RC: Re: Stallions in endurance riding

[Deanna German <finishis2win@columbus.rr.com>]

Kathy,

As an owner of a mare who can go from "couldn't care less" to "right here,
right now" if any boy (proper equipment not necessary apparently) just talks
to her nicely, here's an attempt to answer. I think Susan's little story
illustrates the answer to your question quite nicely.

I hope that no one is suggesting that mares do not need to be under control.
Mares should be under the control of their handlers, absolutely (for those
who know me and my mare, I'm not claiming that I'm good at this yet in ride
situations...). I always assume mine is in heat because she could be two
(one?) seconds from now. And, actually, she was easier to deal with when she
could touch noses with a stallion daily from her stall, so a stud wasn't
quite so much of a novelty then. At many of the rides I attend, I know most
of the stud owners and I try not to park near them because, if nothing else,
no one near us will get any sleep from all the talking! Plus, there's just
no point in flirting (pun intended) with disaster.

I've just never heard of another rider, horse or bystander being hurt or
worse from a mare acting on her natural impulses. The person riding the
mare.... that's another story as the mare tries to ditch the rider so she
can snuggle up to her latest love. :-)

Without knowing the handler well, I would not, by choice, ride with a
stallion. I'm just not going to take any chances. I would hope that stud
owners look at mare owners the same way.

Stallions are incredibly strong, incredibly driven and single-minded. The
stud owner must be always alert. It takes a special person with *ahem*
certain personality characteristics to deal properly with a stud. I daresay
that some of the same characteristics come in handy sometimes when dealing
with a mare.

We mare owners really, really appreciate it when a stud has a big yellow
ribbon in the tail -- the bigger and more obnoxious the better. One in the
forelock wouldn't hurt either. :-) I also really appreciate a quiet stud.
Nothing gets my mare going more than a boy talking dirty. And, no it's not
fair, but it's just the way it is in the horse world.

Deanna (Ohio)




Magnumsmom@aol.com wrote:
>So I'm sitting here wondering why it is that stallions
>must be very well behaved, trained and under control
>around all other horses, but mares do not?  Please
>elaborate for the rest of us.


From: "Catherine Costner" <costner4@srvinet.com> wrote:

>> I have a good old trail mare
>> who will carry a beginner safely for 25 miles yet get hysterically
>> frightened around a stallion tied to a trailer near the finish line.  I have
>> another very calm mare whose usually languid heartrate simply won't return
>> to normal at a vet check when a stallion is tethered nearby.
>>
>> So, I guess you have to ask yourself, if you are willing to put up with
>> other horses' reactions to your stallion.