| partoow |
| (old hand) |
| 14/10/2008 02:24 |
Re: Owning / handling / managing Stallions
|
firstly, hello!
Ok , like everything each stallion is different and just because you have onr does not mean that they will all be like that one ... good , bad or indifferent!!
When i am teaching my staff about dealing with mine i tel them a few things.
We have a mixed yard of competition horses , no covering goes on at the yard. I have always sent my boys away for this asthis helps to keep their two lives separate and they then dont associate me or the girls with 'that' side of life.
They are always stallions and are more 'high' from May to July as this is the natural covering season.
I keep the boys separate from the girls [its not fair on the boys as the mares can be such tarts!!]
We always lead the stallions wearing a chain throught the rings of the head collar usually under the chin but sometimes over. I NEVER think 'oh hes good he'll be fine' as that is the day something happens and some one or some thing gets hurt.
I do have well fenced paddocks that the stallions go out in and on the whole i dnt have the mares next to the stallions but i do have the gelgings and i do have post and rail with a top line of electric[ we also have stud fencing in that there is a gap between the fences so they cant touch but they can see and they do have company.
I never have the stallions tied up on the yard
I am firm but fair with the stallions , but if you are going to have a fight you have to be the one that inflicts the disapline and it has to be meant. This way they have respect.
All of mine, i have 4 on my yard of 22 at the moment are happy well behaved and content. Even the stroppy 3yr old who is like a teenager trying to get the attension of all the girls!!
i do have Jeys fluid around as this is one of the best things for getting rid of girl smells after they have 'squirted' [yuck] everywhere and it is not fair to leave that smell in the air.
I teach the girls not to wear perfume as some can set stallions off, what i have mostly found is the expensive musk one can really set them off but if you wear the same sent all the time they seem to recognise it as 'your sent ' and ignor it.
on the whole i dont let the girls that handle the boys take the chance.
i also only let certain staff members do the handling , having spent time with me doing it.
Apart from that my stallions are kept totally along side the rest in the yard i make the other liveries aware that they must not 'tease ' the stallions and that is all.
I find that i have little problem hacking with other horses , i do have to be carefull with some geldings, and i have found this with all of my stallions that some geldings do set the stallions off and others are like they dont exist. One strange thing that i have not always understood.
My boys are warmbloods and Spanish i did have a native pony stallion once and he thought he was 18h and the most determined to tell everyone he was THE MAN!! Talk about small bloke sydrome!!! Size does not matter that for sure when it come to attitude !!!!
Hope you find some of my waffle useful and good luck