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Are we heading for trouble?

2K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  kevinshorses 
#1 ·
I have been very fortune to keep my mare at on a 20 pasture 2 miles from my house. I have not had to pay pasture rent, but the agreement was tha I helped keep the place clean and kept up.

There are two other mares on the place that get along with my mare. The ages are 10, 2 (daughter of 10 year old), and 5 (my mare). My mare is expecting a foal in about 45 days. These mares are 14 - 15 hands tall with my mare being the tallest of the three.

The problem is that the owner of the property has aquired (given to him) a mini stud colt, yearling (10 months old). The stud colt is kept in a inclosed 1 acre pasture that is fenced fully in piped with cattle panels (stock panels) with the fence being 5 1/2 feet tall. The mares have access to interact with the mini stud colt on a daily basis along the fence and the only place where it is not enforced pipe fence is the stock panels that divide the barn in 1/2 (one side for the stud colt and the other for the mares.

As the stud colt ages, are we going to have to deal with problems of him teasing the mares and them being a problem around him?
He is about 40 inches tall...but I have not measured him.


I would not be able to answer the question if the owner is going to geld the colt. It has mentioned that he is breeding quality for the mini breed, but I would not know that as I don't deal with the mini breed. I deal with the Quarter and Paint horses. The owner is an elderly individual but not older than 70ish. They deeply care for the well being of all the horses including my mare. As a matter of fact the owner has called me one day at work to tell me that my mare had wire around her leg, which was not an emergancy but important.
 
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#3 ·
There is potential, but you just need a really secure fence. Something that could withstand your mare leaning and kicking against it, and something that could keep the stud from ducking under or jumping over the fence. You may want to express your concerns to the owner of the stud colt if things seem to be heading in the wrong direction (for example if the stud starts squealing like a banshee whenever your mare isn't next to him) and try to work on a solution together.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I'd just wait and see how it goes, my mini stud is pastured near my mare (there is a road between them) and molly mule (they are right next to each other), and my pony mare when I had her, it's never been a problem (he's 5). They are also pastured right next to my neighbors two horses, but I don't know if either are mares. The only time the mini interacts w/ any of the big horses is they play w/ the gelding over the fence. I wouldn't be suprised if the mares flirt w/ him while they are in heat, though.

Only thing though, if he's a mini and not a shetland and he's already (or going to be) 40 inches tall he's already to big to qualify as a mini and there fore not breeding quality.
 
#5 ·
I, personally, would be far more concerned about injury then about potential foals. It is extremely unlikely that he will manage to breed adult size mares through a fence - possible, but unlikely.

However, I was around when a gelding suffered a leg injury so severe he required surgery. After surgery, he went to get up, his bad leg wouldn't support him, and he broke it in the hip, resulting in him being put to sleep (I was present for this horrific display). What had happened? He was used as a "teaser gelding" because he was so good at it - Elaine had left him unsupervised to watch the phone, and he got angry and kicked a stock fence gate - his leg went right through it, causing extensive damage to his hock.

Mares are notorious for being, literally, "teases". I would be extremely concerned about them picking fights with the stud, and then kicking a solid steel panel and causing injury in any number of ways.

I would seriously discuss this. There are SO many things that can go wrong with a stud in such close quarters, I really wouldn't want to see your girl get hurt.
 
#6 ·
It will probably do more harm to the poor little stud colts mind than any of the horses bodies. He's by himself which is going to worry him anyway and when the mares come into heat then he's really going to want over the fence. If he never breeds anything then he won't be much of a problem for a while but if he breeds even a couple of mares the switch will flip and he will want those mares. I have kept a stallion next to a pen of mares and except for a month or two in the spring he didn't really care much that they were mares. He didn't like to be out of sight of them then I put a gelding in with him and he calmed right down.
 
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