Why do people want to owm mares

because i dont understand boys. my boyfriend for the last 7 years says hes never met anyone or anything so like me then y mare. if she strops at me i strop back and if shes amazing i am. basically we have the same mood swings and i know how she feels.

and truely its just easyer to know where i stand. she tells me quite quickly what mood shes in and makes it clear to me. with a geldng that are just there and i dont think they communicate as much.

quite simply we fit together.:)
 
I'v had both and not had a problem with either i wouldnt not buy a horse because it was a mare. My best horse is a gelding and he has as much spark as any mare and certainly isnt boring!
 
xxRachelxx said:
Mares are amazing! As said a mare will give her heart to you and once youve got that bond she truly will die for you! Havnt yet meet a gelding that has lived uo to the favourite mares in my life!!!
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Exactly this, I have had more geldings than mares and loved them all to pieces BUT the one mare I had, once we had bonded and got through the testing me out phase was head and shoulders above the boys. I miss her so, so much and would have another in a flash.
 
Why do people want to own mares ?

Personally, at this moment in time? Because I can't breed from geldings. :)

I don't ride often, so a gelding would be a complete waste of time, space and money for me.

I've had good and bad of both geldings and mares, if I was wanting a horse to ride or drive, then mare, gelding, stallion, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to me as long as it did, or was capable of doing, the job.
 
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I much prefer geldings myself, although have had some wonderful talented mares over the years, I just communicate better with geldings.
However in the riding school I prefer mares, they are generally easier to teach with, generally a bit easier to adapt and more forgiving to beginners. There are exceptions to every sweeping generalisation though - although our two best school horses are geldings we have definitely found over the last 20 years the mares are better for the job.
 
I've really been through the mill with my mare, who is the most hormonal creature on the planet, but I love her to bits. She has always tried so hard at shows, and humoured me when I started showing her and was SOOOO nervous even tho she was used to my more laid back husband. Now she's having a break and hopefully in foal, she comes trotting up to me in the field for a scratch, a cuddle, a treat or just to have her rug adjusted and she's just lovely. We've moved her about a fair bit to try and find the right yard, and when she's happy she's the best horse in the world.

I've now got a three year old gelding, having been determined that I wouldn't have another mare, and he's wonderful, but he makes me laugh cos he's just such a BLOKE :D He sulks, he grumbles, he's a wimp in the wash box, he likes to come across all brave and bold, but he's just generally adorable. It's a total mindshift, but I still think on balance geldings are so much easier!
 
Geldings boring?

no no noooooooo, my gelding (if you can call him that ;)) is far from boring, he's the most intersting horse I've ever met.
 
only one of my 4 is a mare, and yes she has her moments as all us women do lol but i wouldn't change her for the world!! The biggest gelding is the pain in the field lol, he bites the other 2 to keep them away from the mare and he gets overly attatched to any fieldmate so he is now in a paddock on his own so he can talk to the others over the fence but not cause hassle. he is a lovely chap and i do love him as i do all of them but i think my girl somehow has something about her that the boys just don't.
 
Mares all the way, for reasons previous posters have said.
I have had a few geldings, but not one has compared to Meg in any way, shape or form... in my eyes Meg is simply awsume! We are a team, and I love her for everything she gives me.
 
I dont know why, but I have always got on better with mares compared to geldings, I've had 3 mares and 1 gelding in my time, and the gelding (on loan) was the only one I had very little 'affection' for, whereas the mares have been so much more special.

Strange really, all my other pets are girls too. not by design though, the second dog was supposed to be a boy, but Suzy won me over and she and Millie are best mates, so it all worked out.

Its so much easier to clean the horse lady bits too!
 
My mare is beautiful, very intelligent, inquisitive, a bloody fidget, a diva and the most opinionated madame ever, but do you know what? She has taught me so much about myself and keeps me thinking. Not too sure if I would ever want another one as at times I just long for a quiet, sensible gelding, but hey, that's females for you. Feisty lol
 
From everyone I know, mares are not popular at all!! Theres the total of 5 mares out of 15 liveries and as far as I know YO has no mares. I always said i would never have a mare due to all the reasons you have stated OP but i have the most affectionate, cuddly mare ever. I love her to bits and tbh i cant even tell when shes in season as shes always the same happy, perky pony :) My last gelding on the other hand was a cheeky sod, but i dont really have a preferece anymore. Although i dont think id have a stroopy, moody mare, that would drive me mad.
 
I've both, gelding is anybody's horse, loyal to no one and anyone with a carrot, lovely lad but wouln't even notice if I vanished, he's a lovely lad but a tad boring.

Mare is actually a filly still, she's quirky, stroppy, a total slapper, full of herself, basically anything but boring. Mares all the way for me, I'll never have the bond I have with my filly with my gelding, good job daughter has nicked him :)
 
I've dealt with both mares and geldings all my life, probably more mares than geldings, and until I started reading the threads on this forum never realised that mares are so hormonal!:confused: I broke them, hunted,showed, jumped evented absolutely everything and never had one that gave me a reason to think oh its her hormones! I could never understand why buyers only wanted to buy geldings as I never found any difference with the mares at any time during their cycle but then again I've never treated them any differently either. If I have 4 or 5 in work, they all go out together in the paddock no matter whether they are mares or geldings and the youngstock are also out in mixed groups with no problems.
 
mares all the way :D

I find them loyal and inteligent and very, very sweet! Like someone already said a gelding is anyones as long as you have a carrot! a mare will be your best friend and make you feel incredibly special -like the 'chosen' one! I swear mine can read my mind. She knows exactly what im thinking and it works both ways....mares everytime for me. I could never have a bond with a gelding like i do with my mare ;)
 
I have had mares that I didnt bond well with and geldings that I have. I always thought however that I would prefer a gelding but ended up with a mare who is intelligent, honest, a trier, forward thinking and sensible, and I am sure she can read my mind and is very sensitive to my moods and although the bond with her took over a year to come and I doubted the relationship sometimes I really honestly wouldnt swap her for another because there is something there which i have never experienced with a horse before.....and I have quite easily bought and sold horses without shedding a tear. If I am critical based on my experience I would say I think geldings arent so intelligent for some reason - lack of intuition, dont think before they react, a kind of 'whatever' attitude whereas a mare asks questions, seems to be more thoughtful, maybe because they are more nuturing by their genes...dunno...

However I think every horse is different and its her personality/temperament rather than her sex. Its obvious when she is in season but she doesnt really change temperament. It must be frustrating for those who have mares who are hormonal and suffer with seasons.
 
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Doesn't this discussion just show there is more diversity within the sexes than there is difference between them? I've ridden mares like geldings, geldings like mares, etc. etc. My favourite horses to ride have been a mix of both. Every time I think of a gelding/mare characteristic I immediately think of a horse that bucks the trend!
 
From al these posts I'm starting to think my gelding is a mare!!! He has mood swings, tells me when he's had enough and on a good day, he is unbeatable - literally.

I've owned a mare and a gelding but for me, my gelding will always be for me. BUT I would never say no to a mare as I think it totally depends on the temperament of the horse rather than the gender.
 
I agree with TBB we have always kept mixed herds including youngstock with no problems we only ever had one horse a gelding that caused probs and took a long time to settle in herd, and he was agressive towards both geldings and mares.

In the end he got the hang of it, i will have mares or geldings and the only reason we dont have stallions is because we dont breed but i have looked after them in past.
I have to say i have liked all the numerous horses we have had and have whatever they have been.:)
 
YasandCrystal said:
My mare is sensitive and I can almost 'think the aid' and she complies. She is honest and lovely and will tell me when she thinks she has done enough, but will also willingly continue when I tell her she has to be joking!
She has a sense of humour for sure.
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that is exactly like my girl!

She's a complete pleasure to be around and ride, I swear she can read my mind sometimes and she is such a tryer!

I've had geldings in the past, but the bond I have with my mare is like nothing I've experienced before. She's so sweet and so caring, I can easily forgive her monthly hussy moments! She doesn't get stroppy and it doesn't change how I ride her at all, she just loooves the boys even more lol

She's in a herd of 3 other mares and they rarely have a fall out :)
 
Kenzo said:
All mares should be banned from livery yards!!!

....that's if I had my own way ;) :D

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:D I'd replace the word 'mares' with 'geldings'.

My gelding boarders are a pain in the neck. They squabble and bicker, fall out, gang up on each other, sulk, and have full blown bust ups,and have to be separated, and paired up, and juggled before any sort of status quo is reached, more trouble than the stallion ever is:mad:

The mares on the other hand, they just go out with the herd, baby, yearlings and all, and are one big happy bunch. I'd have all mares here if I could.
 
Someone once told me out of all the horses you deal with it will always be the gelding that is clumsy around your personal space, like always hitting your head with theirs. I have one of each, interestingly my girl has never hit me with her head, whereas he uses his head as an offensive weapon!!
 
Totally agree. I would never buy a mare. I've own one mare currently who's extremely stroppy but luckily is a shetland so I dont have to ride her! I've been riding a friends mare and also currently have another friends mare at mine to work at the moment. They're all a bit quirky and seem to change behaviour-wise by the day. My geldings are the same day in day out and have all generally been extremely honest, willing types who would do anything for me.
 
Love, love, love my mare. She's opinionated but very intelligent and loving and tries so hard for me. She's also saved the day in some scary situations. She is very sweet and cuddly and adores all kinds of babies, both human and animal. The kids on the yard love her. She's full of comedy and character, too. And she is the boss of every gelding she meets! :D

Being female and having monthly seasons isn't actually a disease! :p
 
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