Stud

[GizmoThePony]

Hello All!!!!!
I bought myself a cute miniture Pony (32inch)
His name is Gizmo and he is such a nice boy.
Hes all by himself right now and yes some of you may think its mean but he is a stallion and i cant put a mare with him.
I want to get him a buddy but i cant spend a lot of money.
So how do i keep him entertained for the time being?
I would get a goat but with the fence i have (Two electric wires) I dont think it will keep him in.

 

[Marty]

I don't like to see horses all alone for their own mental being. So for entertainment purposes all you can do is work with him daily, which is for your entertainment, not his, because his entertainment is grazing.

A goat will eat his mane and tail off anyhow.......

Geld him and get him a companion of his own species as soon as you can afford it.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Welcome to Lil Beginnings.

This is the place to get answers to any questions that pop up with minis.

I have to agree with Marty, your best bet is to have him gelded and solve the 'can't put him in with a mare' dilemma, he may not be able to live with a gelding either as many stallions are quite territorial with other male horses. Also even tho he seems so easy to handle and quiet to you he is still driven by the same hormones a full sized stallion would be and 2 electric wires are not likely to be enough to hold him back if he wants out be it to see a mare or challenge another horse. He doesn't know he's just a little guy and may try to take on a full sized horse and get hurt, or hear or sense in some way that another horse is nearby (down the road even) and get hurt on the road trying to reach them. Horses are herd animals and will look for a herd (even of 2) to belong to. This is even more likely to be a problem with a stallion.

Entertaining him with your time is one way to help fill his day but of course you can't be there 24/7. In truth only another horse is going to be ideal but you can also find a number of toys that will entertain him a little. Balls made for horses, toys that drop treats when they are jostled etc. and a slow feed hay net to let him nibble all day are a few options.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Agree, get him gelded and then he can go anywhere.

 

[Carolyn R]

Yes, gelding is the way to go. There are studs that are well behaved, BUT any horse will challenge an owners degree of knowledge and handling. Even the most well behaved studs will start by pinning their ears, if they get away with that, they may do a mock nip, not making contact, then progress to sneaking in a bite, aiming their but at you and possibly sneaking in a kick, .....combine all that with the extra hormones that drive a stud to be dominant over his herd ( which, for now, is you because he has no mares), and the fact that you are new to this ( we all start somewhere, you'll get the hang of it, don't worry), gelding is the way to go! It takes time to be able to read a horses subtle body language, gelding does not make it an instant cake walk, but it does take away the hormones and make for a much more level headed companion.

As far as the roaming if he knows other horses are around, I absolutely agree with this! We have two neighborhood mares, one is a few hundred yards away, the other 1/2 a mile away, single horse homes. Nothing is more agitating than waking to a barn full of screaming horses because the neighbor left their fence open and their horse is now frantically trying to get into my horse turnout at 2 am. The neighbors horses are mares, but none the less, they do not have a secure enclosure and constantly get out and come onto our property ( have even broken our fence down, putting our horses at risk of injury or escape).

 

[Performancemini]

Yes-geld. I know you said you couldn't spend a lot, but the cost of having him gelded can save money in the long run in many ways. Geldings are great!

 

[susanne]

.

I have to agree with the others.

I won't question your ability to handle a stallion. Many people do just fine. I base my reasons upon my own personal experience with two stallions that I have since gelded.

My first stallion was a sweet boy who suffered from excess testerone. He had a need to dominate and was not as enjoyable because of it. Once we gelded him, he became MY boy. His loving nature became totally focused upon us (and his gelding buddy) and no longer had the need to dominate. He still retained his spirited, headstrong personality, but I was able to channel it in positive directions. This is Mingus, and he is the now the darling of everyone who meets him. I've had people question why I would ever geld such a beautiful horse, but I would never have been able to take him out to show or drive if he had remained a stallion, so they would never have known how beautiful he is.

Flash remained a stallion because he was so good and gentle -- he acted less like a stallion than Mingus as a gelding. He was a total lap pony, but when we brought our filly home, he decided the geldings needed to die and attacked them. We separated him and all was well, but my sweet boy was stuck alone in his own corral with no chance to socialize. I hated this, and as soon as possible had him gelded. Now he is in with our other horses, sharing mutual grooming, vying for scritches and attention from his humans, and being happy as part of our little herd. Unlike the common misconception that all geldings turn into fat slugs, he has more energy and loves showing off what a beautiful horse he is.

These days there are too many horses and not enough good homes. Almost nobody in the miniature horse world breeds to outside stallion, and it's pointless to keep a horse entire on the off chance you may some day decide to breed.

My point is not that stallions are bad or dangerous, but that geldings are SO good and fun! You'll both be much happier.