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RE: [RC] [RC] re: mixing mares and geldings - Ginny HolsmanI've worked with 100's of horse owners, riders, handlers and trainers who care enough about providing the proper care of horses to obtain advice from a professional like myself, and in the 45 years I have been providing equine consultation to horse owners, riders, handlers and trainers, all over the world, I've seen 100's of horses suffering all sorts of neglect and abuse by those who prefer to imagine having worked with a few horses provides them with all the knowledge they need to handle any horse well.The most tragic of circumstances that sticks in my mind, though, was client who knew enough to separate geldings and mares, but the mare got out, and a person who knew nothing about horses, trying to help, put the mare into the pasture with the geldings, instead of the separate pasture for mares. The mare was raped to death before the owners got home. However, I have also seen many mares that have been tortured almost to death by geldings, stiff in the rear, unable to walk well, from too much sex they could not defend themselves against. Just because you don't SEE a gelding mounting a mare in the pasture; doesn't mean the mare is not in danger of that occurring, or that it is not occurring. Geldings are quick to realize that night-time when everyone is asleep is a much better time to prevent a mare from getting any rest, when no one else will notice what they are up to. They aren't stupid. They are just single-minded. For the most part, mares give in to geldings coveting them, as they must, to have any peace, any water, any food, any rest; when confined with geldings. That they survive such abuse is amazing; that owners, riders, handlers and trainers place them in such circumstances, is horrifying. It is animal neglect and cruelty to confine too few mares with too many geldings. The best ratio is 3 mares for every 1 gelding; but anything less than 2 mares for every 1 gelding requires separation of the geldings and mares, in order to provide good care that is not neglectful or cruel. Stables that bring horses into private stalls at night are a different situation in which the mares can obtain enough food, water and rest, overnight, to handle the geldings during the day; but out to pasture all the time is an entirley different situation where they have to compete for basic necessities around the clock indefinitely. Mares will protect one another, if there are enough of them to do so; but that requires a mare that is not in heat available to protect the mares that are in heat, and since mares are in various stages of coming into and out of heat, and in heat 3/4 of the time; that makes it very difficult for there to be a mare that is not in heat to protect the ones in heat, when there are too many geldings with too few mares! From: Mary Krauss <lazykfarm@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] re: mixing mares and geldings Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2006 19:46:44 -0800 _________________________________________________________________ Don?t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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