We are novice owners and we are looking at a very gentle stallion and I was wanting the forums thoughts on whether we should purchase this horse or not. He is 11 yrs old and we have no intention in breeding him, owner is getting out of the horse buisness.
If you do not want a stallion for breeding purposes and you are novice horse owners, you don't want a stallion and you sure don't need one. They come with a whole plethora of problems from increased legal liability to behavior problems they will develop in the absence of a knowledgeable handler.
There is not one thing he can bring to you besides problems.
I've been 'in the business' for 50 years and have owned stallions for 45 years of that. I breed mares for the public and raise my own foals that are trained right here on the ranch before they are sold. I need my stallion (which I bred, showed and have owned for 11 years.) You don't need one -- at all.
If you were to purchase him, I would highly recommend that you have him gelded upon purchase. Though he may be quiet, often stallions can 'turn' if there is a mare in heat around - with a novice owner/rider, this is not a good combination.
It is also not fair to keep a stallion, a breeding animal, isolated and not permit him to breed. Another good reason to geld!
Even after gelding some of those behaviors may not go away, especially if he's been used as a breeding stud in the past.
I've been around & handled stallions all of my adult life (family has raised horses for decades, started handling the stallions as a teenager) I now own 2 myself. My grandfather told me as a kid "Never turn your back to a stud no matter how much of a gentleman he is." Mine are big puppy dogs, never take a wrong step or act out of place but the possibility will always be there as they are creatures with a mind of their own and a lot of times hormones override their thinking. With a novice handler, I could possibly see either of them taking advantage of the opportunity.
I have another who was cut later in life (almost 5) hadn't been used as a stud, even now as a gelding he has moments that he acts more studdy than the actual stallions on the farm.
I am by no means an expert here but if I were you and I liked this horse I would buy him and geld him. A good stallion would probably make a great gelding and in addition to that you would be able to take him around other horses and go on trail rides etc with other horse people. When I was younger (and a lot more foolish) I raised a couple of stallions. They were good horses but I never realized how lonely it was to always be on my own. When they passed away from old age I bought geldings and I cant tell you how much happier I am finally being part of the wonderful horse community in my area.
If you have concerns about this horse, gelded late or intact, I would take it as a red flag, pass over this horse and look for a gelding more suited to your needs.
Thanks for all the input! We have decided that we will not get the stallion. Like I said before he is pretty and pretty has gotten me in trouble before!! Posted via Mobile Device
I think that is a very good decision. Pretty IS as pretty DOES.
Since you are a green rider, find the very best well-trained horse that you can afford.
One tip I have for you when you are looking for a horse: Ask the seller ahead of time to just leave the horse where he usually lives. You can tell a lot more about a horse if the seller catches, grooms, saddles and bridles the horse after you arrive. Always beware of a horse when it is ready to ride when you get there and particularly if it looks like it has already been ridden that day.
Good decision. I suggest, as novices, that you try to find a trained horse.. older (mid to late teens) that has been retired from showing.
I horse such as I describe will teach you more than any other horse you can consider.. and if you go at this right will likely be very rideable for the next 10 years.
I gelded my guy as a six year old after he was a breeding stallion. He was always a charmer, and still is to this day. However, that's not always the case.
If you like him, you can buy him and geld him and see how it goes. Personally, though, I'd look for a gelding or a mare that's well started if you're just starting out.
It'll keep you, your partner, and the horse, a lot safer.
Good to ask these questions as opposed to promoting ignorance!
1.) Never have I seen a stallion look at a human as anything other than a human.
2.) Stallions do not associate a woman having her period as being in heat. The two things are physiologically 180 degrees opposed. A mare in Heat is at her most fertile time, a human having her period is at her least fertile time.
3.) A bad mannered stallion (or gelding and a few mares for that matter) may try to jump on a person. This is not so much a breeding act as it is a behavior to let others know that the horse has the upper hand.
4.) If you are working around any stallion, you always keep your eyes on him. In all reality, that is the best thing when handling ANY horse.
Ok, I've got it now. Thanks you guys. Honestly I couldn't imagine it making any difference in the end (except for maybe the stallion....I was thinking that it was possible a man would seem more of a threat (as in competition) than a female) but I couldn't stop wondering about it. Wondering what they "see", "pay attention to".
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