My daughter (17) has had a lot of experince with horses (including work with young tb's @ trials) although she actually is a beginner when it comes to riding them! She use to have lessons when she was younger and can ride the basics but her riding experince is minimal as she lost interest in riding, and became interested in racing stables and trackwork duties. She owns an arabian colt, recently broken and has began riding him. I am aware that colts/stallions are unadvisable for beginners, but he is an exceptional colt who my daughter is crazy about. My daughter has been handling/riding with ease for some time now.
She has now decided she wants to return to her lessons and focus on dressage and showing on this colt she has. She does not want to geld him as when she has a set vision to breed when she's older. (He's reg. and has excellent confirmation - bred for the showring)
Now i'm just wondering what everyones view is. My daughter is very stubbon and VERY emotionally attatched to this colt (she spends hours just grooming him, patting him and watching him) and i want to know if people believe she can extend her riding skills and learn, while this young colt is learning too. She is very confident and would not listen to anyone suggesting to replace him with a geld or mare.
I believe its an individual thing. My girls handle my stallion. And I do beleive that in the Arab shows, they are the only breed that alows minors to show a stallion..that should say something for the breed in general. If she is not affraid and he is well behaved, as well as having some supervision for her riding, then I dont see the problem..I wish her the best of luck..I myself have found that I would much rather work a stallion than any thing else, but thats a personal preference..
I personally, would handle this in this manner. Let her keep him intact, and set rules. YOU make the rules. If the stallion begins biting, hollering, striking, pacing, pulling, lunging and in general acting like a spoiled horse of ANY sex, give her the option of paying for professinoal training or gelding him. Supervise her and the colt carefully when they go away, when they are with others. If you see ANYTHING dangerous, (she is chatting away and the horse is dropped and distracted) you need to intervene immediatly and take her aside and question her ability in a serious conversation. The fact that she is as you say "very confident and would not listen to anyone suggesting to replace him with a geld or mare" tells me that she is just being selfish. She needs to listen to professionals and experienced people and learn from them. SHe needs to ask questions of people who can give her help and advice. Dont' let her listen to just anyone, I was told repeatedly by vets, farriers, pros, everybody to geld my colt and try again for a filly. In frustration, (my mare is too old, and my colt is almost perfect!) I began asking the PROPER people and I started this site. http://groups.msn.com/Stallionhandlingandtraining/_whatsnew.msnw which has helped me not only reinforce my decision to keep him a stallion, but helped me know what to expect and how to address others who tell me not to bother with an intact colt. You are welcome to visit this site and have your daughter read and join, and handle it carefully and give her supervision and encouragment, but boundries with the colt. Lori
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