Re: RC: RC: Was: KARAHTY-STAY OUT OF HIS WAY! Now: Stallion management

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Hi Maryanne
American stallions don't have to be idiots. When Hal was at a show, he
was ALL business---he is VERY competitive. A mare could be squatting
right in front of him and he would go around her. We were a little
nervous at Scottsdale when my then 14 year old daughter was riding him
and a horse went berserk in the class, bucking etc. we held our breaths
as Hal just stood there on the side, looking disgusted and waiting for
someone to catch the idiot gelding so he could get on with it. There are
other stallions who are great in performance classes as well. We
Americans get our bad rap from halter classes where it seems that the
most hyped up stallion usually won--- we're hoping that is changing with
the new non-whip rules etc.
I agree, it is all in the handling and most people should not own
stallions (only us masochistic, a little crazy ones<BG>)
Bette
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of TLA Halynov
http://www.stormnet.com/~woa
I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it
gets to the end, the faster it goes. Smell the roses!
Maryanne Stroud Gabbani wrote:
> 
> I'm sitting here picking the sand out of my ears after managing our 50 km
> ride yesterday. All my horses were sidelined so I got the job of being Boss
> Mare to about 104 riders, of whom about 80% were riding stallions.
> 
> One of the main things that I see from posts is that most people have
> limited experience with handling stallions in bulk. In Egypt, due to the
> lack of good vets, sterile surroundings and a truly macho attitude in the
> general population, stallions are very rarely gelded. A gelding is usually
> an ex-stallion of little breeding value and truly dangerous hormone levels.
> On the other hand, mares are considered too valuable to use for endurance.
> Hence, we could almost call our rides "Boys Clubs".  In over ten years of
> riding (mostly mares who go into heat regularly every month year round...no
> rest for the wicked here) in very close proximity to stallions, I have had
> my mare harassed exactly once (by a stallion some moron let loose in an
> arena...said stallion stopped chasing my mare and I when Dory ran behind my
> back and I screamed at the stallion. He stopped in his tracks and was led
> away). And I have seen exactly one stallion fight on the trail between two
> guys that have had a long-standing feud and whose owners thought (foolishly
> as it turned out) that they would pay more attention to galloping over rough
> ground than each other. Again no damage incurred, although it did provide
> some lively entertainment.
> 
> Our stallions play polo with our mares, trail ride with our mares, do
> schooling lessons with our mares. Yesterday, I worked a couple of water
> stops to check on how the horses and riders were going and I sponged down
> and watered stallions who were standing no more than 6 feet from other
> stallions and mares. In Egypt, stallion equals work horse and they are
> expected to be exactly that. Those who have been taught from day one that
> they are nothing special and will get away with nothing are perfect
> gentlemen no matter what the circumstance. Most of them know that sex only
> happens when they are naked so as soon as a saddle is on their back, it's
> work time. The personality of stallions is, in my opinion, and with what I
> can honestly claim is a lot of experience, is 98% management. Treat them
> like the adolescent toads that they are, and they are good boys. There is
> that 2%, no doubt about it, and both my boys (at 2 1/2 and yearling) have
> been told that if they look like joining it, they'll lose the family jewels
> in the blink of an eye. They are both delightful, mannerly  young fellows.
> 
> Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
> Cairo, Egypt
> gabbani@starnet.com.eg
> owner of 2 mares, 2 stallion colts, and a gelding who can be a complete PIA
> 
> In addition, it casts a shadow on the
> > quality of management of those who ARE obnoxious snots
> 
> Could be the management - or lack therof - which is a whle
> > OTHER problem - innept ownership!
> > san
> >
> 
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