Mare VS Gelding Pros and Cons

[Shari]

Maggie, only poops in the corner of the stall, if she has to be in a stall, she refuses to walk in her own stuff. Out in pasture, she will only go on one of two piles. She likes things neat... and I love it!

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I have to admit, I'm a gelding fanatic. LOVES my boys! HOWEVER- when I was showing Pinkie she never gave me any problems, we never knew when she was in heat by her temperment (however...she was pretty messy "back there" ...

) and she is still one I can grab out of the field, harness and go without any trouble, even if she hasn't been touched in weeks/months! And this week I'm going to start Fancy driving and I think she'll be the same way. But, I personally just prefer geldings, probably because that's all I had when I first started.

 

[wildoak]

I rode mostly mares for many years and loved them... but I never had a mare that was a problem. One of my daughter's show mares was very mare-ish when in heat, and gave me a close up look at the other side lol. We kept her on hormones when she was showing and she was very level that way. She's long since retired, but can still be a nuisance when she's in. I started her on Mare Magic recently and there was an immediate difference!

I've shown both mares & geldings with the minis (and stallions), and have to say it's largely just a difference in individual horses. Some mares are crabby, some aren't. Some geldings are great, some are timid and seem to lack focus but again, I think that's more of an individual difference than any particular gender trait. I would say show the horse you like.

Jan

 

[Helicopter]

Love 'em all.

As many others have said it's really down to the personality of the individual.

I luuuurve my geldings and adooore my mares......or is it the other way around.

 

[Zoey3]

Thanks for all the replies! Glad to know not all geldings are hard to keep weight off, I just now my mom's gelding is and have heard they were in general. Also glad to hear not all mares are hormonal. I am not looking to buy, but sell one as I have too many and am not going to breed. I have one AMHR/ASPC yearling stud that will be gelded soon, one ASPC yearling filly and one AMHR yearling filly. The ASPC filly is my favorite, she has the a perfect combination of sweet personality and good conformation, she is not going anywhere. The other two I have had a hard time deciding, wish I could just keep both! I just cant afford to keep all three and dont have the time for all three. So I have sell one. The AMHR filly has the sweet personality, but the boy has the better conformation. He is just so studly right now, its hard to know how he will be as a gelding. I know his father and mother are sweet natured. Will probaly keep him since my goal is to show and he has awesome confomation and movement.

 

[earthchild]

The only problem I have with geldings is the sheath cleaning.

 

[chandab]

The only problem I have with geldings is the sheath cleaning.

Me, too!

 

[Riverrose28]

You think you have a problem with cleaning a gelding, try cleaning a breeding stallion when he needs to be cleaned each and every time he is exposed to a mare, it's hit or miss sometimes! Just to lighten it up guys.

 

[Sandee]

Wow, my gelding, who is 24, HATES to be cleaned down there but when my recently gelded younger guy was a stallion he loved being cleaned so much it was embarrassing.

 

[MindyLee]

Wow, my gelding, who is 24, HATES to be cleaned down there but when my recently gelded younger guy was a stallion he loved being cleaned so much it was embarrassing.

LOL My boys dont mind and one of them gets to confertable when cleaning his. I do however make 120% sure when I am cleaning my boys, the hubby is not around or I hear all kinds of jokes as hes trying to take pics with his phone to send to all his buddys while continuing to make jokes!!!

 

[Riverrose28]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has to listen to hubby's jokes, sometimes it gets me so angry and I tell him to do, and he says no way, you're so good at it! MEN!

 

[Carolyn R]

That would be the day my husband would even consider cleaning a horse's sheath. When we get another gypsy vanner, if it is a gelding, it will be well worth paying the vet $15 to do a cleaning when out to do teeth or such. Maybe since the next one will be one for him and the kids to ride out on with me that should be a stipulation, he does the cleaning! I think he would sooner say no to getting the horse rather than do the cleaning.

 

[Riverrose28]

I know this is way off the op's topic but has anyone else, women, ever wondered why men don't want to do this simple task? For goodness sake it's not that big of a deal. My hubby has a 30 year old gelding, he will trim hooves, clip, bath, whatever, but not clean the private parts, I've had to do it the whole life of the horse. I'd be interested in hearing from Nathan or Matt on this subject. I love to show geldings they are so easy going, hubby likes to show stallions, but actually my heart horses have always been mares, go figure, but hubby won't clean them either, you know where.

 

[chandab]

I know this is way off the op's topic but has anyone else, women, ever wondered why men don't want to do this simple task? For goodness sake it's not that big of a deal. My hubby has a 30 year old gelding, he will trim hooves, clip, bath, whatever, but not clean the private parts, I've had to do it the whole life of the horse. I'd be interested in hearing from Nathan or Matt on this subject. I love to show geldings they are so easy going, hubby likes to show stallions, but actually my heart horses have always been mares, go figure, but hubby won't clean them either, you know where.

Perhaps when you get an answer to that question, you can also find out why guy's have a hard time getting their dogs neutered; seems to be universal, but then explain why they have no problems castrating calves and colts.

 

[kales]

In my opinion it totally depends on the horse.

I don't have experience in showing minis, but in show jumping I didn't prefer one over the other. I've had some very honest and trying gelding and mares. Along with hot geldings and mares.