Trail etiquette Stallion Behavior

["texastwist" <texastwist@ev1.net>]

That is exactly the point. Trail etiquette does not end with horses. If you disrespect people's horse, it usually translates to disrespecting other trail users. There is no difference in saying pardon me may I have the trail, and pardon me can I put my horse next to yours. I have been complemented numerous times by ride and private vets and other horse owners as to how well my Arabians behave in hand and under saddle. All we need is 3 feet of space. The same respect we should all give people on the trail.

 

All horses kick, bite, and have the potential to kill. Not many do, but people have to keep their wits about them at all times. Does your dog bite is as funny as does your horse kick, and is that gun loaded. The answer at all time should be YES.

 

 

Of course my horse must behave, and so should all of us, and our horses, and the way we treat others on the trail. The watering trough was a metaphor for respecting each other, our horses and others using the trail, riders, hikers, bikers, turtles, skunks, etc.

 

 

Thank you  (The stallion ask me to reply on his behalf. I have said too much already, and now he has also.) 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SandyDSA@aol.com [mailto:SandyDSA@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 9:13 PM
To: Ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Stallion Behavior

In a message dated 6/20/01 6:36:57 PM Pacific Daylight Time, lanconn@tds.net
writes:

IMHO, If your stallion will not stand nose to nose with another horse,
it IS your fault. There should be no difference in behavior between a
stallion, a gelding, and a mare at an Endurance Ride

No indeed! I don't EVER want someone allowing their horse to go nose to nose
with mine, mare gelding or stallion! Horses by NATURE don't go up in each
others' faces, in the face of strange horses without the possibility of
threat. I would never punish my horse for resisting an in-your-face encounter
with a strange horse. This is  NOT the same as sharing a water trough or
standing politely side by side. NOSE TO NOSE opens the door to getting struck
by a front hoof, stepped on by a horse trying to get out of the way of
another horse, and in 20 YEARS I have never seen two horses who are strangers
jolly right up to each other without some level of formal introduction. Our
stallion AND mares are exceptionally well behaved. However, just as I don't
expect them to stand for being rear-ended by a bad actor, neither will I
allow someone to go nose to nose with my horses. Besides, I vaccinate my
horses regularly. I don't know the same of others.
s