest horse was the stallion. On the way back all his mares came galloping up to the fence to say hello and he still remembered his manners.

On the other hand, I expect everyone remembers the show jumping stallion that broke out of its stable and savaged a gelding. Stallions should be in solid stables at shows because you don't really know if they are going to take a dislike to another horse and I don't think I have heard of a mare or gelding that broke down a stable wall to get at a horse it didn't like.