Stallion

[Taya]

I only breed 1 foal per year.

I was wanting to buy my own stallion/colt instead of using outside boys all the time.

What I want to know is only breeding one mare per year (with no outside mares) is that ok ?

He would have alot of human attention being shown, also at home doing jumping etc

He will have a paddock mate all the time either a gelding or the mare hes serving.

I would really like my own stallion but will only do this if this situation is ok for him. As he wont be serving alot, I was unsure if mentally this would be alright

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated

 

[ohmt]

I think that would be just fine and I'm sure he'd be happier than most having all that attention. My older stallion only gets one mare a year and he's as happy as can be and my other stallions usually have 3-4 so really not that many. Just make sure you get a gentle stallion as it sounds like with what you're going to want to do with him you need a laid back little guy.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

A stallion does NOT have to be actively bred each year to be content. His mental health is based on things other than how many mares he services. That said stallions are absolutely more work and can be harder to deal with than a gelding or mare. Some do not do well in with geldings some are fine. Each horse is an individual. I have 3 stallions presently (one was gelded this past summer so last year there were 4) and 2 of them do fine mingling with the geldings (of course if the mares were near by that could change in a heartbeat) but one of them must be housed alone. To prevent the problems associated with isolation I make sure he shares a fence line with others. Even that however may not be an effective option with a stallion who sees all other horses as competition and feels he must run the fence line and charge any horse that gets too close. Again, each horse is an individual and you would need to select your stallion carefully to find one that would be content and safe for your situation. With only one mare IMO, owning a stallion is far more work than its worth (for example he may decide he hates the gelding, leaving you to constantly struggle to keep them separated and the gelding safe) plus in breeding to outside stallions you have a greater gene pool to select from to get the very best foal from your mare. If you own a stallion and the cross does not turn out as you had hoped then you must decide whether or not you should sell either the stallion or the mare or geld the stallion and go back to breeding to outside horses. If it were me and I had only one mare I would NOT choose to own a stallion. JMO

 

[Taya]

Thanks for the replies.

He does not have to go in with one of the geldings its just an option for company if he needs it. We have plenty of space so the situation can be set up so it suits him (ie sharing fences etc)

Im in no hurry so careful selection would be done, with temperament playing a big part too.

I have thought of the stallion not suiting one of my mares and in that case she would be served by an outside stallion and my stallion could go to one of the mares that is better crossed with him. (2 foals wont be a problem every few years)

I have a lot to think about and I appreciate both of your comments and advice

If anyone else has more opinions etc they would be appreciated

Thanks guys

just wanted to add ive had plenty of experience handling aswell as showing stallions and colts just never owned one. Rest assured the decision wont be taken lightly.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

No, stallions do not have to breed to be happy, however, its rather silly to buy a stallion to breed one mare a year. You get much better oppertunities, much better bloodlines, much better variety breeding to an outside stallion every year. Take the money you spend maintaining your own horse, plus all the risk, and invest in a good quality breeding program sampling a larger selection and better quality.

 

[Taya]

Cheers Nathan

Maybe a stallion isnt the right thing for us at this time. I do enjoy only breeding one foal a year as I can focus on that foal. Will have a think about it for a few months (like I said im in no rush if I do)

Great to be able to come on here and get opinions and advice

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I should have added a "

" at the end of that, lol... came off a little more serious than I intended, lol.

There is a mystiek to owning a stallion... a point of pride and (for me) excitement. All my boys (big and little) are stallions, and do very little breeding. But I have them (mostly my QH) for the thrill of training, marketing, and the overall enjoyment of a much different beast. Also, people mistake both of my boys as geldings all the time. If it wasn't for my QH's jaw, people would never suspect!

So if you want a stallion for THOSE reasons, and are educated and prepared to house/care for/handle a stud (which it sounds like you are), go for it. But to get a stallion for the sole purpose of breeding your one mare every year is a very wasteful expenditure of your (probably limited, like most of us here!) funds. I'd plan on using him very little and still going to outside studs for the majority of your breeding, and spend the money there where it'll count a lot more. Its a looooooooot cheaper to buy a high quality breeding than it is to buy a high quality stud.

 

[Littleum]

I don't think the economics of it are really in your favor. It's pretty well established, actually, the economics of stallion ownership suck for the stallion owner.

Can you afford to buy as nice a stallion as what you breed to? Will the foals be as nice and as marketable? Very honest answer? Highly doubtful.

It doesn't save you anything. The stallion owner has already shouldered the impressive costs of initial purchase, marketing and showing the stallion. You end up with a much, much more marketable foal- and hopefully, a far better quality foal.

It especially doesn't save you anything if you're buying a lower quality stallion then what you'd breed to. Talk about false economy! And what happens if the resulting foals are unfortunate? You're stuck with the stallion. And even if you like the foals, in a few years you're going to have an outcross issue anyway.

 

[Taya]

Hi Littleun thanks for a different perspective! Its not a money thing im quite well off and can afford a good quality stallion.

I dont breed to try to make money I only have one foal a year so do it for the love of it. Money isnt a factor in this at all. Neither is my ability to handle him

Just need to know that if I did decide to take this route that the stallion will be ok mentally with only having one mare per year. I appreciate your response aswell as the others

 

[minimomNC]

Another thing to think about is what if the stallion you bought didn't cross well with your mare? Then you would have to try to sell that stallion to buy another one and in this economy, that might not be easy. I would check out farms in your area or in an area your willing to travel to with your mare and see what stallions are available. Then you have several to chose from and if one doesn't work well with your mare, the following year you can try a different one. It would be alot easier to check out the offspring of several established stallions to see what they cross best with before you decide.

I have three mares and am very lucky to be close to a farm with five stallions that I can see what they are producing before I pick which to breed to my mares. Plus I don't have to breed each mare to the same stallion, they are all very different mares so might not cross as well as another mare would.

Good luck with your choice and hopefully you will have an outstanding baby before you know it.

Karen

 

[Songcatcher]

Hi Littleun thanks for a different perspective! Its not a money thing im quite well off and can afford a good quality stallion.I dont breed to try to make money I only have one foal a year so do it for the love of it. Money isnt a factor in this at all. Neither is my ability to handle him

Just need to know that if I did decide to take this route that the stallion will be ok mentally with only having one mare per year. I appreciate your response aswell as the others

If I were in the situation you just described, I would certainly buy a stallion. Just know the stallion you are buying (and I'm sure you will). A stallion with the right temperment will have no problems with being allowed to service only one mare per year. A stallion with the wrong temperment would not be happy with a dozen mares per year.