Teaser Stallions

[tagalong]

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.

Agreed. IMO it is NOT cruel in any way. I have worked on a couple of big Thoroughbred farms where a Welsh pony and a mini were the teasers. They had excellent care, loved their jobs, and were never run loose with mares - only interacting through the fence. Thus it was not even dangerous - barring some extremely freak occurrence...

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. 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.

Our main herd sire runs himself down until there is nothing left of him when he is WITH the mares. He is happy and healthy with a fence between them... and being able to interact with them without having the stress of herding them around all the time. Stallions do NOT all react the same way. And thanks... but it is NOT

mean (or cruel or evil or anything else bad) to manage him in this way.

 

[Dontworrybeappy]

Even before I began breeding minis and I was breeding Arabians (still do, my Khemosabi++++// son was just a new daddy again yesterday!) I would never have considered using a mini as a teasing stallion for the simple reason that I have yet to have one of my mares take a mini seriously enough to "show" to one!

I've always pictured them giggling at a mini stallion behind his back, saying to each other "Do you BELIEVE what that little short guy thought he could do to ME? The things he was saying! The NERVE!"

 

[Kootenay]

Maybe I disagree with it due to the fact that a breeding farm would take that cheap route out-(not that most mini stallions out there sell for cheap), plus if he didn't have his own mares to service, he would in my eyes be 'pent up'-energetic in more ways than one.

I do agree that some stallions will pace their paddocks until they are thin and lean and lonely--(I owned one). That's not a fair life for them either unless they have mares to breed every year -(mine didn't and he kicked me in the chest one day out of the blue). I sold him back to the breeding farm he came from for his own good.

All in all--I love miniature horses, and do not want to see them ending up in bad situations.

 

[ruffian]

It's not necessarily the cheap way. Which would you rather handle - a 17 hand thoroughbred stallion or a 8 hand miniature stallion? I've been kicked and pushed by my horses occasionally, and it hurts a lot less than being run over or dragged by a full sized horse. So for safety, lots of farms use ponies or minis to check their mares. I don't think that the mares are "laughing" at the mini.

"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. "

Which would you prefer? A stallion who runs himself fit or one that is getting bit and kicked by mares that are going for domination or that are not in heat? Or a mare that is run into the ground because the stallion wants to breed? Or losing a foal because you don't know for sure when the mare was bred? My stallions all have individual runs. Some will run constantly, but they always take time out to eat. If it gets too bad, I lock them in their stalls, and they stand and relax until they get out again.

 

[Kootenay]

There is proper stallion husbandry, and there isn't. If that's the way things work, then I hope the horse is well cared for etc. I know I opened a whole can of worms, but there are parts of the industry we need to learn about.

 

[~Amanda~]

I was told that they prefer minis and ponies as teasers for a lot of reasons. It's not necessarily about 'cheap', though in some cases it might be.

I was told that they tend to be much more mellow and 'user-friendly' in terms of temperament (clearly not 100%, there was probably difficult minis and obviously very, very quiet 'big ones'). They tend to be less likely to get aggressive and they take it all in stride more.

They're also easier to handle and control if anything goes wrong, or one of the horses gets a bit too excited. A 32-inch mini is a lot easier to handle/deal with than a 16-hand horse.

I was also told, they tend to be gentler teasers than bigger horses: less likely to get rough with and/or scare the mare.

I also know some places do strictly AI and the only stallion they have is their teaser.

All the teasers I've personally met are sweet, well-cared for, and loved 'pets' almost. Yes, they have a job, but they're certainly not treated badly at all. That's just my personal experience though.

 

[krissy3]

There is proper stallion husbandry, and there isn't. If that's the way things work, then I hope the horse is well cared for etc. I know I opened a whole can of worms, but there are parts of the industry we need to learn about.

I think topics like this need to be talked about, even if it is opening pandoras box. So thanks!

 

[~Lisa~]

Not all stallions get to breed any time they so feel like it. There is nothing cruel about that. I have had stallions who have never bred a mare or who have perhaps covered once or twice a year.. the rest of the year they are there thru a fence line teasing mares on a daily basis. They are happy, healthy well adjusted horses.

I have seen stallions running with mares that were kept in what I consider cruel circumstances. Being a teaser horse in and of itself does not mean a life of inhumane treatment. There are many factors to consider and IMO his sexual excitement/frustration is not at the top of that list.