I think some
of it comes down to people’s need to feel loved in return for their love
and attention. A mare is “complete” without us. My
mares are professionals, they know their job, they don’t care to be loved
on and they also won’t put up with stupidity. They know they do not
need me to survive – if they were turned loose at a ride, they’d
probably survive just fine. My geldings need me, they need my attention,
they need direction, they get sulky if reprimanded. I’ve got 2
geldings right now that if I don’t give them regular attention or if they
see me riding another horse will actively snub me, just turn their heads away
from the halter. If they get regular attention, they dive their heads
into the halter and beg for attention. I have ridden primarily mares and
never once had one that I even noticed was in season. I don’t think
many mares really have a problem with this, I think they just have moods and
attitudes like any horse or person and people write it off as moodiness.
They don’t have that excuse for a gelding so just ignore off days.
I do think
that geldings are less complicated to deal with, more willing to do anything I
ask. My mares need a reason, or to believe that I’m asking them to
do the most logical thing. I can ask my geldings to take a stupid path
because I like the challenge of really vertical terrain, if my mares see a “better”
path, they will make a couple attempts at telling me I’m stupid. One
reason I haven’t done NATRC for a while – my mares will do any
challenge if it’s the only option, but not when it’s clearly the
silly option just to create an obstacle!
Right now I’m
in a gelding phase because my husband is riding a stallion sometimes. I’m
enjoying the simplicity at times, but my mares always camped better so that one
is driving me nuts. I am definitely finding that it is easier to sell
geldings than mares!
Marlene
Marlene Moss
www.LosPinos-CO.com - boarding, training, sales
www.KineticEquineAnalysis.com - saddlefit for the horse
in motion
