Mixing the "Ungelded"

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A Yankee In NC

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I have a yearling of about 8 mos. whom I plan to have gelded in the next few months..however,

I got a call the other day about a woman who is getting divorced and needs to re-home her 13yr old stud.

While I have not yet heard back from her to ask her about her mini, I have a question to raise to the board..

I want to do what is best for my exsisting mini...

I know that alot depends on each individual horse..

Is it ok to have 2 testosterone laden horses pastured together?

I do not want to halve my pasture area and add a horse...I would rather see this horse go to another home if I would mean endangering either horse by having them together.

What questions should I be ready to ask her when she calls back?

Thanks for any input!
 
I would not plan on puting the two of them together. It might work out, but I personally wouldn't even try it. If you don't have a seperate place to put one of the horses I would suggest that you not take the mature stallion, just because if you try putting them together, you need to have a place to put one of them if you discover that they do not get along.

Please also realize that there is a very good chance that the mature stallion could hurt your young colt.
 
I know people who pasture their stallions together all the time. They don't have a problem until breeding season comes. But since you have no mares, I wouldn't think you would have a big problem. The problem I see with yours is the older stallion will try and dominate your younger one due to age. It could be over in a few minutes once your younger one bows down (also could help you with his dominating problems towards you too!). I would definately introduce them slowly first.

Personally, if the lady wants you to pasture him tell one she needs to do one or the other. Provide panels so that you can keep her stallion in a small pen so that the two horses can be introduced through the fence together. You never throw a horse out in the pasture with horses that have already been there and expect them to get along. Or she needs to geld him before he comes. Don't think its asking a lot to pasture his horse.

But.......if she's giving you this horse, then have a gelding party and they'll both be too drugged and sore to care! Hahaha!!!
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Although a gelded mature stallion will immediately no longer be able to breed it will take some time before his studly behaviours dissipate and even a more mature gelding will attempt to dominate a younger colt or gelding. Even after gelding they need to be introduced slowly through a fence before ever putting them together. I run all my boys in the same field when it is not breeding season - stallions and geldings alike. They are introduced through the fence until I am relatively certain they will get along. Even then there are usually some minor skirmishes and the odd scrape or two until their placement in the herd is established. You need to keep a close watch over the first few weeks to see that each is getting their share of food and none are being stressed by the others or bullied badly. Unless this horse is gelded before coming to you I would look at letting him go to another home.
 
I wouldn't try it..I know I am no one to talk but my friend has miniatures and decided to do that exact same thing. She introduced them and everything..but the mature stallion kicked the younger one's jaw and the young one had to be put down because he had permanent brain damage. I am not meaning to be mean..but this is what she told me.
 
Letting them run together, could be a "Vet Bill waiting to happen".

I do not understand why, but I certainly have had NO luck with letting my stud boys run together. I even have a four year old stud, and three year old gelding who are brothers, they have been looking at each other for years, I put them out together and one tried to kill the other one. So much for brotherly love.!! Needless to say, these two are still looking at each other through the fence. Wendy
 
This time of year I would not try it. Spring is in the air and hormones are rising. Even our geldings are playing rougher than usual. I just would not try it.
 
Thanks for all the input....

I had a feeling that the concensus would be to not put the two of them together...

I guess I will tell her that I cannot offer him a home...

I am sure she will find a suitable home for him.

thanks so much! Everyone here is always so helpful and honest!
 
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I have 4 stallions, one is going to be gelded this summer, I have 2 that are in the same paddock, they were brought up together one of these is going to be gelded, I have my main stallion that is in a paddock by himself and a 11 month old that is by himself, I would never but the younger one in a paddock with the other ones, I do not want a big vet bill.
 
All winter long my boys gelded and ungelded live together in 2 bachelor herds. As soon as spring arrives I take the mature stallions out and give them their own adjoining pens. The younger stallion has always been able to live with the geldings (he'll be 5 this year) but the older one has made it clear that he is a law unto himself and would prefer no company that wasn't female ;). As the younger one has matured I have just given him his own space when spring comes as well, it just seemed safer. Even in the wild the young stallions will live in bachelor herds but many of the older ones who have no harem live alone.
 

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