What makes a 'Typical Mare'? (Over 16hh)

When I was looking at buying a horse I was definitely slightly prejudiced against mares but to be honest I think this is from hearing what other people say over the years. I rode a mixture of mares and geldings before I had my own horse and never really noticed a obvious difference.

My gelding is definitely not straightforward and is a bit of a one person horse. At least if the inconsistencies are hormone related they might be more predictable so maybe I'll be more open to mares in future.

The spookiest horses I have ridden have always been geldings - don't know if that is a common finding?

My theory is that mares, being entire, probably have more fundamental, practical things to think about rather than getting carried away by the idea that a leaf that is shaped slightly differently to some of the other leaves might eat them :rolleyes:
 
Have 3 geldings and 3 mares. The geldings in general are more even in their mood on a daily basis (one a saint regardless of time or situation, one a bit dense but utterly adorable in every situation and one "I know better than all of you" but then again he's two and finding his feet!) mares wise they're more based on good days and bad days with my ladies. The youngest will have days where everything is big, scary and hiding a horse eating monster, the middle ager has days where she wants affection and days where it's a bucking offence to even SUGGEST she accepts a saddle on her back (usually solved with gentle persuasion followed by a hack before and after schooling!) and one who on a good day would give you the earth and the following day think nothing of trampling you in to said earth! Do I have a preference? Nope, 'fraid not. OK so the geldings tend to be more even but they also tend to take a bit longer to really pick things up, especially enthusiasm, whereas the girls will do everything at 110% where it be good or bad!
 
I love my gelding to bits, <=== that's him, but he is such a wuss.

But if I ever had to escape from the enemy or run from a forest fire, I would want to be on one of my mares. Mother and daughter, both tough as and so brave.

I endurance ride and mares just seem to tough it out better than geldings.
 
I currently have a gelding and a mare.

My gelding is a real gentle giant standing at 17.3hh, he loves attention from anyone who will give it him. His is however a huge wuss, he doesn't like getting dirty, she will walk past 100 cars and then that 1 car scares the hell out of him. I'd happily leave him in the stable and let the farrier/vet/dentist/whoever see to him if I'm at work and can't get up.

My mare however, is much more independent. She likes having her own space and isn't constantly looking for attention. She can get a little grumpy at times but she's improved a lot since she's been broken (she's only 3.5 years). She isn't keen on strangers and I would never let the vet/farrier/whoever see to her without me being there (I think she is mainly down to her age as she's not had much experience with them yet). She is a VERY confident mare though! She has only been ridden under saddle for the past 5-6weeks and she hacks out better than my gelding, nothing seems to bother her (try not to speak to soon).
 
My mare is pretty much me in horse form.

She is lovely MOST of the time and I couldnt wish for a more lovely horse...BUT if she decides she doesnt want to do something one day, eg load, then she wont. She will do it in her own time when she is ready on her terms!
She pulls the odd grumpy faces, but then again so do I!

She never bites or kicks, although she like to pretend she is going to bite by pulling on my clothing with her lips if she is moody about something. Just a little reminder I am in her space, same as I dont like her in mine!

I was always told 'you tell a gelding but you ask a mare' :D
 
Ladies (and odd gent on here!)

Saw a mare today and think she is lovely. Bruised already but i guess i needed to be put in my place and start how we mean to go on :rolleyes:

Will keep you posted :D
 
When I was looking to buy my first horse the one thing I swore I would not buy was a chestnut mare, so of course that is what I got. I never thought I could bond with a mare, but after many hard moments, 3 involuntary dismounts and 2 years, I love her to bits. She is super clever and often has something to say about things, but maybe one day her super sharpness will save my life - you never know. As they say the right horse is never the wrong colour and, I think, never the wrong sex.
 
I don't know what a 'typical' mare is but I have had 4 and am definitely a mare fan. Would have a mare rather than a gelding any day. I did have a lovely gelding TB but he was so thick (although absolutely gentle and gorgeous too) and a gelding bog pony who was ignorant and self centered!

Mares are quick to learn, if they are on your side they will do anything for you and they can look after themselves. I have never found any of mine marish in that they change when in season but they all behaved like mares to some extent. The one I have now is like my second one reincarnated in personality. She is 21, 17hh and shire x TB, but still has such a positive attitude to everything and a love of life in general. She jumps everything she is pointed at and is such a trier when schooling. She can be sensitive and a bit sharp but that is because she is thinking ahead and trying to do what she thinks I want. I only have to think about a transition for it to happen. My instructor says things like go to the next one up as if she says canter I get it straight away! She loves to be out and about and she is a great hack to teach other horses to walk out as she is always mare on a mission. She is my friend - we have such a bond - apparently she whinnies before the people on the yard can hear my car so they know I'm coming. I only have to call her and she comes in the field - often at full speed and if she sees me she will be at the gate.

My second one ( a chestnut mare) had a saying that was why walk when you can jog? She won the riding club cup for the horse with the most points at the age of 23 despite being 14.3 and being up against all the horses. She won cups in almost every discipline while I owned her - showing, family pony, gymkhana, showjumping, prix caprilli (who remembers that!), x country, eventing, handy pony etc. I competed in open competitions on her despite being 5ft 10. She was also a star at RDA and seemed to know she had to be calmer then. She died at the age of 28 and I owned her mostly for 17 years - I sold her when I went to uni and bought her back when I left.

The other two mares were my first pony who was actually a dream first pony and my daughters pony who wasn't but who I love to bits still.

I don't understand why mares get such a bad press. :-)
 
hoggedmane said:
I don't know what a 'typical' mare is but I have had 4 and am definitely a mare fan. Would have a mare rather than a gelding any day. I did have a lovely gelding TB but he was so thick (although absolutely gentle and gorgeous too) and a gelding bog pony who was ignorant and self centered!

Mares are quick to learn, if they are on your side they will do anything for you and they can look after themselves. I have never found any of mine marish in that they change when in season but they all behaved like mares to some extent. The one I have now is like my second one reincarnated in personality. She is 21, 17hh and shire x TB, but still has such a positive attitude to everything and a love of life in general. She jumps everything she is pointed at and is such a trier when schooling. She can be sensitive and a bit sharp but that is because she is thinking ahead and trying to do what she thinks I want. I only have to think about a transition for it to happen. My instructor says things like go to the next one up as if she says canter I get it straight away! She loves to be out and about and she is a great hack to teach other horses to walk out as she is always mare on a mission. She is my friend - we have such a bond - apparently she whinnies before the people on the yard can hear my car so they know I'm coming. I only have to call her and she comes in the field - often at full speed and if she sees me she will be at the gate.

My second one ( a chestnut mare) had a saying that was why walk when you can jog? She won the riding club cup for the horse with the most points at the age of 23 despite being 14.3 and being up against all the horses. She won cups in almost every discipline while I owned her - showing, family pony, gymkhana, showjumping, prix caprilli (who remembers that!), x country, eventing, handy pony etc. I competed in open competitions on her despite being 5ft 10. She was also a star at RDA and seemed to know she had to be calmer then. She died at the age of 28 and I owned her mostly for 17 years - I sold her when I went to uni and bought her back when I left.

The other two mares were my first pony who was actually a dream first pony and my daughters pony who wasn't but who I love to bits still.

I don't understand why mares get such a bad press. :-)
Click to expand...

Thank you for such a wonderful insight into your girls ... its very much appreciated :)
I went on an hours hack today on a horse i had never met before and she was wonderful and enjoyed it as much as i did. She also jogged most of the way round and you know what she reminded me of one of my childhood ponies which was a 14.2 chesnut mare and we jogged (practically backwards it was SOO sideways) everywhere and i just sat there letting her do her thing, ignoring her, chatting to friends etc ... I felt that same buzz today :o
 
My child hood dream was for a big bay gelding, I ended up with a big (16.3) chestnut mare. She is fab, hard to tell she is in season, always a flirt with the geldings whatever the time of year and has her foibles just like any other horse mare or gelding.

I think mares often get a bad press with anything they do being down to them being a mare/hormones when it is down to them being a horse. Mare or gelding most have some foibles to varying degrees that's just their personality. My mare is a big softy and affectionate, loves to learn and learns quickly and tries 110%, she loves being groomed and getting attention, just not with her rugs but half the time she is only playing, she will let you know when she is really gonna get you!! :D

She always greets me with the biggest whinney when I arrive or go to get her in and tries her hardest for me whatever I ask her to do. She has been injured over the last 12 months and spent a long time on box rest, yet she never changed in her demeanour, she was fab.

Having ridden both mares and gelding before getting her, I can say I've ridden a fair few geldings that have been referred to as riding like a typical mare!!

I would say it may take longer to get to know a mare but as others have said once they are on your side they will look after you to the ends of the earth and back. They are worth the extra effort :)

Good luck in your search, hope you find the right one mare or gelding:)
 
Out of the nine horses I have owned personally 7 have been mares. I just seem to click with them. I loved my geldings but both have been bigger drama queens than the mares. I currently have two mares aged 5 & 15 and a 22year old boy who is the man in my life but is very needy whereas the mares would take you to the pub and buy you Jaeger bombs! I think you have to judge them all as individuals regardless of sex. I'm very luckythat all mine are lovely 'people' in their own right but I do agree that if you can really bond with a mare you have that bond for life whereas my boys will happily work away for anyone!
 
Out of all the horses we have had, 2 have been geldings and the rest mares.

I chose purely on the horse in front of me. ( or underneath me:D)

Currently have 1 gelding and 5 mares, they are all sooo different, but then they are all different breeds / ages etc.

The latest purchase was a chestnut irish Tb mare as my daughters first step up from ponies. Sounds like the worst move on paper:eek: But we chose her on how she felt and behaved. She is about as perfect as you can get:D

So my advice, dont judge a book by its cover

Good luck x
 
Fantastic news I am really pleased for you I must insist on pictures ha ha ;p

My chestnut tb mare with 4 white socks is a genuine sweet gentle mare, everyone who meets her loves her as she is so cuddly good as gold to go out and be brought in even when everything around her are playing around.

Cannot wait to get started with her properly.
 
Good question, i have a chestnut tb mare!! Best horse in the world. She has a fantastic character she constantly makes me and the girls on the yard giggle. She isnt playin with a full dec, shes very quirky. Only thing is if she doesnt want to do something she wont be forced you have to let her come around or let her think its her idea all in her own time.:D
 
Ginger_2002 said:
Good question, i have a chestnut tb mare!! Best horse in the world. She has a fantastic character she constantly makes me and the girls on the yard giggle. She isnt playin with a full dec, shes very quirky. Only thing is if she doesnt want to do something she wont be forced you have to let her come around or let her think its her idea all in her own time.:D
Click to expand...

so true this statement... mine if she doesn't want to come out of her stable point blankly refuses her hooves dug in further, she will not budge not even for a polo... little madam usually have to ask someone to step into her stable if I want her out as she will then just walk out but the more you demand the more she sets herself against you.

Same goes for having her feet washed or if she doesn't want to walk around the yard before I pop her back into bed she plants herself.

She does make me smile lots though :D
 
Wonderful news.

I have one of each. My mare is a grumpy, aloof, snobby creature, but the most amazing ride that I trust more than any other horse in the world. Most of my fave horses throughout time have been mares.

I love my gelding, but he is just a soft lump that gives 80% if you make him, while my mare gives me 110%.
 
I have a 15.3hh ID cob mare and she is never moody - I had had her since July this year and not once has she threatened me (ears or heels) nor does she threaten others. She is the boss of the field and the others just "know" to move over. She never rushes at them but a look from her and they just move. She is the easiest horse I have ever had and a joy to be around.
 
She is a TB and the faces she pulls when rugging would be enough to scare the devil, lol :o

Why do some horses get so stroppy when being rugged? Is there anyway to get them over that behaviour? :confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top