? about you keep your stallions

[CheyAut]

One of my stallions can't (hubby's driving horse, not a breeding stallion but he's 23 so we're not gelding him) b/c he's at the end of the "barn". But my other two stallions certainly can, they're right across from each other. Never had a problem with that. They used to be next to each other, and no problems there, either, but had to put a large pony in one of the areas instead (b/c the one across is fenced only for a mini, smaller height). My stallions lived together up until breeding season hit, so they know each other well.

Jessi

 

[zoey829]

Jessi-

Where do you keep the mares? With both stallions? Or does one stallion get all the "luck"

 

[Witts Mini Horse Ranch]

I must be doing something wrong. My oldest stallion which is only 4.........is know around our place as the black demon.....gelding or stallion he wants to run all males off the place. I had to put up electric fencing and when we 1st installed that it really peeved him off. He is an escape genius! The younger stallions are afraid of him and the times he has got out they have ran for their lives and eventually he wears out chasing them, he is constantly charging the fence....the younger ones do their mouth thing....please don't hurt me and the geldings stand there and look at him..........like get over yourself. One of my younger stallions 2 years old...the geldings are his best friends. No, I don't have a space between my stallions but hope to someday. Sometimes I think my older stallion is jealous, because he is at his worst when I am in his paddock.........as if I am a mare and he wants them to stay away from me. With people he is the sweetest easiest horse I have to handle.

Good side to this...........he stays in excellent shape with all the running...sliding....bucking and rearing...no need to exercise him.

 

[zoey829]

THanl would be my luck. They stallions can be a handful to say the least.

 

[CheyAut]

Jessi-

Where do you keep the mares? With both stallions? Or does one stallion get all the "luck"

With both stallions, when the mares are in season (and one mare is living full time with the stallion I want her bred to, b/c she wanted NOTHING to do with him at first, now they're friends again and eat together, but she won't let him mount her... oh well!). When the mares aren't in season, they go back out, and then they share a fence line with the non-breedign stallion... he lets me know if they come in season

Jessi

 

[miniluver]

Stallions in a herd situation turn into bachlar stallions, with lower labido and eventual testicular shrinkage. The effect is reversed when they are turned into harem stallions again, with their own mares. The same thing can happen if the stallions see each other and can touch each other, even if not actually together. Same with harem stallions... your stallion doesn't actually have to have his own mares, as long as he has them within sight.

WOW, I didn't know that. My stallions have all grow up together and still are dry lotted and pastured together. I am hand breeding with each during times the mares I have for them come "in". They are just 3 and 4 years old. Would it have effected them yet? They have little squabbles every now and then but play and get along great most of the time.

 

[Gracie]

My stallions ran together in a herd setting for a year and NO problems, Since moving last year we have 1 acre pastures set up theres far left 2 girls beside that a stallion, then another stallion then another stallion then girls again,

Then a 6 acre that is up against those pastures with Full size mares and gelding, then a 10 acre after that , with full size mares and geldings in it, So ALL my horses can touch noses and whatever they get along great.

 

[SandyWI]

zoey, you didn't say how old your stallion was. That might make a difference in how well he receives a new stallion, and the age of the new stallion might make a difference, too.

I have two breeding stallions and a yearling colt, who would LOVE to be a breeding stallion, so I have to keep him away from the mares.

My two breeding stallions will kill each other if they are together. They will literally kill each other.

One of those breeding stallions will also try and kill geldings. And the funny thing is that I have two geldings that I got at the same time I got one of the stallions. They were all under a year old when I got them and they were pastured together for a few years. Then suddenly, the stallion became very aggressive and their normal play started producing bite wounds and blood, so they had to be separated.

Then I got a new stallion a little over a year ago, and he was about 8 years old. He can run with my two geldings or with the yearling colt and there's never a problem, but I just can't let him loose with the other stallion.

I don't let my stallions run with the mares during the summer. I've tried it, and the stallions will try to mount mares and there's so much kicking that I'm afraid a foal will get hurt.

I don't let the one stallion run with geldings in summer, either. Only in winter.

Yes, my stallions can see each other when they are in dry lots, but there's two dry lots between them. If I were to put them into adjoining dry lots, which are separated by cattle panels, they would bite and try to kill each other through the gates. When I put them into the pasture, the two stallions are tied out on 25' ropes. They can see each other but can't get near each other.

Everyone's stallions are different, so there's no telling what you might and might not be able to get away with. The breeder I bought my newest stallion from said he would try to kill geldings, yet I've successfully pastured him with them for six months last winter. I think part of the reason that was successful was because I put him in a dry lot next to the geldings all summer (when they weren't on pasture). So, they got used to each other.

 

[zoey829]

The stallion I have now is 7 yrs old. He is gentle and loving and will die on this farm. Once we had a gelding and at times he was fine with him, other times I thought it was a fight to the death. It was the scarest thing ever :new_shocked:

I have three lots that are sep by fencing. I could put the mares in the middle but that is the smallest lot with the smallest lean to. I am thinking if I give both stallions thier own mares they should be ok as long as they are not put together.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Stallions that grew up in a herd of males tend to be just fine with it. But once you seperate them for a season or two, you might have trouble "reintigrating" them back into their bachlor herd. But they will have a lower labido.

 

[RockRiverTiff]

All of our stallions were either born here or have been here the majority of their lives, so they take turns in the bachelor paddock together every season. The only exception to the rule is Streaker, who is aggressive 24/7 during the breeding season. The stallions we choose to breed are handbred to their mares and then returned to a separate run to cool down before reintroducing them to the bachelor herd. Depending on the disposition of the stallion, we sometimes allow him to run with his mares for the summer once they are settled--again, in Streaker's case he is much more sedate with a mare, even if she's settled. But most of the time it's back to the boys. This year we have a father and son together with the colt (three generations actually) and the most they ever do is scream at each other when I move another horse within their line of sight. I don't know if it's their natural temperament or that they've adapted to the situation, but any combination of the boys seems to have less of a hierarchy and less snobbery than the mares when put in a herd situation.

 

[miniluver]

Thank you all for posting about stallion location. I was afraid i was going to have to figure out how to seperate them all. Those of you that have stallons together do you find they have less labido???