[xilikeggs0]

Right now, my boyfriend and I are keeping our horses on about 4 acres. I have an older percheron mare out there, and he has a 5 year old quarter pony gelding and a yearling (will be 2 in the spring) quarter horse stud colt. I also have a soon to be 3 year old quarter horse filly (the stud colt's sister) who will be joining them in the summer.

There are 2 fields: the front one is pretty much clear of debris, but there's an old trailer and it's where we park our horse trailers (which we have 3 of). It's about an acre-an acre and a half. The back one is roughly twice the size of the front one, maybe a little more. It's overgrown with mesquite, cactus, and other nasty stuff, but the horses have done a great job of eating the grass down and knocking a lot of the brush down. There's also some old, abandoned (stolen?) cars back there that we're going to get out eventually. We're working on clearing a path big enough to get a truck and trailer back there to haul them off, but they'll be stuck there for at least another couple of weeks.

Right now, we just leave the gate open and the horses all live together and come and go as they please. The gelding is at the top of the pecking order, then my mare, then it's a tie between the stud colt and the pygmy goat. No kidding. With the stud colt getting older (and bigger), we're going to have to seperate him from my mare pretty soon. I'm not too worried about him getting her pregnant now because he's not tall enough to 'reach' her yet, but he will be pretty soon.

I'm thinking that the best thing to do would be to leave the colt and the gelding together because the gelding is keeping him in line, and the two of them are very social. My mare will stay near the other horses, but she's not buddy sour and doesn't mind being away from them. I think she would do best in the back because she's old, lazy, and doesn't get into stuff the way the other two do, so I think it would be safest to have her back there and the other two up front where it's more open and they can run around easier. When my filly comes back, she'll most likely go with my mare.

Thoughts?

 

[waterbuggies]

My sister has a stud and a gelding in the same pasture and a mare in another pastue,they are fine together until......... the mare is in season. The stud will beat up the gelding if he get anywhere close to the fence where the mare is. He's a sweet, loving stud until the mare comes in. Just be careful of that with your guys. You would never think he would be that way, but he has ran the gelding through a fence and another time he had him penned in the corner and the gelding got stabbed with a t-post. Just be careful when the time comes.

 

[SarahHershey]

If the pastures are visable from one another, it could be a problem. Ive seen young colts/ and older studs run through or jump over fences for a mare especially when they are in heat.

Colts reach sexual maturity anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 years, so I would go ahead and seperate them, its not worth an unwanted baby, and the unwanted vet bills.

But thats just my 2-cents. Feel free to ignore me.

 

[xilikeggs0]

I totally wouldn't mind him breeding to her. I'm thinking about doing it in a year or so, so if it happens sooner, it's not a big deal. It's not something I want right now, though.

Right now, the gelding beats the crap out of the other two if they get near him at feeding time (little man syndrome, I guess), and I think he'll always be the dominant one. I've met the stud colt's dad and he's the most laid-back horse you'll ever meet. You wouldn't know he's a stud at all. He's been turned out with mares and their babies, other studs, geldings, etc... all with no problems, so hopefully his son will be the same way.

 

[SarahHershey]

That would be inbreeding... The foal would more than likely have major conformation faults.

 

[xilikeggs0]

That would be inbreeding... The foal would more than likely have major conformation faults.

Well, I don't know anything about my mare's pedigree, but I think that the fact that she's a percheron and he's a quarter horse means that if they are related, it's far enough back that the foal wouldn't be born with 3 eyes and 5 legs.

 

[orloff]

You can breed son to mother and thats line breeding, its not bad to do that once but dont keep doing it with the same stock over and over. Dont breed brother to sister together because there could be faults.

I know this from breeding exhibition poultry, but breeding horses and getting faults could be worse.

 

[orloff]

Also I believe if you breed the son to the mother and the baby is a male, they will share almost all characterists, and nearly be the same. Also goes with mother-daughter.

 

[xilikeggs0]

:facepalm:

 

[Maverick101]

Separate your stud colt ASAP or get him gelded.:shock:

Dont be fooled that he isn't tall enough! Horses are pretty innovative when it comes time to fill those urges!:wink:
If nothing else he will just end up hurting himself or one of your other horses once that testosterone really starts to kick in.

And yes breeding sister to brother...is def not something you want to do.

 

[xilikeggs0]

Can somebody please show me where I said I was going to breed brother and sister? Seriously, people, learn to read!

 

[Maverick101]

When my filly comes back, she'll most likely go with my mare.

Thoughts?

That to me says that you are only thinking of separating the filly from the boys.

....and if you're not concerned about a colt breeding horses cuz he isn't "tall" enough (on regards to mom). Just giving our two cents about the possibility of sister and brother breeding.
No harm in that? Just trying to help, and give our thoughts.

As a breeder, I know what horses will and can do to try and breed when the times is right.
Just trying to help you keep your horses safe

 

[SarahHershey]

I thought you were talking about his sister not the Perch.

 

[southerncowgirl93]

I would most definately say to get the stud gelded. Bad things could happen, as has been said. Or, I see no harm keeping him with the gelding like you said. Just make sure the stud never gets with the mare and filly. Bad thing waiting to happen.