Re: RC: RE: Endurance and CTR

["Kirsten Price" <splash@dakotacom.net>]

Your first suggestions (local shows) are great ideas and easy to do.
Thanks.

>
> Until he is ready to be tied all night to a trailer in a sane fashion, he
is
> not ready to come to a ride.  Tie him to a safe fence or wall at home
> overnight with a hay net and a water bucket.  Then tie him to the trailer
> overnight at home.  After that, go camping with him and tie him to the
> trailer.  There is no reason whatsoever that a stallion cannot learn to be
> sane and safe in these situations.  If you are concerned about his
behavior
> when tied, have someone who is GOOD at it train him to be hobbled,
sidelined,
> and have hind legs tied up.  That may well save him lots of hide (or
worse)
> if he ever DOES get tangled, because he will learn that it is no big deal
and
> that he just has to wait for someone to rescue him.  When you DO start
taking
> him to rides, try to park at the edge of camp, or at least next to someone
> who only has one horse so that you can park him in the "blank" space
between
> two trailers.

Splash ties very well and is hobble trained. He is normally very calm.  I
have never tied him all night and that may not be a logistical possibility
at the stable I board him at, but I will ask.  If it's not possible there, I
can always go on the "experimental" camping trips.  Honestly, I'm really not
overly concerned about his general behavior. He is really very well behaved
more than 90 percent of the time.  His misbehavior can mostly be described
as occasional "talking trash". That has been occurring less and less, but it
still occurs.  I have to say though, he really doesn't talk very much more
than other young horses I have had.  I'm just way more sensitive to it
because of his status as a stallion.

My biggest reasons for asking these questions revolve mostly around the fact
that dealing with stallions requires extra precaution and care regardless of
how well behaved they are.  Pardon the expression, but sh*t happens and the
consequences of a stallion getting loose (whether it's due to bad behavior
or just something stupid) are pretty yucky. Horses get untied, equipment
breaks.... things like that happen all the time.  I was interested in a dual
system mostly as a way to mitigate those sorts of things, not necessarily as
a means of containing an unruly stallion. Unless and until I'm confident
that he will behave well, he ain't going to rides.  But, I can't predict
every eventuality. A gelding gets loose in camp... not a real big deal; it's
a whole nother story for stallions.  I also worry a bit about those things I
can't control, like a mare getting loose and coming to visit.  A two tier
system or some kind of extra (if flimsy) perimeter seems wise not only in
terms of an extra measure if something breaks or gets screwed up, but also
as extra deterrent from other horses coming to visit.

>
> Does he live with other horses, or at least across the fence from some?  I
> think this is really important in controlling the screaming thing.  If
> stallions are used to a reasonable herd life, they understand that not all
> horses want to be their buddies, and seem to be much better about keeping
> their minds on the task at hand.  Our guys either live in bachelor bands,
or
> with bossy pregnant mares, or right across the fence from other horses, so
> that they are socialized.

Yes, Splash lives with other horses.  About half the time he is in a box
stall with immediately adjactent neighbors and horses in paddocks within 50
feet of his stall.  The other half of the time he is in some kind of turnout
pen with about three feet separating his fence with the adjacent pen. He
switches pens a lot depending on what is available, so he's constantly being
put next to unfamiliar horses. No hollering or yelling except occasionally
(like any horse). That said, he has not really been exposed to a "herd
turnout" situation since he was two (he is now four). That will probably not
be an option in the foreseeable future. Maybe someday.
>

Hope that helped and your suggestions are pretty easy to give a try.  Thanks
much.

Kirsten


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