Teaser Stallions

[Kootenay]

Hi everyone,

Thought I would bring up this topic, as i had an email from someone asking if I knew where to get a mini stallion to use as a teaser for thoroughbred horses. Am I not the only one who thinks this is cruel? I point blank stated that I did not think there would be one self respecting breeder out there willing to sell a stallion for that purpose. I also said that he could place want ads or go to auctions. I didn't even feel good telling him that. It's really bugging me that someone would think that is a nice life for a horse.

It really made me really sad that somebody would treat this sweet breed as 'disposable'. I don't think it's ethical or right, but that is just my opinion.

Thoughts?

 

[Mominis]

I think you telling him to check auctions was a wonderful suggestion. While a career as a teaser wouldn't be great, it beats the heck out of the alternative for many of the horses that go through auction.

 

[Kootenay]

I think you telling him to check auctions was a wonderful suggestion. While a career as a teaser wouldn't be great, it beats the heck out of the alternative for many of the horses that go through auction.

I did think about that, and yes it could quite the cushy lifestyle for the little guy. I always thought that if they ever got sick of him, they could geld him and send him up to me

. I always have room for another 'rescue'. I found one stallion in the classifieds, but kept my mouth shut about him. He was ADORABLE and papered.

 

[Miniv]

I agree with both of you -- Kootenay and Mominis........

I don't think much of people who only consider mini stallions good for Teasers either...... (People use goats the same way too!)

Having them rescue a mini stallion from an auction was a GREAT idea!!!!

 

[Kootenay]

I'm all for rescuing from auctions--or just rescuing in general. Both my little rescued misfits 'came to me' so to speak. I received phone calls about both of them, and as far as i'm concerned I could manage at least 2 or 3 more

.

(runs out to hug her little fuzzballs)

 

[Minimor]

I'm another who doesn't think much of using minis as teaser stallions for big horses. There are plenty of breeders, though, who will sell a Mini for that purpose so I know that not everyone agrees with me. Just the other day someone mentioned to me about a farm that would take a Mini to use for teasing & I said I wouldn't sell one for that purpose so they needn't come looking here. I think she thought I was weird--she figured that would be a great life for a little horse, he'd be well cared for & would get to spend his time doing what 'boys like to do'.

Different times over the years I've heard different big horse breeders say that they like to use a Mini because the mini is cheap to keep, and if he happens to get kicked, oh well, it's better that than having their good stallion get kicked & injured.

There are just so many reasons why I don't approve.

 

[Jetiki]

I've known a couple of people that use the minis for teasers BUT The mini also had a few mares of his own, he wasn't kept all alone. They were quite happy and it seemed to work for all of them. The ones I knew had a pretty cushy life. I would say it would depend on the circumstances and the practices of the farm that was asking about the stallion.

Karen

 

[ruffian]

I've known a couple of people that use the minis for teasers BUT The mini also had a few mares of his own, he wasn't kept all alone. They were quite happy and it seemed to work for all of them. The ones I knew had a pretty cushy life. I would say it would depend on the circumstances and the practices of the farm that was asking about the stallion.

Karen

I agree with Karen. I sold a stallion many years ago to a standardbred farm for just that purpose. He had 2mares full time for company, and occasionally flirted with the big mares. He had the life of Riley!! Lots of pets, loving, attention, and people who knew how to take care of him.

 

[Kootenay]

I'm in tears of what I heard outside this forum tonight.

I learned that it is cheaper in more than one way to have a mini stallion at a big horse breeding facility. Not only are they cheaper to feed, it's less expensive when they get kicked in the face/etc, and suffer injuries. It's 30% less (cost) to get that horse disposed of when it's dead than a big horse. If they live-they live crippled.

 

[End Level Farms]

I know a quarter horse breeder who picked up a mini stallion at an auction that she uses as a teaser. However he has 1 mare that lives with him full time that doesn't catch (but comes into heat)

She takes extra care with him treats him better than I have ever seen a teaser treated. And her mares are only teased in Stocks so they are extremely restrained. She takes extra care not to allow him too close. She also has a muzzle on the mares so they are unable to bite him.

And while I dont agree with it because too many people DONT CARE. What she is doing I dont see are hurtful to him. And saved him from starving. (Which when he came to her the vet did not think he would make it he was so under weight)

 

[krissy3]

I often wonder why a stable of large horses would have 1 mini stallion...now I know why. I agree with the majority of the people on this post. I think its unsafe for the stallion, unfair, and just plain cruel

I dont agree with this practice no matter how nice you think his life is.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I must not be understanding what we are talking about here?

What is the advantage of a Mini teaser, if the mare is correctly restrained?

The only advantage of a Mini would be if you were going to run it in the herd with the mares, so it could spend all it's time jumping up and down and getting kicked, and , when that happens, hey, we can get another one for $50 at the local auction (and those of you who breed pet minis, just mark this thread well. BTW!!) so we can have that one shot and get another!

If that is the case it is reprehensible, and it would serve them right if the mares stayed lying down, one morning, and they had a herd of AQHA (or whatever) X Minis the next year.

If they are restraining the mare in stocks, why not just use the big stallion?

We never had a teaser, and we bred up to fifty mares a year. The stallions did their own teasing, at a fence, over a door, whatever.

No problem, no need for a teaser.

Rabbit does most of the teasing here as he is a gentleman, and will accept "no" for an answer.

Carlos is a thug (who is learning better manners slowly!) and D.C is a teenager, but the idea of using and animal as a teaser is old fashioned and pretty pointless.

If you really had to have a teaser, a gelding would do as well as a stallion, in most cases, as mares are not known for their pickiness at times like those

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I've worked around MANY breeding farms, and a teaser is a must for any large scale well managed breeding farm. Usually they are ponies, but minis are quite common as well. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Most farms reward the teaser with a few breedings to keep his interest as well as reward him for his work.

Geldings are generally very poor teasers.

Large farms don't use the breeding studs as tease horses because excessive teasing lowers sperm concentration and increases ejaculate volume, two things that result in problems for the mare.

 

[Matt73]

I'm in tears of what I heard outside this forum tonight.
I learned that it is cheaper in more than one way to have a mini stallion at a big horse breeding facility. Not only are they cheaper to feed, it's less expensive when they get kicked in the face/etc, and suffer injuries. It's 30% less (cost) to get that horse disposed of when it's dead than a big horse. If they live-they live crippled.

Teasers are not, generally, put directly in harms way; it's usually done over a fence to protect both the mare and the stallion.

 

[Minimor]

Over the years I've been to a number of farms that had a mini or a pony stallion running out with the big mares--that way they could watch the herd & see when one of the mares was in heat, then they'd bring her in & breed her to whichever stallion they had chosen for her--they used a Mini or small pony for the purpose "because he can't reach so we won't have any accidental foals" to use their general wording. This was the no work way for them to determine when mares were ready for breeding.

That is why I'm opposed to using Minis for this purpose--the majority of these people didn't care if the little horse got kicked and injured. Oh well, it's just the Mini.

 

[muffntuf]

Teaser stallions are practice in big farms for many breeds. For the most part I do not see an issue because they are used through a fence, not directly in contact with the mare who could potentially hurt them. If it is done right, it saves the stallion and the mare that are incredibly valuable. And the miniature stallion is usually well taken care of.

I am sure there are farms that don't do things right, but I would hope that is far and few inbetween as this practice has been around for as long as the racing industry practically.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I just do not see the point of using a mini, if it is properly looked after, not in harms way etc, you might just as well use another horse!

The HUGE racing stud just down the road from me always used one of the less popularly bred stallions as a teaser (they went a lot on temperament) and, well, you really could not teach these people anything about stud management and they certainly had no problem with fertility.

I would not personally sell any Mini for such a purpose, just another reason my colts are gelded on the mare!

 

[Bess Kelly]

I'm with Nathan....if handled CORRECTLY there isn't an issue. IMO a major reason for a mini or pony is the ability to be handled by a less powerful person -- size being what it is -- and some of those large stallions are not the best natured!! Isn't it true that several of the large farms actually use collection and AI a huge % of the time??? Nathan?

When I kept 50 stalls of mares, the stallions took turns walking the aisle each day to see who was interested.

Then the selected stallion was used on that mare. No one got ill, hard to handle, deprived, injured and so on. Younger ones learned another good point in manners. In my opinion, few would turn them loose in the field with the mares.

As to goats, it is not unusual for a vascetomized male to be run with some of the herds. In fact, on know one farm who used a huge amount of AI BUT.....ran a fixed Romeo with them for after the input. They felt it helped the does to settle better with a little more than a vet to attend them.

My Boer herd was managed with bucks wearing marking harnesses, all had been hand raised and I could walk up to and lead any of them. It's all about consideration for both the animal and handler. Right?

 

[LaVern]

I hate teasing stallions or any animals. I think that most of our stallions are teased. We put them in stalls and runs were they can see and smell mares and let them pace back and forth until there is nothing left of them. Some get so upset they won't eat. Unless you are turning them loose with their mares or keeping them far away from mares we are teasing them. I see no difference in putting a stallion along side or near some miniature mares than along side some big horses. It is just mean.

I know that hand breeding is the preferred choice of many, but I hate it.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

It is very poor management to run mini or pony studs with larger horses; they WILL get them pregnant. I've heard many times of even draft sized mares laying down and allowing a 30" miniature stud to breed her.

For both AI and natural cover, it is important to tease the breeding horse as little as possible. When using AI, you want low volume, high concentration ejaculates, and with natural cover, especially heavily used thoroughbreds, it is CRITICAL to avoid very very low concentrations which both cause major inflamation and low fertility in mares. In my experience, AI farms don't worry too much about using the horses as tease horses on their off days. Busy TB studs, however, don't have the luxury of rest and need to be in tip top fertility.