Stallion Breeding Age

[Buckskin gal]

Well said :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033:

Is it possible that Nathan and Rabbit are both right?

In many large horse breeds a successful stallion could have dozens of mares booked to him every month during the breeding season. Asking a immature horse to handle that kind of workload might indeed bring ethics into play. When there is a the possibility that the young stallion could have reduced fertility due to his young age... that might bring business ethics into consideration as well. When breeding season is in full swing even keeping a fully mature stallion in top form can be a challenge.

What the discussion seems to be about here though is breeding a young stallion to a few of the stallion owners mares. If the owner owns a stallion, they obviously feel that they can deal with stallion behavior, so that really isn't an issue. No money has passed hands, so it can't be business ethics.... that leaves the issue of workload. Is the stallion able to deal with the stresses of breeding?

I would never try to breed sixty plus mares to a two year old stallion. Even if his motile sperm count was off the charts, ethically I have a problem asking an immature horse to do that much work. Would I breed my two year old to one or two of my own mares? Sure. I don't feel that would harm my horse at all.

Like anything else the care that the horse receives, the experience level of the owner, and the quirks of the horse itself should all influence ethical decisions. Please remember that research is necessary to make informed decisions, but research cannot determine ethics. By the same argumet, someones description about what they are doing an ocean away doesn't decide it for me either. Ethics are personal decision. We should expect to be able to discuss, argue, and rant about them but we cannot prove or disprove something like an ethic. We can make rules to regulate behavior, but the best we can do with ethics is reasonably state our cases and hope to win over others to our way of thinking =).

Regards

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

WOW Nightflight I gotta say I love your style and you are in my book anyway (for whatever that is worth) totally right on all points

 

[BigDogs & LittleHorses]

It would be an interesting study to see if there is a correlation between early breeding experience and stallions with lifelong anxiety, aggression, social, and/or sexual frustration problems. It would seem to me that a youngster would not have yet effectively learned self restraint and how to control those hormones as well. Letting him go all the way early might keep him stuck in the state of mind. Maybe I am anthromorphizing a little too much. My stallion didn't breed until about 7 years old and he seems to be pretty mellow when in a non-breeding situation. He's not a gelding, and isn't treated like that, but he's not a terror either.

A friend of mine had a mini stallion who often seemed to be a frustrated, anxious mess and not very fun to be around. I don't know what caused that. Maybe it was just genetics. He is gelded now and it has seemed to make him be a lot more at peace.

Daryl

 

[RedWagon]

Wow! I had no idea my simple question would stir up such a debate! :new_shocked: Someone asked me if it was true that AMHA didn't allow any stallions under the age of 3 to register its get. I didn't think there was such a rule and I couldn't find it in the rulebook, so I just thought I would put the question out there to other breeders in case I overlooked the rule. I didn't want to give anyone misinformation. I do appreciate those that answered my question and also those that posted their opinions on the issue. I think it always does one good to listen to others' points of views.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

As I said a couple of pages back, Julie, I do apologise to you for us getting so off topic on this!!

I think you got your answer fairly early on, and as to the rest of it, I think that Colleen (Nightflight) settled it admirably!!