I am very new too handling a stallion, I brought a 3 1/2 year old Quarter Horse Colt. I have had him for one week he is super quite to handle, but when I was giving him a leading lesson he tried to jump on top of me, I managed to get him off me and I snapped and his halter he struck at me with his front leg. He did this with no warning and it scared the pants off me. Has anyone got any suggestions on how to prevent it happening again?
Anonymous Posted From: 205.188.116.65
Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 01:10 pm:
You need to get yourself and this youngster to a trainer... if you have are very new to handling a stallion then that is the only recommendation.
The behavior you are describing is dangerous but not unusual for a stallion who has not been taught the proper ground manners.
He is basically telling you he is in charge and if you let this continue you will have a horse that is very unsafe to handle.
All horses will test the boundaries with a new owner, but stallions tend to do it more frequently and in many cases with more force and persistence.
You need to seek some professional assistance from someone who is there with you,, not on an internet forum
Have you thought of gelding him? Esp if he is not intended for breeding?
Eagle View Arabians Posted From: 152.163.100.13
Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 02:56 pm:
Definitely get someone to help you that has handled stallions before. Stallions need a firm hand but you can't "pick" at them like other horses, it's a whole different ballgame with them.
TX Breeder Posted From: 199.3.209.127
Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 02:59 pm:
Scared is right, get some help and do not attempt this alone. It can happen in the blink of an eye. Stallions are indeed a "whole different ballgame."
Anonymous
Posted From: 12.145.186.69
Posted on Friday, May 06, 2005 - 11:25 am:
I am 5'1" and handle a 17 hand ASB stallion who I raised since birth. First, Nothing is ever acceptable to you that renders stallion behavior.. A nip, pushiness, a foot etc.. My stallion is mostly a perfect gentleman, but he is ALWAYS a stallion, and I never take my EYE off of him. EVER. I am always' waiting for that one time.. During breeding nights he is always testing me.. I keep with the same breeding routine. nylon halter, lungline only used for breeding etc.. He KNOWS.. and if I vary. It's a pain.. He tests me all the time. He has reared one, but thinks about it everytime, I vary,and when he does i growel, yell, scare him back in his corner etc.. This usual happens when I want to put the halter on after I have changed our paces for somereason. Then he swings his head around etc.. that is a challenge too! he gets yelled at and I challenge right back.. Then he knows he is in trouble parks out puts his head down,and we are back to being a nice stallion, but he is NEVER allowed any leaway to stallion behavior towards me. He is ridden, turned out, showed, and bred to about 4-7 mares he is 7 years old.. I will admit it is sometimes unnearving when he acts this way, but I can't let him know that.. Good luck. PS you should always be watching your stallions eyes. Never walk in front of him .. you are asking for trouble..
Anonymous
Posted From: 203.220.193.120
Posted on Sunday, June 19, 2005 - 01:01 am:
I have just recieved my new stallion and he will be the first stallion that I have ever owned and he is very quiet and very smart just wondering if there is any handy hints for me so I do not reck him and his respect for me????? Also he is available to service if you are interested just let me know and I will give more infomation!!!!!!
There are so many issues with owning and handling a stallion that only a hands on training session will help. This type of forum is not adequate for a novice.I suggest that you find a professional trainer that has a lot of experience with different stallions to guide you along. It does not take long for a sweet (especially a smart) stallion to go off track. If this is a young stallion, you may be in for some unpleasant and potentially dangerous behavior as he ages.
Hopefully, you have an experienced handler for the breeding process. If not, this is not something that anyone should attempt as a novice. Even a very experienced horseman without stallion experience should not attempt it.
Of course, I wish you luck on your new adventure and will offer tips as you need them. The problem with stallions is, by the time you need the help, often times a dangerous situation is developing.
Anonymous You need to make sure that your stallion knows all ground manners before breeding with him... very important. Ho, stand, walk, and any other commands that you will be using. He must respect you and your space and you his. That is a great beginning for anyone and a horse. Never turn your back on any animal. How a animal behaves for one in a situation can be totally different for another person. Don't play games with him, many people find that young horses(if this is what he is) have a kidish behavior, yet when that youngster becomes a man, those games will be hard to break and could be threating to you or others. We also use totally different equiptment for breeding vs. pleasure, or show. They will learn what is expected during the use of different equiptment. Never allow him to do his job all over the farm(I guess the execption to this would be if you are pasture breeding, and then maybe I would allocate one pasture for this behavior) Always follow thru when you tell him to do something. You say ho , you mean ho, you say no , you mean no. We always work with or colts of two years or older with a chain over their nose, just for a attention getter. Never any harm meant by it. It is a good thing to have. If they want to be gauking at the ladies and we need him doing something else it is a effective way to get their attention. Just remember how you treat him, he will return the same. RESPECT. Set your ground rules(just like kids!) and stick to them .
These are just some suggestion to curtail anything before it happens and to develop a good working relationship. I hope that you have a good horsey person nearby that can offer some on the site assistance, I also hope that you have much experience with horses in general and this is not your first experience.
Good luck
Anonymous
Posted From: 67.141.242.191
Posted on Friday, February 03, 2006 - 09:16 pm:
HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED STALLIONS BEING UNUSUALLY AGRESSIVE WITH FEMALE HANDLERS DURING "THAT TIME OF THE MONTH" ? I HAVE A 5YR OLD THAT IS VERY CALM MOST OF THE TIME. I'VE NOTICED PUSHY BEHAVIOR THEN. HE PRESENTS, WHICH I DO NOT TOLERATE. HE'S LIPPY AND PUSHY ABOUT BEING LEAD. HE HAS BEEN PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED AT 2. HIS PREVIOUS OWNER SAID SHE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS, BUT THEY DIDN'T DO MUCH WITH HIM AND WHEN THEY DID HE WAS HANDLED BY A GUY. ANY IDEAS ?
I have heard of women having problems with other animals but haven't ever heard about horses. Maybe he's more sensitve to smells or maybe you are showing signs of being worried of what you might think that he's thinking.
Yes, there can be problems with this situation. You must be careful. It could be that he is used to being handled by a man, could be smells, or situations that he remembers. Set the rules early. Make sure that there is someone else around if you are having this type of problems so that you have help if needed. I have seen it in few horses but not all.
This is just my personal experience, so obviously it might not be the same for someone else. My own horse ( i have had him since he was 2 ) was a stallion for the first 7 years of his life. I trained him myself and didnt have much previous experience with stallions. We had a very special bond and I trusted him completely. I have never had the same bond with another horse. I wouldnt recommend for someone who isnt used to handle stallions to get one without having some help teaching him manners. Just because my stallion never reared, bit, kicked doesnt mean others wont. I also want to add that in the 6 years that I took care of my stallion ( before I had him gelded) he never acted different or strange when I was on my period. As a matter of fact, all the other stallions that I have handled or taken care of never did either. However, horses like routine. Especially stallions !!! So maybe, some stallions react to the difference in behavior. I know I am a grouchy bit** when its that time of the month. Just a thought. You always need to watch a stallion. ALWAYS. And if you dont plan on breeding him, get him gelded as soon as possible. Find someone to help you train him, or send him off to a trainer for 90 days. But remember even if you send him off to a trainer, you still need to learn how to handle him after he comes back.
Most definitely with most stallions I have handled. I put up with no sillies from them at any time.( Alittle perfume on your neck and stomach keeps their attention on the mares not the female handler.) Don't put anything in their nose as 1 suggested to me.. this keeps them from being able to totally respond to the mare they intend on checking out ands servicing.
boy everyone has covered all the bases here! stallions ARE totally different. they will try to challenge you, repeatedly. you have to be able/willing to re-assert yourself as Leader at any moment. using diff equip for breeding vs anything else is a great tool. do not lead him close to you!! leave some slack and space between you and stay to the side. in my exp, the most dangerous and unexpected thing is a strike coming at you from behind, and you never saw it. stallions are MUCH smarter and evolution has designed them to strive to be #1. humans (evolutionarily speaking) are new to being involved in the breeding game. this is something they used to do on their own. some stallions resent a handler interfering. i have one stalion on my property that ONLY behaves for a woman handler b/c he is small and perceives a male handler as competition for the mare!! you may be able to get hands on training at a reproductive center where they manage many stallions, & you can watch how its done first hand. i agree with sending him to a trainer familiar with stallions.
If you are ever someplace that you need your stallions attention on something other than the mares... ie like a show you can use some vicks around the outer edge of their nose. Just a little does the trick so that they don't get all the smells of the lady horses ! It works and keeps their minds off other business.
Just to throw my 2 cents in...I am a new stallion owner and he will be breeding this year. Mark is a very nice boy with a good temperament...that being said, everyone is right, never take your eyes off of them. I heard of a recent disaster where a woman was cleaning the stallions stall with her back to him, he tried to mount her, she fell to the ground and was killed. My boy is much more pushy when I am in his space that when we are out and about. I was taught that any pushy behavior is not tolerated, so he is corrected whenever he does it. I thought I was correcting by giving him an elbow in the face when he nuzzled my arm...he thought this was a fun game. I now take a crop in with me when I am in his pasture. I was also taught to not kiss and rub all over their heads all the time...it just makes them want to get in your face, and bite. My boy had 90 days of professional training with an experienced trainer and it was worth every cent. He has now been to an equine repro clinic where he was trained to mount the phantom. He did very well and had good manners. Stallions are always looking for a way to get one up on you...they want to be dominant. If they get their way, you will get hurt. You have to establish dominance every time you handle them and do not give an inch. Especially important is that they are never allowed to invade your space. Good luck, my boy is wonderful, beautiful, calm, good minded and well mannered...partially because of his breed (cheval canadien) and partially because he has had the best trainers, since I knew very little about horses, nevermind stallions. If you don't have help from someone who really knows stallions, geld him, for your own safety. Good luck, Jayme
Jennifer Ingle (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 71.138.198.243
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 11:40 am:
My stallion stays out with my mares until one of the mares comes into heat. I keep a close eye on the calander and the mares behavior. I separate them before he even knows whats going on. When a mare comes into heat she usually goes into the stud pen. I will then rotate the mare and stallion for the next eight days. He is much happier and easier to handle if he is with the others. I must be very careful when I enter the stud pen with him if a mare is in heat. He can become pushy and aggressive. I have been handling him this way for over a year now. It has been wonderful. To see him out with the mares, you would never know that he is a stallion. He is calm, social and never acts aggressive when he is out with them. He is a great guy.
what do you mean you ROTATE them? they have a turn alone in the stud pen? for how long? all day? several hours? he is in with mares that are not in heat but not bred? thanks, Lori
Jennifer Ingle (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 71.138.195.140
Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 02:37 am:
Luckly my mares cycle within a days of one another. When a mare shows signs of heat, I'll put her in the stud pen for no more than two days. Then I'll put the stud in the pen. Nobody stands in the pen for a long period of time. I have pens but my horses ALL stay out in the pasture as much as possible. The whole process takes about 8-9 days. I will then see then if she is still willing to breed by walking her by his pen. She'll tell me by winking etc. If she is still ready to bred they are kept apart for a few more days depending on the time of year. When a mare is in heat I try to get the mare far enough away from him so it does not upset him. If he is close to a mare in heat, he will pace, bang his hooves on the pen bars, and tends to drop weight. When they are all turned out together, the mares that are not in heat, will not allow him to breed with them. None of the mares are bred. I do not want them bred at this time. This system has worked very well for me. It makes him much happier to be out with everyone else. They key is: knowing your mares and their cycles and getting the mare moved before he knows whats going on.
thanks Jennifer, for clarification. Sounds like some of you are not sure you want to deal with stallions, but you think you do. I understand, this is a good site http://groups.msn.com/Stallionhandlingandtraining/_whatsnew.msnw for info on people who are dealing with them, enjoying them, or deciding not to keep them intact. As for them smelling ladies at that time of the month and acting differently, I personally believe that is hogwash. I have personally seen a lady who just spent the entire night with a newborn foal stop and go in the stall with the stallion and pet him and feed him without washing or changing her clothes. Even I could smell the new baby and fluids on her. He was curious and sniffing alot, but very respectful. It is manners, and saying they are acting differently to a woman because she is on her period is an excuse for poor handling in my opinion. In addition, I cringe when I see ANYONE walk in front of ANY horse. A startle from behind can make any horse knock a person down,,, that again, is poor handling practice. Lori
I've dealt with quite a few working stallions and a whole heap of young colts and I've seen all sorts of different behaviour from them. We had two stallions who were different depending on the cycles of the human girls around them, one became quite aggressive and the other was just more lovey. The both learned not to act on their impulses through constant good handling.
Most of our stallions are handled by men for covering and women the rest of the time, so there is very little opportunity for confusion, however there is one stallion that I work with for everything. He is also used as a back up teaser and mounts maiden mares without covering, to see if they are safe for our less considerate stallions. This guy is a TB and a complete angel and knows that there is only one place where he is allowed to actually cover the mare, and even there no rearing, striking or biting of the human is tolerated. The only thing he will do is nudge me gently with his nose when I am asking to keep teasing a mare that he decided is not in season. I believe that good manners should be expected whenever a handler is present, no matter what gear is on or where the horse is. We don't use different gear for covering, and they only do it in one place and are often walked past this place with no bad or pushy behaviour allowed. Ever.
My stud is a nice easy breeder and a total doll to handel. However he's still a stud and still does things that just make me go ?!?! He has the most bizarr habit. When I go to but his bell boots on his head reaches down to look at what I'm doing. Not a huge deal but once he while I was doing up his boots he reached down and grabed my sholder with his mouth. I don't think he was trying to bite me because he never actually bit down. He just rested his open mouth on my solder. At first I thought it was some one resting their hand on my solder. He got in trouble for it and has never done it again but it is the strangest thing a horse has ever done to me.
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