Stallion Behavior

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and to horse ownership.
I've been reading some of the threads, and would like some feedback on stallions.
I have a new stallion. He has, so far, been one of the sweetest and easiest horses I've met. One wouldn't know he was a stallion. The only vice he seems to have, is trying to get through his fencing to the pasture.
What I need to know, is what behaviors could he have. I don't want surprises.
Here at home, he is the only horse for miles. Before we brought him home, he was stalled next to a mare. (not my choice) She, of course, came into heat. He was still pretty easy to handle.
Could this mellow sweetheart still become a handful?
He is a 12 yr. Old rescue horse. Eating is what makes him happy...
Any advise or info would be a great help.
Thanks

Hello,
I am also new to the forum, and just getting back into horse ownership after many years.
I'd like to share the story of my EX inlaws Morgan stallion. He was about 16 years old when I met him and was being used by their daughter as not only a lesson horse, but also was being shown in park, halter, and I think Western Pleasure. He had the most AMAZING disposition. Very calm and gentle and even though there were times when he would test my ex sister in law's patience and misbehave, he was always extremely careful with the kids on his back or around him.
I was a fairly new rider myself and he was one of my favorite mounts in the barn. They had owned him since he was very young and was their pride and joy. He never acted "studly." I believe he had only been bred once, maybe twice.
The stallion was in his 20's when they all moved across the country. I got a phone call a few months later from my sister in law (in tears) saying that they had to geld him. It was either that or euthanize him. According to her, he quite literally tried to KILL my ex mother in law. He went after her with teeth and hooves in his stall. Thank God she got out and was able to close the door without injury. She was absolutely devasted. She'd been raising horses 30+ years and never saw that coming. No one did.
So my answer is YES he could become a handful as well as dangerous, or even deadly. I'm not trying to sound dramatic. Just being honest.
I think it's wonderful you rescued that guy. You may never have any issues keeping him a stallion, but if he were mine, I would get him gelded.
Good Luck!

Stacy

I must have misread your post... I thought you said you rescued him. I think I read to many threads today lol... anyway Good Luck

Welcome to the Forum.

I have owned stallions for more than 50 years. I only have 1 now and I raised him. He acts like a gelding --- but he is still a stallion. I sold my other stallion to a breeder in the UK earlier this year.

I consider stallions to be the very worst choice for a new horse owner and for anyone that is not in the breeding business and VERY experienced with stallion handling.

I do not have time to write all of the reasons but I could write a book on the subject. I owned and operated a public training stable for about 40 years and cannot count the number of stallions I was brought because they had hurt people. Right off, I can remember 3 that that were all raised by their owners and had been handled and used by each for several years when they attacked them and put each one in the hospital. One woman was blinded by a kick to her face and then the horse turned around and almost tore her arm off. He was 12 or 14 years old and she had owned his mother and raised and shown him. I had put manners in him once before and had warned her that he would end up hurting or killing her and she said "Oh!. I know my baby would not do anything really bad to me! Well, she was in the hospital for weeks and had 15 or 20 surgeries to try to repair her face and her arm.

Add to that -- There are different laws regarding the liability for stallion owners. You are 100% liable for anything he damages )including breeding a mare a mile away) and for anyone he injures. Unless you are in the breeding business (we have 60 horses) and are a professional caliber handler with a LOT of stallion handling experience, they are the worst possible choice for a horse owner.

If I were you, I would have him gelded immediately. He will be a much nicer horse and he will also have a better life for gelding him.

We geld EVERY colt we raise unless we have an 'order' for a stud colt from a legitimate experienced horse owner that NEEDS a breeding horse. I will not even sell a stud colt to a novice unless they are going to send him directly to a trainer and have him shown.

Please, please have him gelded before you fatten him up and his testosterone starts running strong. He will turn into a different horse overnight.

Did he come from a legitimate 'rescue'? I cannot imagine a rescue that does not castrate every stallion that comes through their hands. It is the first thing they should do. [The same is true of dog shelters.] He sure did not come from any rescue run by a knowledgeable person. I would be interested in knowing where this rescue is. They are going to get someone killed.

My best advice is to have him gelded. After that, he will be all yours. A stallion will always have a side of him that he owns totally. Besides there really is no other reason to keep him intact other than to bred which is NOT something for novices to take on. Good luck & enjoy your new horse!

Yes, since you are a novice, and he is a rescue, I strongly, strongly, strongly advise you to have him gelded. Not only will he be better behaved, and you be safer, but his quality of life will actually be greatly improved (stallions get extremely frustrated when not allowed to live and breed as nature intended, and they may develop vices and dangerous aggression, besides).

Thank you all for your responses.
Sounds like he should be gelded. I had no idea his personality could change. I sure don't want to take the chance of my daughter or myself getting hurt, when it's not necessary. The reason we wanted to keep him a stud, is so he could pass on his appaloosa blanket, which his foals are usually born with.
The rescue was not by me. We bought him from the rescuers. They are not an organization, just some good people that didn't want to see horses starve. Sancho is fat and happy now, thanks to them.

As you are a novice, you may not realize, but breeding for color is a very poor reason to breed indeed, and many foals resulting from such breedings are still very much undesirable for various reasons....and still end up in the slaughterhouse. I think that everyone involved will be happier if the horse is gelded.

Love the name SANCHO!!! I had a dog named Sancho. You will not regret gelding him!

I agree for your safety and since your new to horse ownership i'd geld him. He will be more laid back and less unpredictable. Especially do it since you going to have a child of yours around him. Stallions require so much upkeep, every day you have to work with them, plus if you want to take him to like a playday or event for fun he will be allowed to be around other horses and people. And like stacy said they can change so quickly you just never know. I don't trust my friends stallion and he's a calm as a cucumber you can ride him bare back with a just a halter and lead rope. But they work that horse everyday and they've owned and trained for years several studs. Be careful and geld that pretty appy!