Re: Stallions/Training

["Catherine Costner" <costner4@srvinet.com>]

Char,

Simmer down.  No one has blamed a horse for anything.   We only throw rocks
at each other.  Some of us are into switches apparently....sounds like a
second honeymoon to me.

A ridecamper asked what she could expect riding a stallion amongst a
possible field of up to 150 riders.  Folks chimed in with their own
experiences in an effort to help her make her decision.  Note that no one
told her not to ride her stallion, just to be aware of what can happen when
opposing1200 pound bags of horse hormones collide.

I'm not a good rider like you.  I don't rein, rope, or show.  Heck, I don't
even change leads very well.  I learned to ride rather late in life, and
despite the best efforts of some fine trainers and considerable expense on
my hubby's part, I still think I'm pretty much cargo.  But, I don't think
you need to be clairvoyant to ride a horse.  No one can anticipate every
contingency that happens on trail.  The prospective stallion rider just
needs to consider that there are lots of other riders and horses of varying
skill level levels and stuff happens.

Cathy


----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2001 4:04 PM
Subject: RC: Stallions/Training


> Char Antuzzi char_antuzzi@hp.com
> I don't post often but really felt the need after reading some of these
> posts. I ride a stallion, the same horse that I use for working stock
> horse, reining,western pleasure, english pleasure, halter, and endurance.
> Riding a stallion "should" be no different then riding any other horse.
> Horses are animals, no matter how much we want to humanize them and feel
> they love us, which I am sure they do. However they are animals and will
> act out the way they do, fight or flight. You as a rider need to know and
> feel when a mishap is going to happen before it happens and prevent it,
> weather your riding a stud, gelding or mare. If you know your horse spooks
> and runs, train the horse not to bolt, but rather stand and look at what
> they are afraid of.  Don't blame a stallion for causing a run a away,
> blame the training or lack thereof for having no brakes on the horse. Are
> there bad stallions out there, you bet, but I have seen some pretty rank
> mares and sourpuss geldings out there also. Each horse is different and
> will tolerate so much, it's your RESPONSIBILITY as a horse owner to find
> out what your horse will and won't tolerate BEFORE you put other people
> and horses in danger. If your horse's heart rate won't come down because
> of a stud tied to a tree, perhaps this horse isn't cut out to be in
> endurance, but rather a more isolated sport, don't blame the stud. Yes, we
> as stallion owners need to be more aware of our horses and those around
> us. Our stallions have instincts that run higher then in geldings and
> mares, we as owners MUST have our stallions trained to do what we ask,
> when we ask with no resistance, but this should be with any horse. If you
> are on a mare and notice a stud, you need to take caution also, I don't
> know how many times my poor fellow has been kicked by a mare coming by,
> only to be cursed at by the mare's rider for having a stud on a ride, in
> the arena, etc. Stallions don't think like other horses, their thought
> process is different and quicker and we must have safe stallions at rides,
> shows, etc. However just because the stallion is as gentle as a lamb
> things do go wrong and it may not be the stallion or the owners fault.
> What would your horse do if they saw someone charging down the trail on a
> run away? Would your horse stand when you said WHOA as the horse flys by?
> If your horse were to get kicked would he leap into mid air, kick back?
> Then there's the classic, someone doesn't have a back cinch connected to
> the front cinch and the horse is coming at you riderless with a saddle
> under the belly, or someones horse is jigging down the trail with there
> nose steam cleaning your horses rump? These are the tolerances I was
> talking about, some will take it and others won't, regardless if it is a
> stud, gelding or mare. We as owners need to know our horses and what they
> are capable of tolerating or not, then train them to accept those things
> that aren't tolerable. If we can't seem to get the horse over things that
> are unacceptable and we use those things for our chosen sport, we need to
> take a hard look and see if that horse is cut out for the sport we do. A
> horse that wants to crawl under a rock and die when they see a steer,
> probably isn't going to make a good rope horse. So what it comes down to
> is training,weather you ride a mule, hackney, qh, stallion, mare or
> gelding.
>
>
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