Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

To answer only one of your questions....having raised two colts from birth, one of them became a nuisance at 11 months, the other waited until 13 months.  I found it pretty easy to tell when it was time to call the vet for a little surgery.

 

Barbara

----- Original Message -----

From: Marlene Moss

To: Ridecamp

Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 5:13 PM

Subject: [RC] To geld or not to geld

I have a really amazing BLM mare ? brilliant and calm and well put together except a little on the short side.  I like short, but she?s got proportionally short legs.   I bred her to a very nice endurance arab (with long legs of course!) and we now have a 9 month old colt.  I wanted a filly, but you know how that goes.

 

Anyhow, he is a very nice looking colt.  He got the length of leg from his dad, and bone size and calm demeanor from his mom. 

 

Now, the problem is that I have 5 mares and this colt.  When do I need to start worrying about studdy behavior?  At least 2 of the mares cycled all winter and I know he hasn?t paid any attention so far.  I do have plans to cross fence, but that is still going to be difficult since I don?t have anyone to put with him and I don?t want to segregate him in a run.  I have 2 mares that will be bred in July and after they come home, they would be able to be with him, but by then he will be 13-14 months old.

 

I haven?t totally decided to geld him and I think if I do geld him that I would want to wait until he is about 18 months. 

 

So the 2 things I am asking for opinions on are 1) what is typical (understanding they all vary) for a colt to discover girls and 2) what are the chances of anyone wanting to breed their mare to a half arab/half mustang stallion.  This does assume 2 things ? that his demeanor is always tractable and that I find no significant conformation flaws. 

 

So far what I am seeing in his development is that he will have big strong legs, a powerful rear end (not as big as his mom?s though!), a very nice arab head and really exceptional behavior.  If there is just no logic to anyone breeding to him (other than myself as 2 of my mares would potentially work well with him) then I won?t bother with the issue and get him cut as soon as it becomes logical.  The most important plan is that he is to become my husband?s next endurance horse in a few years.

 

Opinions please! 

Thanks,

Marlene

 

Marlene Moss

Kinetic Equine Analysis

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719-748-9073 (home)