ALL STALLION OWNERS!!

[Molly's Run Minis]

i'm getting a yearling colt and just wanted to know what behavior i should be expecting from him when he gets here? i have two mares, a yearling and a 2yr and i'm fairly sure the 2yr old has already been in heat. i just want to be prepared for any naughty/flirting behavior he may throw at me.

also, what are some basic matinence(sp?) care that a stallion requires? do they require any special things or are they just like geldings?(this is my first stallion, in case you couldn't tell

) do they have to be lead with the stud chains on their nose or can they be lead normal? can you have a relationship with a stallion or are they to crazy? and how do you handle them at the shows and in the show ring? is there anything else i should know?

thanks for any info!!

 

[Shortpig]

Ask the seller what his temperament is. As with mares stallions have different temperaments. Mine is a total sweetheart. I have had him since he was 3yo and has never ever stepped out of line with me or given me any trouble. He is now 18yo and still just as sweet. I have never ever ever put a chain on him. He is my favorite driving horse as I trust him to be calm and stable with me. I have let beginners drive him and he is always very calm and easy going with them.

When looking for a stallion you shouldn't just look at the outside of the horse you should also spend some time with him to see what his temperament is. People might disagree with me but those who know my boy and his offspring know that they are all very sweet just like him.

 

[Katiean]

I raised my brat stud, or rather just let him grow up. When I took him to the fair grounds and he found out there were a lot more mares in the world. He had every horse on the fair grounds screaming. I could not shut him up. The only way to get him to shut up was to put him in the trailer with hay. He has a two track mind. Girls and food. Totally my fault. But you can not judge your llittle guy buy my beast. I did find out that if I can get a group of 10 studs together I can get a real normal price for gelding. Are there 10 studs willing in my area? then PM me.

 

[Marty]

Stallions are not crazy: they are driven by hormones, but they get a bum wrap from people that don't know how to handle them and have no business with them. I mean this is the most kindest way so please don't take it as an insult, but you are asking very good questions that tells me you are smart but not ready to have a yearling stallion and I would postpone these plans at this time.

You will need to separate him of course and not let him in with other horses. That's a given. Be sure your fencing is very safe and adequate. He will probably go visit the others by the fence, may squeal and paw and rear and pace a deep path along the fenceline wanting to get out with the others.

Of course you can have a relationship with a stallion. The more you work with him the better he will be, but that is only if you know what you are doing. As far as stud chains, I don't even own one and don't use them, except the one on my show halter.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

I do hope you have a good relationship with the breeder and they're helping you with this. They can tell you about his temperament and how to handle a stallion.

Not to berate the breeder, but I hope they know you have not handled a stallion before, and are giving you advice.

They are all very individual and there are boys of mine literally a child could handle (not that they do but they could!), and I have had a few boys of the years that are a bit spicy and I would NEVER sell them to someone new to Minis or handling a stallion.

That said, stallions brain is mostly - mares, mares, mares, mares, food, mares, mares, mares, mares.....food, mares, mares, mares...

I've never used a stud chain on a stallion, firm but kind treatment, let them know the boundries and respect you and your space. When ours are out they can be boys, when they're on the lead, they need to pay attention to me and what I want not, especially at a show. I've seen some badly handled stallions - bite, rear up and kick, etc. Very unacceptable.

I love my boys and as Shortpig said the inside of a stallion is so important as well as the outside. I would never breed a nasty temperamented one. Pretend he's 16 hands and think how you'd want him to act around you - no pushing, shoving, biting - size doesn't matter when it comes to that stuff!

Good luck.

 

[fastrack]

He must be taught manners, mannners, manners; before ever thinking of breeding. Do Not turn him out with fillies or mares until he has learned his manners. He should be handled every day, even if you don't plan to show him.

One of my pet peeves is allowing a horse to crowd you while you are leading them, whether mare or stallion. I see this a lot in miniatures. Probably because of their size, a handler allows them to get away with it. They need to be taught to respect 'your space'.

It takes time and consistancy, but so worth the effort after the colt has matured and ready to breed; or just be a companion.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have handled and owned stallions of all sizes all my life.

The onlyrule is that there are no hard and fast rules.

I have a yearling colt who thinks he is God's gift to everything, I have a two year old colt who is ready willing and able to breed and happy to jump over his door in his pyjamas in order to do so.

This is "normal".

I have a 31 year old stallion who has always been SO noisy it is not true, and yet could be led on a dog lead by a two year old child past a mare in full season and do nothing if he was told not to.

At the end of the day, as with any horse, a colt is exactly what you put into it.

I ignore my noisy brat, I require perfect manners from him, but I stoically ignore all the noise, you could, I assure you, shove and entire pot of Vick's up his nose, pot and all, and it would make NO difference whatsoever!

I do not use stud chains on anything, not even to show them, I find they actually lessen control as, were you to actually want to pull on the chain you would rip your hands to pieces and standing back and jerking is the quickest way to send a horse up. Hard enough with our little ones but with a 15.2 hh animal it is less funny!

A yearling colt is all shout and bluster, just ignore it all and set the ground rules at the start and stick to them.

No biting, no kicking, no shoving with the shoulder.

Rearing is OK, but striking out or turning towards me when rearing is NOT OK!!!

They get the hang of it all very quickly.

Think teenage boy....raging hormones and zits,....that about says it all

Good Luck.

 

[targetsmom]

We got really lucky when we bought our stallion as a weanling - he has turned out to be the perfect "beginner stallion" plus we are thrilled with what he produces! We designed our barn with a stallion in mind, so his stall has its own turnout away from the other horses, but where he can always see them. He is very laid back, doesn't pace the fence line, is a very polite and efficient breeder, and can be led around by his mane. However, during breeding season, when hormones are raging, you may have to remind him of his manners. We do use a stud chain on him, but it is more to let him know that "yes, this is breeding time" than because we need it. We also started breeding him at age 2, while we were showing him (against the recommendation of the breeder we got him from) but it worked out fine. We gave him lessons in our practice ring, in his show halter, near (but not too near) a mare in heat, and reminded him that in this situation, it is all business and just ignore the mare. He is very smart and he got it! He is also the easiest horse to train I have ever worked with and is green broke to drive, he jumps and has his Pinto Championship, earning his performance points in trail in hand. He nipped once, was reprimanded, and decided not to do it again! As I said, we got very lucky. But we were also careful and consistent with him.

 

[Margaret]

Most stallions as yearlings are quite hormonal especially if around mares..

They will test you in many ways ..What they need is daily training sessions,( if even only 5 to 10 minutes a day) of you being in control of them.. This way they will learn to respect you.. (Teaching them whoa, backing up, and walking mannerly on a lead next to you, ect. )

They really need to be trained consistantly durring this time as they have a tendency to be more ornery than mares, due to their hormones..

But even with training I have discovered that some stallions will always be difficult to manage, and others wont... So choosing the right stallion with a good disposition from the start does help.

 

[Molly's Run Minis]

thanks for all the advice! i do have 1 more question though, i'm a girl and was wondering if he'll try anything with me at "that time of the month"?

 

[Minimor]

stallions do not react to the smell of blood, so your colt should show no interest in you when it is 'that time of the month'. Menstruation is quite different from a mare that is in heat, so your colt is not going to mistake one for the other!

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

Let's see a picture of your new stallion.

 

[txminipinto]

Everyone has given you excellent advice so far. I use stud chains on some of my studs and not on others. It just depends on what works for that horse. I whole heartedly agree that manners are the most important thing you can teach a stud. They will constantly test you to see if you are still Alpha. NEVER EVER turn your back on one or 100% trust one. They are stallions and should be respected no matter their size. I have handled some fairly rank mini studs in my day and they are nothing to mess with. If his tempermant is poor following training, he needs to be cut. Its just not worth the worry and injury.

 

[Molly's Run Minis]

Let's see a picture of your new stallion.

oh i havent gotten him yet but don't worry, i'll have plenty of pics to share

he's a beauty. he was born silver black(i think) but grayed out like his mom. his bloodlines include shadow oaks paul bunyan, shadow oaks top banana, sooner states bit o honey, fwf little blue boy, fwf little boy blue, asa blue boys all fired up, rowdy and hemlock brooks silver legend. i would post foal pics but i don't know if i'm allowed to

 

[Molly's Run Minis]

stallions do not react to the smell of blood, so your colt should show no interest in you when it is 'that time of the month'. Menstruation is quite different from a mare that is in heat, so your colt is not going to mistake one for the other!

oh ok thanks. i just wanted to clear that up in my head. that was one thing that i was REALLY worried about

 

[Margaret]

Ok Molly's run, I have noticed a difference in some stallions when it is durring that time of the month with me, -so yes, I have to be on guard if I am around certain types of younger stallions durring this time.. Truthfully I prefer to avoid these overly intrested pesky boys durring that, unless I care to administer a serious training lession, lol. And I really prefer to avoid them as some just dont seem to get it.. lol

My older stallions seem to know better.

But some of these younger wippersnappers could use a good lesson as they are full of it,- so if you feel like using it for a training oppurtunity go for it..

They really just need to learn to respect you know matter what..

You could teach them to back up with a halter and lead rope and when they come into you and say BACK at the same time so they will understand for next time..

Or you can do as I have done and go out in my pasture and swing a lead rope around to keep them at a distance.. lol

 

[Tab]

You probably already know this, so sorry if I'm not telling you anything new

The one thing I could add to these great replies is if you are a soft touch it may not be a good idea to have a stallion. They need firm (but fair) handling. A "little" nipping/biting/kicking/rearing/striking habit on a colt can become a dangerous habit as the horse matures. Never a good idea to turn your back on the boys.

Side note: I love stallions. I love their showy temperaments, they offer me a challenge, and they can be very sweet and loving horses with the right handling. I have a stud that doesn't really seem to notice the mares much at all unless they are in heat. My other stallion would breed any mare that stands still, even if she isn't in heat.

As long as the stallion isn't being used, some of the screaming and acting up problems might be remedied with some mentholatum smeared on his nose. I never noticed my stallions being dangerous when I had my monthly, but there are a lot of people who swear that it's a real problem, so maybe you could use mentholatum to help block that scent, as well

 

[Molly's Run Minis]

You probably already know this, so sorry if I'm not telling you anything new

The one thing I could add to these great replies is if you are a soft touch it may not be a good idea to have a stallion. They need firm (but fair) handling. A "little" nipping/biting/kicking/rearing/striking habit on a colt can become a dangerous habit as the horse matures. Never a good idea to turn your back on the boys.

Side note: I love stallions. I love their showy temperaments, they offer me a challenge, and they can be very sweet and loving horses with the right handling. I have a stud that doesn't really seem to notice the mares much at all unless they are in heat. My other stallion would breed any mare that stands still, even if she isn't in heat.

As long as the stallion isn't being used, some of the screaming and acting up problems might be remedied with some mentholatum smeared on his nose. I never noticed my stallions being dangerous when I had my monthly, but there are a lot of people who swear that it's a real problem, so maybe you could use mentholatum to help block that scent, as well

oh believe me when it comes to being naughty i dont have a soft touch lol! i have a VERY strict no biting, kicking or rearing at me policy. when they behave they get plenty of scratches and loving. and thanks for the side note, very helpful if he does notice

 

[Tab]

Sounds like you are well prepared

 

[Sandee]

Yeah, what Rabbitsfizz says! On the other hand my guy is and mostly has been a perfect gentleman. Now about that statement....He is a "perfect gentleman" and a "lover" to me because I know what to expect from him and even anticipate what he might try and "head him off". We got him at 1 1/2 yr. old. We have worked with him on rearing as a 2 yr old.(which he no longer does.

We work daily on nipping and respect of space. Daily because each time you take a horse out of stall you are "training" him. If he "gets away" with something one day he will try it the next and so forth. It's best to correct bad behavior right away. Also always think about the things your horses do and say would I tolerate this from one that weighed 1100 lbs. If the answer is no then you shouldn't be letting the "little" ones get away with it either.

Be aware if someone else handles your horse besides you that he will pick up habits from them too. My stallion began pulling and jumping around on the way to the pasture and coming out of his stall. I worked with him on this and commented to my daughter about how it was out of character for him. OOPS, she admitted to "playing" with him (chasing, playing tag, etc.) when she turned him out. I'm too old to play these games so unless she's willing to take care of him full time, it has to be my rules!