Re: Re: ridecamp-d Digest V01 #1695

["Heidi Smith" <heidi@sagehillcmk.com>]

> The times I've come across stallions was once when we found out
> my friend's very sweet mannered mare could unclip her lead rope
> at the exact moment everyone went to bed and go visit.  She
> went to visit the sweetest cutest most mellow stallion you'd ever
> want... his name is AM Sum Punk.  Poor Judith Olgus got to deal
> with her until we realized she was gone.  Punky was fine.  We
> learned to clip her with a locking carabiner.  Sorry Judith.
>
> Blue and I have shared water troughs with stallions.  Nose to nose
> to nose.  The yellow ribbon was there, but there was no reason to
> notice it.

I have to admit to a lax moment at a ride several years ago when I was
camped with one of our stallions--but it illustrates that stallions CAN be
taught to behave in a social setting that is not their own herd, even when
"mom" is not present.  I tied my guy (Abu Ben Surrabu) to the trailer with a
lead rope with a regular spring snap instead of a bull snap, which for him
is a no-no, because he is one of those itchy horses that is always rubbing
on things.  Well, you guessed it--he rubbed, and the snap came unclipped
from his halter, and he went on a tour.  Another rider, up for a late-night
check, just happened to find him eating his spare hay, right next to where
his own horse was tied (gender of horse unknown).  There was no fussing, no
talking, just found this strange horse.  It was dark, so who is going to
check out the plumbing of a perfectly calm dark bay horse....  "Junior" was
so mellow that the man didn't even bother with a lead rope--just took him by
the halter and went over and knocked on the ride manager's trailer, to see
if he could find where the loose horse belonged.  Ride manager looked at
Junior, and said, "Oh, I think that's Heidi's stallion."  Ride manager came
over to my camp with Junior in tow and woke me up (still had not bothered
with a lead rope), laughing his head off, because according to him, this
poor guy turned loose of the halter like it was a hot wire and just about
fainted at the mention that this placid creature was a stallion....

Testosterone notwithstanding, it IS possible to teach creatures who have it
that there is a time and a place for everything, and that public is not the
place for overt sexual activity.  I know, some mothers of teenage boys may
find it difficult to believe that they will, indeed, eventually learn this,
but truly they do, if taught properly.  And in the case of stallions, if
they CANNOT be taught to behave like "just one of the crowd" (granted, most
times their bad behavior is because no one ever taught them better), they
should not remain stallions!  A sane and teachable disposition is necessary
to a riding horse, and I for one have no desire to breed to ANY stallion
that does not possess that vital quality.

Heidi