# Gelding mounting mares?



## jillybean19

Just curious what you would do as a boarder....

Anyway, one day as I was taking care of my two boys (both geldings) and could see the dry-lot "pasture" they were kept on and the herd. They had two LARGE pens, one for geldings and the other for mares, while this one was the "co-ed" pasture. There were about 10 horses or so on 2-3 acres. As I was watching, a gelding that'd been there for a few weeks repeatedly mounted 2 mares. They were being very, erm, promiscuous, backing up and all ready for him, and he was just going back and forth. I don't know if he actually entered them, but he definitely was mounting them and this went on for quite a while and, of course, he was playing the alfa male with his herd of mares at the time as well.

I mentioned to some of the boarders to see what was happening, including the trainer there and another lady who are both close with the BO. Next time I saw the gelding's owner, I told him and he couldn't believe it. But there was only one black gelding in that pen, so I couldn't have been mistaken...

I wasn't sure if this was an "acceptable" thing since it was the first time I'd boarded my horse. Moreover, I didn't feel like people took me seriously on other things regarding my own horse's care (another reason why I left), so I may or may not have mentioned it directly to the BO. I figured the people who were there at the time and that I showed what was happening, given their relationship with the BO, would have brought it up if something should have been done.

My gut instinct is that there would be SO many issues with this - injury to the horses, infections, etc. Am I out of my mind, or is a gelding repeatedly mounting mares something that should have been dealt with?


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## Freemare

Boys will be boys. Its nature. Even if a stallion was gelded. His duty is still there. Its hard to fix something that was trained by nature. Even if the hormones are not there. The brain and other senses tell other wise. Even if he is gelding, I would not worry about to much. He cant get the mares pregnant. Now if he gelding starts to get hurt, thats when I would start to worry. Now he could have been pre-cut, meaning not all of testis where removed. So he still has some of the stallion drive going on. Even so he cant get them pregnant.


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## Speed Racer

jillybean19 said:


> My gut instinct is that there would be SO many issues with this - injury to the horses, infections, etc. Am I out of my mind, or is a gelding repeatedly mounting mares something that should have been dealt with?


No, you're not out of your mind. I have a very studdy gelding, and when he was away for training he was kept with geldings ONLY because of that very thing.

Yes, the risk of infection to the mares is _very_ real, as is injury to both the gelding and the mares he's mounting. Just because he's 'shooting blanks' and can't get them pregnant isn't the only concern.

Any gelding who is mounting mares needs to be separated and put in with just other geldings. It's safer and healthier for all of the horses.


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## Delfina

Speed Racer said:


> No, you're not out of your mind. I have a very studdy gelding, and when he was away for training he was kept with geldings ONLY because of that very thing.


And then you have my confused gelding.... he's pastured with all mares because he mounts geldings! :shock: Fights with geldings that are the least bit studdy (and we are talking a to the death fight) and mounts the low-key ones. 

Obviously he can't get a gelding pregnant but the potential for someone to get injured is high, so he has his lil band of mares (we picked him some witchy ones, no idea if he'd like to mount them, they would NEVER let him try) and life is peaceful.


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## Speed Racer

Awww, he's gay Delfi, and you're keeping him from his true loves! You meanie! :twisted:


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## Delfina

Yeah.... you go tell that to the pony that jumped a 5ft fence to get away from him!

Who knew, a horrifically fat Welsh pony could jump like that! Sure won't jump like that under saddle....no it's the OMG you really expect me to get my fat butt over that piddly lil pole 6" off the ground, grunt, grunt, fart, WHAM, there I got over it, happy now?


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## Kayella

This actually happened to me a couple weeks ago. I had tied Henny up to get his feet done in front of a paddock with a gelding and mare in it. The mare was obviously in heat winking and backing up to the gelding. He actually mounted and penetrated her right in front of us. I died laughing(it was awkward) and Henny just stood there like he had no idea what was going on. + 1 to my "studly" boy for not even paying attention to the ordeal. - 1 for being a complete and utter butt for the farrier. :/

Though I would definitely be worried about infection. Like SR said, the repeated penetration can cause an infection that can be deadly if not treated swiftly and correctly.


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## garlicbunny

My gelding whom was not castrated until he was 3 mounted a mare 2-3 months ago and got an infection from her...$200.00 and 15 big pills twice a day ground up in a coffee grinder for 14 days and he was fine.


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## Hunter65

Hunter was doing this recently. After they took the other gelding out of the paddock (because Hunter would not leave him alone - followed him around all day long) he decided that Cleo looked really cute and kept trying to mount her. In the 3 years I have had him he had never done that before. He was gelded at 15 months right after I adopted him. Anyhoo he is now in his own paddock.


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## Speed Racer

Casper's fine with other geldings, but he acts like he's Studly McMuffinpants around mares!


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## Left Hand Percherons

jillybean19 said:


> Just curious what you would do as a boarder....
> 
> Anyway, one day as I was taking care of my two boys (both geldings) and could see the dry-lot "pasture" they were kept on and the herd. They had two LARGE pens, one for geldings and the other for mares, while this one was the "co-ed" pasture. There were about 10 horses or so on 2-3 acres. As I was watching, a gelding that'd been there for a few weeks repeatedly mounted 2 mares. They were being very, erm, promiscuous, backing up and all ready for him, and he was just going back and forth. I don't know if he actually entered them, but he definitely was mounting them and this went on for quite a while and, of course, he was playing the alfa male with his herd of mares at the time as well.
> 
> I mentioned to some of the boarders to see what was happening, including the trainer there and another lady who are both close with the BO. Next time I saw the gelding's owner, I told him and he couldn't believe it. But there was only one black gelding in that pen, so I couldn't have been mistaken...
> 
> I wasn't sure if this was an "acceptable" thing since it was the first time I'd boarded my horse. Moreover, I didn't feel like people took me seriously on other things regarding my own horse's care (another reason why I left), so I may or may not have mentioned it directly to the BO. I figured the people who were there at the time and that I showed what was happening, given their relationship with the BO, would have brought it up if something should have been done.
> 
> My gut instinct is that there would be SO many issues with this - injury to the horses, infections, etc. Am I out of my mind, or is a gelding repeatedly mounting mares something that should have been dealt with?


It does happen but that doesn't mean it should happen. Your gut is 100% spot on. The BO must be observant enough and understand herd dynamics to recognize the situation and deal with it before it turns into something more. It's most common for the mare's back to be raked by the front shoes of the gelding cutting it to the point where she is unrideable while it heals or 2 geldings fighting over a mare(s) and someone getting caught in the crossfire. In a boarding situation it is poor management for it to be allowed. The boarders are counting on the BO to keep their horses safe as much as possible as well as fill in for what they don't know about horse behavior. If it happens in your own herd at home with only your horses, that's your deal.


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## DreamOfDrafts

Im actually being kicked out of the place I thought Id be able to house my lil rescue because of this very reason. The other boarder, has (decidedly after the fact) decided that her two mares can never be with a gelding, at any given point in time. Because growing up she had experiences like that happen, and in her mind all geldings are cut of the same cloth. Doesnt matter that at the other place she boarded, was also a mixed herd, and her mares never had a problem out with 6 geldings. But my lil guy, who was apparently not born a gelding..is going to be a stud muffin and destroy her mares.


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## tailskidwest

There are a couple of things to keep in mind about gelding and mares. One is do you know when your horse was gelded? Horses gelded early (prior to 14 to 16 months of age) are generally ok around mares. The 14 to 16 month period is when the first big shot of hormones hits them. Second, if your horse was gelded late, did he breed any mares? If so, then he is a stag (a gelding who still retains stallion like behaivor). I have two stags and they have to be kept separtate from even the other geldings due to their agressiveness. And yes, I handle them just like a stallion. This behavior was best described by my vet .... I can remove the hormones, but can't erase their memories! Also, don't forget the "mare" side of mother nature. I also have a couple mares who are real teases and will "come on" to just about any gelding. Its just good practice to keep the boys and girls separated.


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## dbarabians

I take it that these horses are stalled and then turned out on a daily basis,
First 10 horses on 2-3 acres is overcrowded. If your horses are turned out on a daily basis everyday those horse re establish their pecking order.
My QH gelding that I was given last year was a stallion for the first 5 years of his life.
When turned out with the herd of 3 mares and 2 geldings in a 20 acre pasture he showed some stallion behavior. mounting and herding the mares away from the other geldings. 
After a couple of days he stopped. he still herds the mares at feeding time but has stopped mounting them. We have never had any issue with infections or injuries serious enough to call a vet for.
The mares are the culprits when in heat. they become a lot more friendly and aggressive about being bred.
If you are worried about injury then change the herd your gelding is in.
Sometimes we as owners forget we are dealing with horses that have instincts. those instincts overrule our perceptions of how things should be sometimes. Shalom


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## jillybean19

I appreciate all the responses. This was last year and I have since moved my horses for other outrageous issues at this barn.

These horses were kept in this pen 24/7. The entire place was overcrowded and people are constantly coming and leaving. I was not taken seriously at the barn on a number of issues, so I don't anything would have been done about this. The people I did alert just laughed it off. Especially with everything that's been said, I'm so glad I'm not there anymore.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dbarabians

Jillybrean that was far too many horses on that space.
i have noticed that here we have far fewer scraps and bites when the horses are pastured with plenty of room.
IMO that gelding was just reacting to the small space and number of horses. With more space and less horses he may not show stallion behavior as much .
Glad you moved your horse. It was the right decision. Shalom


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## jillybean19

No kidding. Ultimately, I moved because of the way my horse was being cared for - I had similar issues to the person in this thread and posted an explanation and pictures of my horse's condition there. However, there are so many accidents and issues waiting to happen and the professionalism of the owner was simply terrible! I'd never heard of them before (there are a lot of boarding places all over the place here), but now that I have, I've never heard anyone say anything good about them except the people who are there for the rates and indoor arena and somehow convince themselves it's worth it. I should have known something was up when board was only $105/month for a facility with a full-size indoor arena and multiple other really great perks.


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