Potential adopter in Colorado

[Nathan Luszcz]

I have a friend in Colorado (near Denver) who is thinking about perhaps getting a little mini mare to hang out with. Nothing special, but it would be his first horse and therefore without major issues. I'll be around a little bit to help him out in the near future, and I might be able to get someone else to work with him one-on-one after that. She'd be commercially boarded so there would be someone qualified watching over things as he learned. Does anyone know of any good mares in need of a good home in that area? Thanks!

 

[Jill]

Does it need to be a mare? Or is a gelding an option?

To me, first horse and wants to have fun jut begs for a gelding. Additionally, I wouldn't want to see any mares that are adopted used as breeding animals.

 

[kaykay]

we have several rescues in our custody right now but none close to colorado. I agree with Jill, a gelding would be best for a first horse.

 

[FoRebel]

I agree with Jill and Kay. In my honest opinion, a gelding would be better for a beginner. What I have learned from my stallions, geldings, and mares is that geldings are more forgiving than stallions or mares. IMO, geldings are easier to deal with since you don't have the estrous mood swings of a mare or the breeding urge with a stallion. I will keep my eyes and ears open for horses in Colorado.... He might want to google some of the equine classified websites if he can't find an equine adoption agency in Colorado.

Here's the link to a bunch of adoption links for the USA http://www.equinerescue.info/links.html There are a few for Colorado on that website.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I've worked with horses for a long time

I know the differences between a mare and gelding. She can be an ovex for all I care, breeding isn't an issue, but he's not interested in a gelding. They are wonderful, but I (and he) prefers a little more personality, more than the average gelding. I know how to own an intact animal and not breed

Just because it has testicles or overies doesn't mean it needs to have foals.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

You are entitled to your opinion but I gather you have never owned a gelding.

 

[Jill]

I think Jane may be on to something! My own geldings have plenty of spark and personality.

 

[kaykay]

nathan my response had nothing to do with breeding or who is asking. I ALWAYS recommend to every first time horse owner that they get a gelding. Even if its not a rescue horse that is what I tell people. A great gelding is priceless in my opinion. Every new owner that comes to my farm is told this even if I dont have one to sell.

 

[Ashley]

Give me a gelding any day! I have one stallion, he is awsome but he is very indifferent some days. THe mares, well, they have there mood swings and lets just say there mood swings and mine dont always mix well. I do love my broodmare to death. She is more like a gelding but moms mares...........whole new story.

Now, I currently have one gelding with 2 that are going to be gelded next spring or when ever there jewels show up. My gelding has the biggest personality of them all. I even sold a gelding to a forum memember that is the biggest goof there is to be found. Sorry, love the geldings so much more.

 

[TinyMiteVillage]

Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion. I have both mares and geldings and they all have personality. But I can see wanting a mare........I personally like to dress the girls up with bows and ribbons in their manes and so on..........you know buy the pink stuff......girl stuff..........I am sure whichever one they decide to get will be spoiled and pampered........

 

[FoRebel]

Nathan, When I agreed with Jill and Kay it wasn't because I didn't think that you didn't know how to handle not breeding. I was sure you did. My point was, that for a first time buyer a gelding is more forgiving while you're learning and making mistakes. Some mares will hold the mistakes you make in the beginning against you for the rest of their lives.

As for the personality, my 2 geldings have the biggest personalities on the farm!!! My yearling mare is still coming into her own with the personality. But my 13 y.o and 2 y.o geldings have the personalities that I was looking for. So saying that a gelding doesn't have a personality is a total disservice to those geldings that do.

I have been working with horses for 20+ years and I have had more geldings than mares. My geldings have always had bigger personalities, listened better, and in general behaved better than the mares. But if your friend prefers a mare then that's what he prefers. Just don't discount a gelding because he's not a mare... he (you) may find a gelding that has the qualities you wanted in a mare... Just please, DON'T TOTALLY DISCOUNT A GELDING.

 

[liltnt]

I would have a gelding before I had a mare in a heart beat. Personality what and how much persohnality do you want? I have one the cuddles on a regular basis and there are no mood swings tod eal with. I to would highly reccommend a gelding. Now is he listening to you or does he really care

Gelding

 

[SHANA]

Hi, I have one mini stallion, one mini gelding, 5 mini mares, 4 mini fillies, 1 arab mare, and 2 arab fillies and each horse is different. My gelding happens to be a real pain sometimes, a handful. My stallion on the other hand is quite and knows when it is time to breed. We only breed him to mares in certain areas. He settled 6 mares no problem this summer, one aborted but nothing to do with my stud. My mares and fillies are different. They have there good days and bad days, like most people.

:

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Owned one, leased three Rabbit. And now own two stallions. In fact, I've never personally leased nor owned a mare. Just geldings and stallions. My personal order of preference is stallion, mare, gelding.