I was wondering what people's views are on the commonly held belief that geldings are steadier and more consistent in their behaviour than mares? Not sure if this has come up already on the forum, I can't find any reference to this particular subject. I have two geldings at the moment, having previously owned a mare and I can honestly say that out of the three of them the mare was probably the most reliable to ride and handle. She was a very bossy in the paddock though and sometimes quite mean to other horses, but you could let a five year old handle her without any worry. She was also the same to ride day in day out, and you could leave her for a month and then hop on no problem. I've also ridden lots of other horses over the years and I can't really say that I have noriced much difference. My personal view is that it is probably more to do with breed and temperament than sex, but I know a lot of people would disagree. There is a trekking place near me and they own about 40 horses, all geldings. The owner is an ex-jockey and trainer and he won't even entertain the idea of having a mare on the premises.
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An interesting one. I am inclined to agree with you Emlaw that breed, temprement and background are probably more important than the sex but I think mares on average have "their days" more than geldings particularly so when they are cycling which in itself is at times frustrating. Quite difficult to ride them out with other horses when they are in full cycle as they will just keep peeing all the time. In my experience mares are also more inclined to put ears back and try to bite and be more 'fratchy' than geldings but I know this is a fine point. Although I now have four mares and only one gelding I do prefer geldings - I think on average they are friendly amd easier but ........
It will be interesting to know what others think.
Well reading Monty's books indicates that he feels that geldings are more reliable and steadier than mares... Scientifically speaking, I agree because geldings are not affected by hormones - but I have also had some great mates and some very ordinary geldings. Jury is out for me :-) I take each horse as I find them.
I meant great 'mares'. When purchasing a horse for my girls, I did have a preference for a gelding though...
ALthough geldings are steady and dependable, I read once that if a mare gives you her heart she will give you her all and will try harder for you than a gelding would.Guess I was quite taken with that notion because I have 2 beautiful Canadian mares and I adore them.Don't seem to have problems when they come in season, hardly notice it and my younger one is a wonderful trail horse [the older one is not ridden any more due to arthritic problems].We ride with other mares and geldings on the trail and they are all just fine.However, at our stable the owner does a lot of trail training and expouses all her horses to a variety of conditions and objects.Trail riding is expected to be calm and relaxed.
I have to say I too am not sure. This is a first for me. I have a four year old mare and she is definetly a handful.
I have always dealt with geldings in the past and have not had any problems with them.
Her on the other hand has been a handful from get go.
This year is the first time she has been as calm as she is.
Horse people do say in training, geldings, stallions and then mares.
From my personal experience I have to agree with them.
I have had geldings and mares and on returning to horses my first choice was a gelding he is lovely and the mare i had just was somtimes a bit moody but in saying that i have never had a stallion yet my geldings father is a lovely horse who temperament is not like any stallion i have heard of. so somtimes i would say its how there handled rather than sex !
Basically, I think, it comes down to less hormones in a gelding vs the general mare/stallion, but of course breed, temper and background plays a big part in each individual.
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I've handled lots of both and generally speaking I prefer mares when they are *good*, because when they are bad, they are *BAD*.;) :D
I have 2 mares and a gelding. My mares are much more reliable then my gelding. He tends to be awkward and spooky while both girls are troopers. I wonder if it makes any difference if they have been bred and have produced offspring... My one mare who has never had babies is the calmest ever, and I can't even tell when she is in heat. However my other mare has been a mother and she is a little moody during a heat. Perhaps, as with any living creature..it depends on the individual.
Hallo Girl, one of my student here in Sweden have started her psychology project and her topic is hormones and balance (or out of balance) when males and females work with mares and stallions. There is one big difference to the gelding, their levels of hormones are very different to mares and stallions. At the other hand, it is not black and white:) I will post the project on our blog when she has handed it in! Warmest Ann/Sweden
Ann - that sounds interesting. I am aware that when handling stallions it is advised not to wear perfume, especially one with musk in it as people say it can confuse their sense of smell and can replicate a mare in season. Has this ever been proven? It is a really interesting topic, and maybe can explain why horses bond or take better to some people rather than others. We tend to think it is just body language, but I suspect there are many different factors. Another thing that has been suggested is that horses can smell people who are meat eaters rather than vegetarians - again, I don't know if any proper research has been done in this area but it would be fascinating to know if this is true.
The horses smell organ amygdala is directly connected to a special part of the brain - smell is essential for survival. You can find a lot of information on the net and get a very good understanding even from wikipedia, even though we are two different spices :)! Today, lie detector machines are also designed for what we breath out - so, yes there is a lot to know and understand about the horses smell! Warmest Ann/Sweden
I have owned both mares and a gelding. While I love /loved them all, I seem to understand the mares better. They seem to give more, communicate their needs more and respond more, to me at least. While there are times when mare is a four letter word for b!@#h I do prefer them. Plus the mares have never tried to dump me...so far, not so my gelding. Cheers all.
I agree with all the above, depends on the horse, breed, handling, mares can be little grumpy sometimes 'in season' but make up for it in other ways etc. However, there is one thing that I do think has a huge impact is that we mirror in horses societies stereotypical views about humans, especially women (hormones, time of the month etc.). In addition, our preconceived ideas about a horse can influence how we treat it far more than we realise and the horse will respond accordingly. This then confirms the misheld/lack of evidenced belief and so the circle continues. I call it "Chestnut mare syndrome" - in humans its called Labelling theory - a fascinating and underestimated effect in my opinion. This also links to the thread on horse colours. Just my thoughts!
I have had 2 mares and 2 geldings, whilst the first mare could be hormonal, i found her very reliable, the second mare which I had until I emigrated to Canada was an absolute sweetheart and one of a kind. The 2 geldings on the other hand I didn't get along with at all and frequently dumped me and seemed to have real issues. All 4 horses were completely different breeds, different back grounds. Hence the reason I now have 2 young fillies.
hi everyone im new to the online university i have a question i bought a mare and through watching her ive relized that she is a head mare she seems head shy n looks like she has had abuse are head mares as easy to partner as normal mares im a novice n oim loving the videos because i wanted to understand the horse n have a relationship with her as i dont like conventional training i am a bit nervios of her but my confidence is growing can i become head mare to her.
Hi Cindylou - welcome to the uni. and the challenges and rewards of owning a horse. I am sure that by following Monty' ' s methods you can develop a willing partnership with your new mare. Some horses are more challenging than others but all will respond to Monty ' s methods over time. With some, especially those who have been abused in their past, it just takes longer and you need a lot of patience. Whether or not your mare is a head mare should not be a significant factor. The more important concern is that she is head shy which indicates that she has obviously Ben abused by owners in the past. Given that you indicate you are a novice it may be necessary to consider asking a more experienced Monty type trainer for assistance. Watching Monty' videos with head shy horses will help and try to build up a relationship with your horse by spending quality time with her - grooming her etc. before you ask too much of her. Once she accepts you more and has settled in a customize her to the dually halter - leading in the sweet ot, backing up etc. then if you have a suitable area try join-up with her. Join-up is marvelous for these more challenging horses as it really consolidates your relationship. Good luck with it and enjoy the exciting challenge of owning a new horse and forming a good relationship and bond with her.
Ben = been, accustomize, sweet spot - apologies for these typos!
i have a filly who has just been started she is paddocked with a young gelding & is fine but if i ride with a tb gelding we have she can be quite aggresive towards him &
also behaves as if she is in season if i ride him to close to her any suggestions Helen
thankyou Maggie for your advice its so kind of you to reply,she has accepted my leadership n trusts me also ive got all the patience in the world im taking my time with her i spend time with her grooming she realy loves it and its the time she lets me toutch her most also i can lift her legs ive bathed her also n she loved it i do not hand feed her as i know from montys videos that it can cause nipping, i also have an experienced horseman who is willing to help n he told me there is a bond,
Sounds good Cindylou. Hope it all goes well. She is a lucky horse so I hope she shows her appreciation.
Stallions first as most consistent, then geldings then mares, at least that's been my experience. However, with a few and I mean very very few exceptions, some mares and some geldings have been as "steady" and consistent.
I personally dont think that sex matters, ive had 3 geldings in the past and in know that they were all layed back, but could also be a handful at times. Ive had2 mares and these mares are the best horses ive ever had to ride, but not so much to handle I have worked with colts and stallions, some of them are rowdiefrisky little horses, but most have been lazy and layed back. I just believe that it doesntnparticularly matter what gender the horse is, whether hes young or old, it all depends on how they are how they are handled. Also, breed, background etc also enfluences upon their behaviour and performance, eg. Most thoroughbreds are bred out of successful racehorses in order for some of that winning blood to be transferred through to the foal. Ive also noticed that many mares have winning international performances, such as jumping and dressage. Anyway my all round view is that it doesnt particularly matter what gender the horse it, as long as he has had good handling a d been raised right and been raised for the right discipline.
Noticed in Monty's excellent most recent lesson series, "What's in a Name" with Lunatic, he makes the point of recommending since quite gelding as a centuar horse.
Yes! I noted that too. I can definitely see that in the centaur training situation, that a gelding would always be preferable. You might have a very quiet experienced mare, but you wouldn't be able to use her with a stallion or an excitable colt or even with a bitchy mare. Gelding all the way with this one :)