I think you raise some interesting points, Marlene, although my experience has not been exactly the same. I had one mare that I ADORED and she adored me. She nickered every time I stepped out of the camper, she hugged me with her head and neck and loved camping with me. However, she was also quite maternal toward and considered it her job to take care of me. Her attitude was basically for me to shut up, hang on and let her do her job. She watched for ribbons and really let me know when I missed one. I've ridden one mare that slowly warmed up to me and is now affectionate, and one mare that adored me and would go anywhere I pointed her. If I asked her to do it, she trusted me, assumed it was doable and just WENT.
My first two geldings, however, were similar to my first mare in that they had definite opinions about what was the best path to take, and how fast we ought to take that path. lol. One seemed to want to protect me and take of me and with the other, well, it was learn to ride better or die.
I really have not noticed any differences better the genders that I can really seem to attribute to gender. It really comes down to the personality of the individuals.
Rhonda
From: marlene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] Mare prejudice Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:09:03 -0700
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
