# HE'S A GELDING BUT PEOPLE THINK HE ACTS LIKE STALLION



## cory-boy (Oct 5, 2007)

I HAVE JUST BROUGHT HOME ON SATURDAY A YEARLING MARE 1 1/2 , I HAVE 5 YEAR OLD GELDING, THE GUY I HAVE BOUGHT MY YEARLING FROM SAID I WILL HAVE PROBLEMS BECAUSE MY HORSE THINKS HE IS A STALLION, BECAUSE HE LIKES TO POOP IN ONLY A COUPLE DIFFRENT SPOTS IN THE PASTURE, HE DID NIP AT THE YEARLING IN THE NECK, AND SOMETIMES HE PINS HIS EARS AT HER. I HAVE HER IN HER ONLY AREA BUT THEY CAN MEET OVER THE FENCE. I FIGURE I WILL GIVE THEM TIME BEFORE I PUT THEM TOGEATHER, BUT THIS GUY THINKS MY GELDING IS GOING TO GIVE ME PROBLEMS. CORY MY GELDING AT NIGHT WILL LAY JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HER FENCE AT NIGHT INSTEAD OF GOING INTO HIS SHELTER(BEFORE HER HE ALWAYS WENT IN THERE), WHEN HE LEAVES HER SIGHT SHE (STAR-FIRE) WIL WHINNY AND HE WILL DO WHAT HE HAS TO AND RUSHES BACK TO HER. WHAT ARE YOUR GUYS THOUGHTS WILL I HAVE ANY PROBLEM,S. HE USE TO LIVE WITH TWO GELDINGS BEFORE ONE HE LIKED THE OTHER ONE THEY JUST KEPT THERE DISTANCE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Hello there!
I see no reason that the gelding should act like a stallion unless:
1) he was proud-cut or
2) he was gelded late, and/or bred mares before gelding
Has he ever been turned out with mares before? If he socializes well with other geldings, I wouldn't worry too too much about stallion-like behavior; stallions don't usually tolerate other males around, gelded or not. If they have been socializing over the fence and there have been no issues, I would go ahead and see if they do well together or not, that is, pen them together (with enough room that they can "escape" from one another, if need be) and keep a close eye on them for the first little while. Make sure you are around if something happens, so you would be able to separate them. It would be ideal to have at least one other person with you just in case. 
About the pooping only in specific areas: not a big concern. I have a few horses that do just that, and they are turned out with mares no problem. And the nipping was probably the gelding "testing" the mare. Not a huge problem unless the nipping turns to biting or kicking.
About this gelding acting like a stallion... stallions LIKE being around mares, for the most part. Unless they have not been allowed to socialize with other horses, they should have respect for the newbie. (That is a major problem with stallions that are kept separate from other horses - they do not know how to act when placed amongst other horses.) The fact that your gelding has been with other horses is reassuring, it tells me that he's okay with being around other horses without acting like a dink. 
A good indication of whether or not you'll have problems is if the gelding "roars" when there are mares (or other geldings, for that matter) around. It is a characteristic "stallion" move that they don't lose after gelding.
Bottom line is, I think the guy was full of it. He probably had a bad experience once with a proud-cut or late-gelded gelding, and then generalized from there. Try them together, and see what happens. I manage 36 head of horses at a ranch, and I mix and match genders (we only have mares and geldings, no stallions) without many problems. If there is a problem, then I just mix things up again, and try again. If you know your horses well enough, you should be able to tell who goes well together and who doesn't. I do have a proud-cut gelding on the premisis, (I didn't know it when I bought him) and he was fine with mares - his only problem was that he'd mount them when they came into heat - not good, so I now keep him with geldings only. 
I hope this helps!


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## mell (Sep 5, 2007)

my gelding used to act like a stallion all the time, he even mounted mares!!!! he wasnt cut late and we got him tested and it was fine, no stallion properties! now he is fine, at the moment he is liveing with a mare. no idea what happened, just after that test..???!!!

he has grown up alot to.


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## cory-boy (Oct 5, 2007)

THANK YOU FOR THE INFO, I SURE HOPE THEY WILL BE OKAY TOGEATHER, CUZ I ONLY HAVE 2 1/2 ACRES SO THEY WILL NEED TO BE TOGEATHER. I ONLY GOT A MARE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE I GOT HIM FROM SAID HE DID BETTER WITH THEM AND I WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE CLOSE. THANK YOU AGIAN FOR ALL THE INFO


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I think the fact he's laying down close to her is a good sign - it means he's interested. Nipping is not a big deal as long as it's not biting, and if he's not screaming at her and not trying to get her with front feet - they should be good together. Most of the time I've seen mare taking a leadership over the gelding. I'm sure it'll be real fun when you'll introduce them. I didn't have that option to keep my horse separate (I was boarding), so I just let her go in field. I can say youngsters take care of themself pretty good (and can be extremely annoying to older horses).


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## AKPaintLover (May 26, 2007)

If they were my horses, I wouldn't be concerned. Horses take a little time to get used to each other with some nipping and kicking to establish pecking order, and then they seem to get along just peachy. 

My stallion really likes to be in with our bred mare; he respects her and follows her around like a puppy. Putting him in with the geldings was the problem - he picks on them relentlessly. If your guy has been in with geldings, no problem, he will probably do fine with the mare  I would worry most about him getting too protective of her if he truely does exibit stallion like behavior - that could be problematic if you introduce other geldings later. But again, horses seem to work out their pecking order themselves, and develop a smooth running living arrangement (as long as they have enough room).


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## cory-boy (Oct 5, 2007)

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR INFO. WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO KEEP TWO HORSES AT OUR HOUSE SO THEY WILL BE THE ONLY ONES. THAT IS WHY I I THOUGHT A MARE WOULD BE BETTER FOR HIM. I DONT KNOW TO MUCH ABOUT MARES (HEAT CYCLES)(CRABBY TIMES IF ANY) BUT I WILL BE LEARNING, AND ASKING YOU FOR MORE INFO. THANK AGIAN GUYS


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I like mares over the geldings personally. Yes, they can be mareish in heat time (very much depends on mare though) and generally can be very bossy, but they just have so much personality in them. Geldings are more on quiet and easy-taking side (which I know preferred by lots of people).


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## cory-boy (Oct 5, 2007)

WELL GUYS THEY ARE NOW TOGEATHER, A LITTLE CHASING AROUND PASTURE, AND HE USES HIS NOSE AND PUSHES HER AWAY SOMETIMES. BUT THIS AFTERNOON HE LAYED DOWN IN PASTURE AND A COUPLE MINUTES LATER SHE LAID DOWN RIGHT NEXT TO HIM. AFTER A WHILE HE STOOD UP AND TOOK A NAP BUT DID NOT LEAVE HER SIDE UNTIL SHE GOT UP THEN WHENT TO EAT SOME LUNCH. I THINK IM JUST A WORRIED MOM


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## ponypile (Nov 7, 2007)

That's great! The fact that the mare is quite young is good too. She's still 'baby' enough to submit quickly and easily to your gelding. If you've ever seen a foal go up and sniff an older horse, you might have knowticed them doing this 'chewing', simliar to licking and chewing, but it looks more like an opened mouth chewing. I've seen many horses do this until they were 2, and even some when they were grown! It's a complete sign of submitting, and once the relationship is established about who's the boss, most horses get along fantasticly after that. All you have to worry about is the horses getting herd bound to each other. This can happen in less than 3 day. I would recomend seperating or taking the horses away from each other on a regular basis, so that if you ever want to just go on a ride with your gelding, your filly won't freek.


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