Re: Mares vs. Geldings

[SandyDSA@aol.com]

I think this discussion is fascinating, in that the 2 toughest horses I ever
owned and rode were both geldings, simply by virtue of their particular
personalities. On the other hand, our VERY delightful, laid-back and congenial
stallion is a true pleasure to ride, BUT no matter how kind HE is, we always
have to be on the lookout for  ditsy mare owners who think it is ONLY the
responsibility of ostallion owners to manage their mounts. Contrarily, ALL
riders must be in control (anlther issue, I know). But our mares are well-
behaved in the extreme, in season and out - except  for our one mare, who is
just a crabapple in general. Her cycles have nothing to do with it. She is
adorable with people, her foals, even our stallion. But just let another horse
pretend to come near her at he trailer or pen or on the trail and oohh!! Ears
pinned, tail swiches, and at leats NOW, she controls her baserinstincts and
does not kick or anything else violent. This is JUST her crabby outlook on
equine ompanionship. WHy? Because when WE got her she was passing her time in
a HUGE pasture - all alone. She went into a box stall at night and went out in
to her own pasture all day. Talk about anti-socialization!  The bottom line is
that, the rare mars w ehave had who were the LEAST bit testy at any time were
just testy individuals in general. I don't know if it has anything to do with
the fact that they live ina more natural setting, with the foals about, the
stallion over the rail, and with considerable group "therapy" turnout time. I
LOVE our mares - not a hormonal one in the bunch. Have we just been fortunate?
I don't think so, since the 2 or 3 crabapples we have had in 24 years were
crabapples ALL the time, not just a few days each cycle. 

Inceidenatlly, we DO manage all of our horses in such a way as to not allow
them to be either a danger or a nuisance in any public setting, and no where
is it more important that in the close quarters of a vet check. Perhaps it
isn't until you OWN a stallion that you "check under the hood" of other horses
before you slip in between  horses at a water stop!
San