RC: Stallion behavior

["Visions of the Wind" <wind@visionsofthewind.com>]

I bought my stallion when he was four years old. He had been handled
extensively as a baby and then ignored for the next 3 1/2 years. He lived in
a stall and was turned out in a 100x100 paddock once a week for about 12
hours. He was barely halter broke and had absolutely no respect for people.
He would bite and kick if you came in his stall and even a chain on his nose
wouldn't keep him in line if you were leading him to the paddock. I was
supposed to train him...

I brought him to the round pen and turned him loose. We spent the rest of
the day establishing that *I* could make him do what *I* wanted him to do -
whether he liked it or not. I had a whip with me to keep him from charging
me. I had him under saddle within about a month and within two months, he
was a different horse. I *did* scream and yell and jump around any time he
tried something dangerous in the stall (i.e. biting and kicking), but only
for a few seconds. I always accepted his apologies and we formed quite a
bond.

I now ride him in nothing but a sidepull, even at endurance rides. At his
last ride (in NE), I was even riding him around ridecamp bareback in a
halter and lead rope. He respects me and obeys me. He plays with me and I am
pretty sure that he loves me. :-)

He can be ridden with mares in heat and he knows that he is not to breed in
any but his breeding halter. I don't ever use a chain on him except for
breeding in hand. He is gentle enough to breed even a maiden mare at liberty
and can be ridden by children. Would I turn him loose on an endurance ride
with a child? Probably not unless that child was an experienced rider. Then
maybe. Do I trust him 100%? No, but I don't trust ANY horse 100%! I *do*
trust him more than any horse I have ever owned or trained though. You can
crawl under his belly, you can pull on his tail, you can slide off his butt,
you can even tickle him (which he HATES) and he still will not kick or bite.
Why? Because he has learned that this is not acceptable behavior. He will
play with other horses without being nasty except to defend himself. He is
currently pastured with a mare (which we bred to him) and his 2 yr old filly
(which he doesn't even attempt to breed).

The long and short of this story is to say that, yes, I *have* used a whip
and made him think he would die for bad behavior - and no, I don't need to
do that anymore. I had one 'trainer' (and I use the term lightly) think that
he would boss Vic around and Vic HATED him. I had also tried being nice to
him always and he just walked all over me. We have found a happy medium
where he accepts me as the boss and he respects me. He is respected and
treated fairly in return. I did not raise him, but I have had him for 5
years now. I *do* believe that there are stallions out there that can never
be trained to be this way, but I also believe that many of the stallions
that mis-behave would be pretty darned good in someone else's hands...


Stephanie McCray
Visions of the Wind
wind@visionsofthewind.com
http://www.visionsofthewind.com/vic.htm
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