need info from horse owners

[azcowgirl]

Hi everyone well ok i dont understand this when people want to board a horse they wont accept STALLIONS! (and i WILL NOT get him gelded) well they said they will keep him there but i need to buy a stallion pen... 6 foot high though but do you all know where i can find one at a good price? and what website?
and why dont they let stallions stay at a boarding facility?
please help me i need to find one before 4 weeks

 

[bubbatd]

Most Stallions ( not all ) get really upset when a mare is in heat and can be a real problem to the stable. Why are you keeping him intack ???

 

[Saje]

Yup. They are a handful. Many of them are really destructive. And they will do anything to get out of their pen when mares are in heat. Especially in the spring. I always feel bad for studs. They have to live separate, have to deal with their hormones all year round and frustration... Really tough for a herd animal.

 

[joce]

It makes it tough for the other people boarding there too. I've seen stallions try to climb sides of stalls to get to a mare and almost make it. They dont worry about hurting themselfs eitheir so make sure he is in something secure.

 

[azcowgirl]

well my stallion is very good with other horses he goes on trail rides with mares and another stallion and he does great he doesnt fight. hes also 6 years old and from the wild but very well broke... but i have a question we are going to make a stallion pen but how big should it be? i know we have to have it 6 feet high but what about the width and length???????

 

[Love4Pits]

well my stallion is very good with other horses he goes on trail rides with mares and another stallion and he does great he doesnt fight. hes also 6 years old and from the wild but very well broke... but i have a question we are going to make a stallion pen but how big should it be? i know we have to have it 6 feet high but what about the width and length???????

Yes thats great there hasent been a problem yet but no horse is predictable and you should never assume your horse won't cause a problem. Thats what causes accidents.

 

[CreatureTeacher]

Yes thats great there hasent been a problem yet but no horse is predictable and you should never assume your horse won't cause a problem. Thats what causes accidents.

Took the words right out of my mouth. If he did get out of his pen and found himself a mare in heat, he could make a little horse. It can be a real problem if your mare is pregnant and you don't know. She could die if she doesn't get the needed vet care. And even if she does, her owner may not want her to be pregnant. It's only fair to the other people boarding their horses. Since they don't "spay" mares, you have to keep your intact guy away from everyone else's babies.

 

[Saje]

What's even worse is if the stud gets out and attacks a mare that isn't in heat. They can get into some nasty fights. Or if there is a rider on the back of the mare...

 

[Gustav]

but i have a question we are going to make a stallion pen but how big should it be? i know we have to have it 6 feet high but what about the width and length???????

I think it really depends on how large your Stallion is!! (How many hands?) I mean if he is 16.0 HH plus, 6ft is not going to keep him in if he really wants to get out!!! Believe me I have seen Stallions clear 6ft before to get at mares!! It's amazing what they can do when driven by hormones!!

And as for width and length you should make it as big as you can! If you can afford to do an Acre I would fence an Acre. If you have enough land and money for fencing I would do more! Stallions need lots of exercise!!

You must remember that Stallions can change like lightening when they get a sniff of a mare in heat! I used to work with Stallions at a stud farm and although they were very docile normally, they could switch, just like that!!
We always wore Gloves, a Riding helmet, and carried a whip when handling them just in case!! We never used any of these (thankfully) But the risk is very real!!

 

[azcowgirl]

ok well i think that 6 feet will be to big lol but i dont know maybe just right but he is 13.3hh hes a small mustang. ill be going there everyday and taking him out for some trail rides and warm ups for couple hours a day or even a whole day with me jsut to bond when i get him ...i just wanted to add that

 

[yuckaduck]

Ok it depends on the stallion but I know many people who pasture there stallion with there mares so stallions don't attack mares not in heat. They are herd animals and are more likely to fight with another stallion than a mare. However the stable is just covering it's butt in case there are any accidental breedings. Here we put the stallion out first thing in the morning when everyone else is in eating there breakfast and again at night when everyone else is in. Some stallions can be put out no problem like mine, he actually pastures with a gelding. No problems ever. But they were raised together as weanlings and now at 6 years old are best buddies. Also I have taught Joker that there is no horney boys allowed he knows when he enters the breeding shed that it is time otherwise keep it in. It is all in how you train them when they are young and if they have the temperment to keep there brains about themselves. I have dealt with one that tried to mount anything in sight and the owners use to just turn him out and watch him be kicked by the mares who were not in heat. This is just stupid and not neccesary. Of course he had no training at all.

 

[oc_spirit]

We don't allow stallions to be boarded at the ranch either, but then again, all horses are turned out together (although if problems arise we can section off the fields and divide up the herd). Anyways we do have one stallion and that's our mini, Houston. We used to have 2 other mini stallions but Button's old owner decided to get him gelded and Dusty was getting WAY too much of a stallion attitude and would try to climb through fences to get to a mare!! So we gelded him. Houston's an angel though. The worst he does is do the stallion snort. A simple vinyl covered wire fence seperates him from mares in heat and he totally respects it. You can have kids lead him past a mare in heat and he'll just trot on past as if she dosn't even exist. Houston is turned out with all of the other minis which includes 3 geldings and 4 mares and he doesn't fight with any of them. When Dusty and Buttons were still stallions they were still turned out toegther with no scuffels. Every morning Dusty and Houston did their little pawing, round-about and a little bit of rearing but never any kicks or bites. It only lasted about 2mins and then Houston would give a little buck and trot off down the lane to await his morning hay. Not all stallions are bad news however for the safety of workers, boarders, and other stallions it's best not to have them around

 

[wildwings811]

I just have a question you don't even have this horse yet and if I read the post right he is an adopted mustang if so this horse has ran in the wild for the last however many years that he was wild and I am sorry but if you have no experience with horses than you have no business owning a stallion and in particular this stallion

Let me tell you a little story that may change your mind

A few years ago I knew some people who thought it would be a cool idea to get a stallion well little did they know what the next year would bring them They brought the stallion home and he was a perfect gentleman they rode him on trail rides and with mares and other stallions too (I know I rode with them) until the mares started coming into heat he pasture bred every single one of their mares and in the proceses killed a gelding that must have gotten in his way not only did he do this that summer he got loose I really don't know how but anyways he ran 2 1/2 miles to another horse farm where he got into a boared fence with a herd of exspensive show mares (TWH's) and bred all of them the next morning when the owners discovered that he was missing and went to find him they found him running loose in the area and started to chase him and of course he ran right out in front of a vehicle and killed himself, a mother and her two children

Now in no way am I saying that all stallions would do this because not all would and if these people would have had the right facilities to house this stallion this would not have happened but my point is that his natural instinct took over when the mares came in heat and that there is more responsibility to owning a stallion than many people think the people that owned this stallion now own nothing due to lawsuits

I do not blaim the boarding facility for not wanting to take your stallion they are just to much of a risk and if you would even consider gelding this horse you would get much more use out of him than you would if he is a stallion

 

[yuckaduck]

Gelding him will however stop reproduction which should never occur unless he is able to improve the breed. There are so many horses in rescue right now too. If that facility can't handle a stallion try another facility. Be picky, about where he goes. Also make sure you can handle a stallion because some are good some are not. It depends on how they are raised and trained. If this young man has been out in the wild he may be a bit tougher to train. Certainly not impossible and someone like me would love the opportunity but I have dealt with stallions for many many years and I still respect them greatly. Never take for granted that he is a good boy because you can never be positive.

 

[yuckaduck]

I do believe by the wording that this is a stallion already owned, and that you have experience with stallions. So the fact that you own a stallion and refuse to geld him is not the issue. Why don't you want to geld him? Is he going to improve the breed quality? If he is mustang and purebreed registered email me a picture and I will send a mare down to met him. If he matches my criteria.

The big issue is why don't boarding stables want to board stallions? I think the main reason is that they are harder and often more difficult to deal with. Also it requires more pasture or turn out areas because usually stallions require there own private turn out. Most stables don't have the staff with the knowledge to handle a stallion or the property to house one. Also there are issues with other boarders, some may suggest that if a stallion is boarded they are leaving, hense stable loses business. Here we accept everything but we are small enough to offer the proper care and only one of the experienced staff is allowed to associate with any of the horses. Even to muck out stalls they have to wait for one of us to remove the horse. It is safety pure and simple for both people and horse. After all you don't want a horse to escape and risk getting hit on the road or tangled in a fence or countless other things that could happen.

Did you know that when a horse is scared and bolts that they close there eyes? That is why it is referred to as running blind. They aren't truely blind they just close there eyes so they can't see. That's why the rodeo horses from Calgary jumped of a bridge because they really had no idea where they were going. Not because they were suicidal!

 

[oc_spirit]

I got another stallion horror story! Ok this person was riding their stallion on a trail ride and they passed another group with a mare in heat and the stallion bucked his rider off resulting in some broken bones and then proceeded to mate with the mare in heat crushing the mare's rider under him. I forget how much damage was done to each rider as I wasn't there I ony heard about the incident.

 

[yuckaduck]

That sure is a horror story and that stallion obviously was not given proper lessons on how to behave. Or the rider was not able to maintain control, in which case should never have been on the ride in the first place. Joker and I go on trail rides with groups all the time. Even went on one last week where the mare in heat was bucking and actually threw here rider and came back to visit us at the back of the line. But Joker did nothing, did not even bat a tail at her. That is how my stallions behave, because that is what they are taught. And I accept nothing less from them.

 

[oc_spirit]

I don't know the details of what happened at all. Different stable, wasnt there. But yes obvious lack of training was present! Stallions can make very fine mounts when under the right hand, it just takes a lot of time and devotion as well as knowing what you're doing LOL Mares in heat can be tricky with lack of training too. Tender sides makes having a saddle and a rider not fun for her at times.

 

[yuckaduck]

100% agreement absolutely no argument here.

 

[stirder]

stallions can be extremely difficult to handle. some are so territorial that they will try to kill anyone who comes into their corral or stall. and they cant usually be kept in the same enclosure as the other horses wether the mares are in heat or not. a stallions instinct is to drive away other males, once his sons reach around 2 years old he drives them away, unless he is too weak, then one drives him away. even geldings are perceived as a challenge. stallions are also very testy and if you turn your back for a second many of them will bite, and take out a chunk, or kick. if a mare IS in heat almost any stallion will go insane untill her heat is over. rearing, bucking, neighing and whinnying constantly and trying to tear the fence or stall to shreds.
I agree, why not geld him???
think 6 feet is too tall??? if he rears up how tall will his head be?? if his head is more than 6 feet tall when he rears then the stallion pen is too short. a mustang stallion, even one that is 13 hands, will either have no trouble jumping that if he really wants out, or he will get stuck midway and tear himself up. I've met a lot of stallions, only a few could be kept in a pen that they could see out of.