Big and Little horses together

[Marsha Cassada]

I wanted to ask this seperate of the poll going on about selling a little horse to be with a big horse. I have had two stallions for sale in the last couple of years and several people called and wanted to buy them for teasing big mares. Not being a breeder, I was not sure what was involved with that, but it sounded dangerous for my little guys. I did not sell.

Marsha

 

[~Palomino~]

from what I understand Teasing is just seeing if the mare is in heat, that dosent mean that they have to be put in the same pen, they can be accross the other side of the fence, wich most people do! i know a few people who have tease stallions, I think it is fine, just as long as there not in the same pen! Its just like seeing if your mini mares are in heat!

 

[Minimor]

Over the years I have known a few people that use Mini stallions for the purpose of teasing their big mares.

Unfortunately, Gage, yes, many times these people do actually run the Mini out on pasture with the big mares. The idea is, he's out there with them 24/7 so when a mare comes into heat it's going to be noticed right away. Convenient, because even though the stallion is right out there with the mares, he's too small to be able to get any of them bred. The owner can go and get the mare & breed her to the full size stallion she's meant to be bred to.

I don't think much of this practice because

1) it's much too easy for the little stallion to get injured by one of the big mares

2) many many times these breeders have commented on how ill tempered the little teasing stallion got. Sometimes the little guy gets a mare or two of his own to breed, but many times it seems these breeders just figure it's amusing that this little stallion is out there with all these mares but never, ever "gets any". The stallion is in a perpetual state of frustration.

 

[tagalong]

Many big farms use small stallions to tease the mares - from the other side of a fence or barrier - as opposed to using the stallions they have standing at stud.

I worked at a large Thorooughbred farm where the teaser was a small Shetland... who loved his job... he got to flirt and squeal and shriek his head off... and there was not a single mare on the place who could resist his charms...

 

[choklitbean]

My aunt used a small welsh as a teaser stallion for her QHs. During breeding season he was housed in a secure fenced area next to the mares where he couldn't get kicked but still do his job. He was very well taken care of and was a perfect gentleman when you were handling him.

In fact he's one of the welsh stallions I ended up with and produced a very nice filly for me.

edited to say: It's just alot easier for breeders to bring out a small stallion to check the mares than a big one. And as my aunt mentioned, when your breeding stallion is worth $?00,000 dollars you don't want to take chances parading him around the farm.