Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Re: [RC] re: mixing mares and geldings--question to oth

> Jill,
> It depends on the horses.I used to keep
> my Stallion,BEZT SPLASH with our geldings.Never a problem.I have a
> mare in with 2 geldings and a John Mule.No problems.Quite frankly ,I
> found the arogance of miss 45 year horse expert offensive.If you knew
> me ,you'd know I am almost impossible to offend.
> Good Luck,
> Matt
>
> Jillcohndc@xxxxxxx wrote:
> > Wow--I'm really shocked at this news from Ginny.  Do
> > other experts out there think this is for real stuff?  I'm
> > looking for a pasture mate for my mare here in Berkeley/Orinda and was
> > thinking a gelding as she's (my mare) so dominant: am I setting
> > myself up for a fall here?  This sounds pretty
> > terrifying.

While I have seen the occasional gelding mount a mare, SHE was both receptive to it and generally the instigator -- I've never seen "rape". And I can see and hear my herd paddock from my office. (I've got two geldings/two mares on three acres right now -- they tend to hang out together).

(One of my older geldings was so mellow that I was able to keep him in the paddock with the mares about to foal:  he kept watch when they slept, and then after the foals were a couple weeks old the mares would allow the babies to hang out with "Uncle" (he had enough sense to keep his distance before that) and at weaning time "uncle" just remained as the babysitter when I moved the mares to a separate paddock. I had zilch horse whinnying or calling -- everyone seemed happy with that process.)

Perhaps the super studdy geldings Ginny mentioned were proud cut -- or just plain crazy:  that behavior of forcing themselves on the mares doesn't even seem normal for stallions that I've seen in pasture breeding situations.

-- 

 Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA
 http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/