# Dangers of stallions



## Harue (Jan 28, 2008)

I need people to tell me the dangers of stallions and why some of them should be gelded. I need to convince my boyfriend that gelding isn't evil.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Let's just say you need a pair of your own(wink) to have a stallion as a general purpose horse. They always have the girls on his mind, and more often than not, if he has not been corrected and reminded, he may get into the mindset that "I am the stallion. I make the rules."

Why you should geld.
http://www.nchorsenews.com/Geld em.htm

http://www.pedlar.com/stories/010105/fea_01010502.shtml

http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-breeds/hormone-horse-behavior-1168.aspx


> . . . stallion-like behavior can make "studs" difficult to train and potentially very dangerous, particularly in inexperienced hands. Even those stallions with unusually docile temperaments need to be handled properly by expert horse people at all times. Even "nice" stallions can be lethal to novice handlers. For this reason, unless a horse has a one-in-a-million combination of top-quality conformation, temperament and bloodlines, and the owner intends to use him for breeding — or sell him as a stud — most trainers would advise owners to geld horses intended for everyday riding or showing.


If you are not planning to breed the stallion, he should be gelded. He will be much happier, as he won't have to focus on "the ladies" all the time.


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## Piper (Sep 14, 2007)

Here ya go...


http://www.nchorsenews.com/Geld em.htm


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## Piper (Sep 14, 2007)

Beat me to it lol


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## Grendel (Jan 22, 2008)

also, if you were planning on breeding him, you have to make sure is an absolutely beautiful horse.

reasons why you should geld also; there are too many horses without homes who end up in slaughter houses because a stallion accidently hopped over a fence and into a mares pasture, etc. we do not need anymore foals right now.

http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/


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## Harue (Jan 28, 2008)

We don't even have a horse... I hope we can have one in the future though. He just thinks that gelding is mean... Must be because he is a man and wouldn't want the same to be done to him. :lol: 
He also thinks that horses loose their "spark" when they are gelded. His sister is fine with stallions so he thinks that not gelding is fine...

And thank you for the links, but I think that they might be too hard for me to read (English isn't my first language.).


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

It may be the best thing to get him gelded.
Most stallions can be hard to handle, to be honest. I mean it depends on the individual. But if he's gelded he may be better behaved. They're usually on the lookout for mares in heat rather than doing their work, LOL! 
Good luck on convincing, though.


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## tim (Dec 31, 2007)

Two words: testicular cancer.

Tell that to your hubby.


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## buckaroo2010 (Nov 7, 2007)

I would have any boy horse gelded unless you were planning on breeding him with any mare


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## Tammy (Mar 1, 2007)

If your just planning on trail riding alot of rides we go on does not allow stallions to be on the rides.For the fact like everyone else said the have the ladies on their minds and if someone is not experienced enough to handle them it could lead to disaster and someone getting hurt.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

They are really not for novices, or even advanced riders. Professionals are best left to deal.

If you say "no" to him, and he starts to argue in the ways that stallions do, and you start to get scared or don't know how to handle him, he is just going to bull his way through you by any means possible to get his way. You have to be steadfast, and the true unfaltering boss. 

Male horses are very physical. I love watching the colts play vs. the fillies in the field. Our stud colts like to wrestle. They get very pushy with each other and rough each other around(lots of shoving) in thier baby stallion games. The fillies are the masters of cheap shots. They are not afraid to pin thier ears and kick and bite, but they are much less physical in thier playing. 

The non-stud acting stallions are very rare. Dare I say, "one in a million".


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## AKPaintLover (May 26, 2007)

Okay, I have not yet read the other posts, and I had to go digging in the training thread to steal this article *posted by Spirithorse* a while back, but it is very good. I don't understand the issue guys have with getting male animals fixed...they are taking it too personally  Stallions can be a whole different kind of animal than geldings and mares...your hubby's little sweetie can turn into a man eater  Plus they take so much more work - and that is not guaranteeing they will be docile. 

*Anyway, here is the article:*
Here is an article on stallions I've read several times before, and I think it's very good. 

Stallions 
Author's Note: Please know that my program is designed to teach people to teach their horses. I want you to know how good you are and to be savvy about when things are over your head. Safety is #1, and until you are Level 4, I have concerns about your safety with a stallion. The solution, therefore, is to put your stallion aside and get your savvy level up first... and remember, good stallions make great geldings. 

I once saw a woman killed by a stallion. He bit her throat and ripped her esophagus out. I know another person whose two fingers were snapped off and all the tendons from his forearm were torn out. I have known people who were picked up by the shoulder, or by the belly, in the jaws of a stallion. I myself have been picked up and dragged on two different occasions. 

One stallion in California lives in a maze of pens that funnel him into the breeding shed so no one has to handle him. All his teeth have been removed. Another stallion, one of the top thoroughbred sires in the world, was so vicious only one person could handle him. Anyone else entering his stall or paddock had to be protected by someone with a pitchfork. 

At top establishments around the world, breeding barns look like torture chambers, equipped with chains, whips, hobbles, helmets and flak jackets. Yet every year, every breeding season, people are still hurt, maimed, or killed by stallions. 

What does this tell you about the potential perils of owning a stallion? In a fight, even a grizzly bear is no match for a stallion. Most people who've been on the unhappy end of a stallion will tell you they never saw him coming... the next thing they knew, they were in his jaws. 

Some of you may think I'm exaggerating. All too often, stallion owners think, "It won't happen to me." Let me tell you, I'd rather have you mad at me for saying this, than to hear a report of your tragedy. Stallions are magnificent, awe-inspiring creatures. They demand a whole new level of savvy. 

A stallion's job is to procreate and to fight for dominance. He lets nothing stand in his way. Stallions will even fight to the death for dominance. When a stallion's libido is aroused, he becomes a superhorse. He has more strength, more fight, more bravery, more desire and more determination than ever. His hormones are like rocket fuel. Mixed with adrenaline, testosterone amplifies potential tenfold. 

Recently, a student asked me why some stallions seem pretty mellow compared to others. Aren't these a lot safer and easier to handle? Yes, in some situations, but not all. That's the kind of stallion who ripped out his owner's throat. 

For example, take a mild-mannered husband who's out with his wife. Everyone knows this man to be a friendly, reasonable, amicable kind of guy. Never seen him get mean or mad. In fact, wouldn't even think he had it in him. Until the moment some guy gets inappropriate with his wife. Then, watch out! 

This mild-mannered man turns into a tornado. He's on the fight, ready to defend and protect his woman. There's nothing "left brain" or logical about this; it's totally right brain, or instinctual. In that moment, he's liable to do anything. His adrenaline is up, and he's become a superman. 

With a stallion, everything can be fine until: 

He's faced with mares. 

You get in his way. 

You challenge his dominance, even using the Seven Games. 

It's true that some stallions have a higher libido than others. For the most part, this is innate. But health and upbringing can affect behavior as well. 

A poorly fed horse, for instance, will have less energy and less desire than a fit horse on full feed and feeling great. I have often seen thin, wormy, listless stallions that turn into fire-breathing dragons once their health is restored. 

Upbringing is another influential factor. Let's consider the ways a young stallion might be raised: with other mares and geldings, with other stallions, or in solitary confinement. A number of scenarios can have a bearing on his behavior. 

I have found that the more unnatural the environment, the more perverted the behavior. Many stallions are kept isolated from other horses. Often, they're petted and handled by people who are unfamiliar with natural ways of creating respectful relationships. They are handled aggressively, punished for excitable behavior, restrained with chains over their noses or gums, kept on a tight rein. I liken this to men in jail, whose behavior rarely improves in prison; instead, it becomes more perverted. 

Stallions crave contact with other horses, so isolation only worsens their behavior. Unable to do their jobs, segregated stallions become extremely pent-up. Then, when exposed to other horses, they exhibit extreme aggression and become very difficult to handle. 

Think of it from the stallion's point of view. Kept in solitary confinement, you have no social contact, not enough exercise, and not nearly enough mental and emotional stimulation. Naked "girls" are led past your stall every day. You become very frustrated and bored. Then, you are taken to the breeding barn. When you're led out of your stall, how are you going to act? You know exactly when you are going and what will happen, so you get excited and start prancing. The mare is hobbled and twitched, and all you do is take a flying leap onto her back. No introductions, no friendly chit-chat, no foreplay, no rebuffs from the mare for rough or rude behavior. In my opinion, this is controlled rape. Stallions treated like this are taught to be rapists. 

On the other hand, when stallions are raised with other horses, they learn to become polite. If they're rude, a pair of teeth or heels quickly come their way. You must understand the horse's psyche and herd behavior, and with a stallion, you need a truckload of savvy. You must know how to earn his respect without using violence. You must read situations very quickly and stay one step ahead of what he's thinking, all the time. This is why handling stallions is a Level 4 study. You should be at least a Level 3 graduate. You need to be a Bruce Lee of horsemanship, to be Kung Fu, which means excellent - mentally, emotionally and physically. 


Stallions Demand Savvy... 

You've seen him; you might even own one... the young stud who playfully nips at you all the time. It's probably the question I'm most often asked; "How should I deal with this?" 

First of all, nipping is disrespectful behavior. A nipping horse is playing games: the Porcupine Game, to be exact; and he's usually winning them. If he can sneak in, take a nip, and then duck away, he's having a ball. Just watch young horses playing together. You'll see this exact same nip,recoil and duck pattern. It's even better if he can make you mad, more points for him! 

The answer for this horse, however, is not punishment. It's the same as for any horse with this behavior. That's why you need enough savvy to win the Seven Games, especially the Porcupine Game, and without your horse feeling like a loser. If you earn a horse's respect, he will not play those games on you. But you can't gain a horse's respect through punishment. Not only does it not cure the problem, it can come back to haunt you on a bad day, and on a bad day a stallion can be your worst nightmare. 

Very few stallions are excellent breeding quality. Far too many people keep a stallion because they don't have the heart to geld him. Yet, the stallion goes on to live a life of frustration. Instead of breeding several times a day during the breeding season, he's allowed one or two servings a year, if he's lucky. And yet all his hormonal and instinctual drives are still there. Without enough outlet for his libido, you'll have a very frustrated or depressed stallion on your hands, with potentially serious consequences. 

I geld my colts within the first two weeks of birth. After that, the testicles may be difficult to locate, and the next thing you know your yearling has a raging torrent of hormones coursing through his growing body. Some people are concerned that early gelding will affect a horse's growth and performance, but in my experience, this is not true. Many of my geldings were castrated at ten days old, and they've grown into stout, handsome horses. 

Don't keep your colt a stallion. There are thousands of stallions around who should have been geldedbecause of poor conformation, bloodlines or personality. They weaken the gene pool and are walking liabilities for their owners. When your horse is a stallion, you can never relax. 

Stallions handled by people with a great deal of savvy are exceptions. The Spanish Riding School and the great Fredy Knie (of the Circus Knie in Switzerland) are two outstanding examples. Both use stallions exclusively in their performances because of that "something extra" in stallions. In the right hands, this is truly spectacular. Their stallions are respectful and fulfilled. I repeat, fulfilled. This is probably the part that most people underestimate the most. Owning a stallion is not just about handling his behavior; it's about considering his life-style and needs, too. After all, natural horsemen always think about things from the horse's point of view first. 

Put yourself in a stallion's shoes.[/b]


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

i have known some stallions who actually get so excited when a mare on a nearby farm is in heat that they will mount ANYTHING this can be very dangerous for owners i mean stallions can be very very aggressive also. also it makes them more prone to cancer and other infections.


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## shauna1 (Oct 23, 2008)

The thing about stallions is that they must be trained properly. I was taught to ride, then taught to train horses using stallions. We never used "torture devises." Stallions must know that you are in charge...not them. But this is true with all horses. To be honest with you my mare was harder to handle than a lot of those stallions. I don't recommend a stallion to a novice by any means, but they can be great riding horses and friends. It's al about the training and continued handling.


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## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

Unless he is for breeding it is not an unwise choice to geld. Here is a story to share: Last year, at a farm not to far from ours, a trainer was working a stallion in the round pen and it went crazy. It attacked her and tore at her throat, stamped her to the ground. A person ran into help and got seriously attacked also. They were both helicoptered to the hospital. The stallion was supposedly a horse that had never had problems or displayed aggressiveness in the past. He was euthanized. I guess we have to realize that there is no horse that is 100% predictable.


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## BeauReba (Jul 2, 2008)

Just tell him unless he has perfect bloodlines, perfect conformation, something that most stallions don't offer, and your bf has a lot of money to raise all the darling little foals that no one will want to buy because the market is flooded... he should be gelded!


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

buckaroo2010 said:


> I would have any boy horse gelded unless you were planning on breeding him with any mare


Horses that are kept intact as stallions should have fantastic conformation, a well kept, solid show record, great bloodlines, superb temperment, ect. Horses that are bred just to be bred to any mare is what causes unwanted foals and horses eventually. Cutting out the less desirable and waiting for that perfect stallion to come along is well worth it, I think.


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## bedouin (Oct 12, 2008)

Wow, impressive reasons!
We only ride stallions, mares are very rare,...
In my case it is impossible to suggest gelding the stallions. Out of the question! Still without much experience I managed perfectly until now,... I rode several stallions, the good thing for me is that before I didn't hear the scarystories and I wasnt afraid at all, I want the horse to do what I have in mind and I go on until he understands, without using any torture, I just don't give up, I repeat and repeat. They're players for sure. All the horses (stallions) I know are so sweet, so calm, it occurred to me they surely must have been tortured before. Please I don't want to think of that. Still I am going to find out,...
Once ours mounted another saddled and ridden horse, that was dangerous and both horses had some blessures.
ThanX for the warnings.


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## DarkRider (Jul 2, 2008)

Goodness! Where do I even start! You stated your boyfriend says a stallion may loose his "spark", honey he may get more spark than he bargins for! Unless you all are going to be raising horses , I suggest you say goodbye to those two tag-a-longs and reserect that wonderful gelding lurking inside!

No matter how "quiet" a stallion is they are always testing you. Sometimes very subtle. Point is to always be on you toes with one , and never , ever turn your back on one...or any horse for that matter. I always say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Besides , most places do not allow stallions on rides.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Best choice yet. Don't give the BF the option of whining. Instead of buying a Stallion to geld, buy a gelding. 

Bedouin, please educate me as I know nothing about the area. Why is gelding out of the question there? I would like to learn more!


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## bedouin (Oct 12, 2008)

dear LadyDamer, Thank you for your question,
'Here' is the south of Tunisia. 
They will laugh at me very hard! It is their culture, their tradition, their habit for thousands of years, it is prestige.
Anyway I am new to their (menworld) area (1,5 year) as well, I am learning everytime and when I am 'there', I like to visit a breedingfarm, I want to learn more about the 'why' and 'how' and 'if'. (I need to practise the frenchwords  ). 

I did experienced riding stallions is challenging work -some of them have a power- and never, never let a new stallion alone with other stallions -not to mention mares, without at least a hand in reach to inmediately grap the rein. Now this hard work is becoming my habit, no careless actions, always the horse in my mind. 

On our rides the mares are not allowed! I experience an upsidedown world so now and then. 
Thank you all for writing down experiences, it helps me finding my way and firm ground for discussion.


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

Stallions should only be stallions if they are exceptional animals that are to be bred. I mean EXCEPTIONAL, I want everyone that comes into your barn to look at him and say "wow, I want my mare bred with him!" because he is the best horse they ever seen. 

My mini stallion is now a 5 year old and most would never think he is a stallion. He was raised with a mare that was the same age as him and is still living in the same pasture with her. It teaches a stallion manners to be able to be turned out with other horses, as was said before it is their nature. This way they know what to far is, the mares will beat the crap out of them for getting to rowdy, they learn their place quick when they are young. This has to be done while they are very young though or it never works and they breed everything they see or become dangerous and unhandlable. I have recently purchased a 14 month old stud colt, and I got some news for him in february...snip,snip. He is not what I want in a stallion and I doubt very few people would breed to him due to the fact he is a larger miniature. He will make an excellent gelding and came out of excellent bloodlines.

Just remember, you can never turn your back on a stallion (any horse really). They can go from big baby to psycho in a moment. When I worked at a saddlebred farm I was attacked by a two year old stud colt they were "thinking" of gelding. I did the usual of going into his stall to halter him and take him to the pasture and never once had a problem with this horse, he lunged at me several times and pushed me away from the stall door so I could not get out. I was running like mad to stay away from that horse. Luckily I could stay away and the barn trainer heard me screaming and he ran and opened the door, but he still reared and nailed me in the right shoulder and gave me a seperated shoulder before I could out. Talk about scared...get attacked by a stallion and then tell me scared. I would have gelded him the instant I got him because he was swaybacked from birth! Needless to say he was gelded the following day, mainly because I flat out said, geld him this week or I am gone( I know they did not want to lose me because I was the only other person other than the trainer who could be trusted and left alone with these horses). New rule to myself after that incident though, the door is always left open far enough for me to escape if this ever happens again. 

I have dealt with to many psycho stallions to know better if he ain't drop dead gorgeous, it is a trip to the vets office for you. Just remember with a gelding, you do not have to worry where the mares are because your GELDING will not care...it is truly a great feeling to know you do not have to anticipate every little step that stallion is going to take.

Do the world a favor...GELD A HORSE!!!


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

sorry for a double post but it will not let me edit my last one. Just a little more...
Stallions cause to many management issues for anyone who does not live and breath to breed him to mares to better the breed. Truly, a pain in the butt to deal with having to keep them seperated all the time. I have yet to ever see another stallion, draft to mini, who can be turned out with a mare and not have a single problem, not trying to breed her every waking second of the day and not trying to kill everyone they see. These are exceptional and rare animals to find but should still only be handled by very experienced horse owners, not the people who go out and buy a stallion just because they want to say "I ride a stallion!" I do not see their stallion on the monthly trail rides, I do not see them bringing the horse to parades, because they know they can not handle him when he is around mares or other things to get him excited. Well, I could go on some more, but I think everyone understands my point. Before I write a book.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Unless the stallion is correct in conformation and attitude, great mind
and good bloodlines, other wise geld him. bad stallions pass on bad genetics.

some of what I have read in the posts before me are in my opinion
good advice, some are exaggerated.

but one thing you always have to do is respect these 1000 pound
packages of testostrone and have to set ground rules as to who is
actually the alpha male. like when under saddle with bridle it is 
work only, when in a special halter now it is fun time. 

also alot of shows will not permit a stallion to be shown in the ring with mares and gelding.

also the stallion should have a Yellow ribbon on the tail , just so
others showing or who have horses around know that this horse is a stallion. just like a red ribbon for horses that kick if other horses get to close to their back end.


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