# Geld, Don't Geld, Sell?



## MDMminis (Aug 10, 2006)

I admit i knew i was walking into a mess but i have moron attacks and i think this one is biting me pretty hard in the out come. Well i'm going to be bringing home Copper in 2 wks and i wen't to see him just to pet him and such see how many inches he was OMG! What alittle snot, he was acting so horrible in there his mom was running then he was running i tried to corner him to calm him and catch him the little hunk reared up and bolted like Seabiscuit!

Ok the owner and i neck to neck on the imprinted stuff he ONLY keeps fillies so his blk/wht filly i want she's so cute and loves attention because she's a FILLY and he imprinted her! Being Coppers a colt he was foaled and stuck in the pasture with several other pregnant/baby mares and 4 donkeys. I don't feel that i am agaisn't that i don't give a crap what you were hoping for thats not fair talk about gender neglect




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I was talking to my mom and we were thinking of getting him as a show prospect and just register him Pinto and geld? Or just keep him a stud and my mom show him and just use him for personal breeding? Seeing how i'm under 18 its agaisn't the law for me to show studs/colts i think its crap i've had a 16HH stud and i still taught him a few rules on respect and manners.

I'm just so ticked right now with him acting like a brat and he says he's just scared i wanted to back slap that guy to a new pasture! He wouldn't shut up the whole time i was ready to wrap the lead around him! So i got stressed his mom got stressed etc, but his sweet little black mare came to me to insure me there was some good in ponies lol. Then the huge donkey was following me like a guard, so i had fun with all the ponies but my own :no:.

Its ticking me off and i'm not sure what to do, we already traded in which i gave him my blue roan pinto mare and personally if i don't like the outcome Copper would blind a judge in the ring with his color. Its not that i think he's worthless or i don't want him because he has a small problem its if he's what i want? I was looking for a miniature/shetland stud i don't think he'll cut it. I will keep him if he'll make a good showing gelding but if i don't think he's what i want personally i'll sell him for something else and the stall space.

I need suggestions on what i should consider?



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## crponies (Aug 10, 2006)

Please don't give up on him! He's just a baby and may come around beautifully once you have him home and can really spend time with him. That said, I vote for gelding him and using him to show, pleasure drive, etc.


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## MDMminis (Aug 10, 2006)

Yea but there's not much with a gelding since i've missed alot of showing due to owning 2 others i plan to take in halter and i'm worried he'll turn out everything i didn't want. I'm just considering alot of possiblity's and if he would be better with a more experinced pony handler.


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## Reble (Aug 10, 2006)

Talk to the owner and if you are not happy with him, either will Copper :no:, but it could be he just needs to be handled. Some owners after they know the horse is sold start neglecting, to bad for the new owners. Look at it this way, he will only learn good habits from you.

Try to remember why you first wanted him. Sometimes it is the mom that has bad manners and when he is away from her, he could be quite a gentleman.

Hard to make a decision on him, with out giving him a fair chance. He maybe just having a bad day.



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Good Luck in what you decide



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## Leeana (Aug 10, 2006)

So now you want to show huh?

I know i'm going off topic (kind of have that habbit i guess) but would you be interested in showing for me at the fremont fair the end of this month by any chance? I'm going to have 2 jr geldings in one class and there is only one of me and i've been looking all over the place to find someone to show him since my sister has backed out and my dad wont enter the ring if his life depended on it. You could show coco, he's trained already and knows his stuff. Easy to handle, basically a big lovebug



. Would get you some good experience, its very simple to.

As for youths not showing stallions or colts, yeah i can see why they have that rule and respect it. I dont know about the pinto registry but youths can still show stallions/colts in open classes (think you have to be over 13 ...something like that). Dont know about the pinto registry but it could be like amhr.

Eitherway as a stallion you could still show him at open fun shows or fairs.

Let me know asap if you want to show coco, i think entrys are due in by the 12th and if i cant find someone to show him i'm going to have to scratch his class and just show him in costume.

EDIT: Just wanted to add, hes not acting this way bc he is a pony. Him being a pony does not effect his attitude. He just has these little things called horomones kicking in and weanling or not, he still has them. I dont think you should get in over your head but i do think that training & handling will help him out. Harley came to me from almost the same position copper was in but harley was handled allot by the breeder but was never imprinted. Put hours of simple leading and ground manners and yes he still has his horomones (which a snip snip will be taking care of this winter ) but what can you expect? It has nothing to do with copper being a pony. I think it kind of comes with the colt territory.

If he was mine, i'd geld and show him. Easier to show a gelding then a stallion and if your like me and only plan to show and not breed, its pointless for me to own a stallion. I think he would make you a nice show gelding.

Could you blaime him though for how he acted? His mom is stressed and he can sense it, your stressed and he can sense it and then people are trying to corner him and he rears. I'd be suprised if he wasnt worked up.


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## disneyhorse (Aug 10, 2006)

I would probably geld him just because of his registration status. Like I (and others) have said there are a LOT of perfectly good registered animals out there. You can STILL show him as a gelding and have fun with him! Geldings are exceptional show animals!

His color would not "blind a judge"... there are lots and lots and lots of horses out there with color. Almost seems like there are more pintos than solids for some reason, at least it seems since I've been shopping! Most breeders will breed for color if they have a chance because it sells.

I prefer a NON-imprinted horse, they are less pushy and disrespectful I have found. I don't really believe too much in imprinting. It's how the horse is handled consistently by you that affects how it responds to you the most. Even a wild, mature horse will develop it's own personality and can overcome fears that imprinting supposedly prevents.

Colts are much rowdy-er than fillies. Most stallions are not true joys to work around until they are mature, and only so if they possess a good bred-in temperament coupled with a good upbringing and handling. Up until they are three or four, most colts are rowdy and prone to being overcome by their hormones from day one!

Andrea


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## Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis (Aug 11, 2006)

Well I think all he needs is some handling(by an experienced horse person) and that can happen and easily turn him around after he is weaned.

However if you are buying him for his color I am with Disney there are plenty of LOUD colored horses out there .

Any baby requires as you know lots of work and daily handling and the boys go thru changes as there hormones surge if you want my opinion geld him.


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## keeperofthehorses (Aug 11, 2006)

I don't know your age or experience with horses and bringing up youngsters, but it sounds like he would be best as a gelding if he is going to be your show pony. In the open shows around here, youth can't show stallions unless they are Current Year or Minatures. That could be different in your area. (I'll always vote for geldings for youth anyway, it's just a good fit). You can still show halter and there's loads of performance classes and other things to do too. And it would be so much easier for you and he to have fun together and enjoy each other (and make happy memories, not frustrated ones) without those little distractions. Even if you geld him ASAP, I would ask your mom or another mentor for help in bringing him around. A small kid-sized pony colt can have all the behavior phases & challenges that a bigger colt goes through. Even an adult can get hurt by the little guys (and vice-versa with inexperienced handlers and young horses). If Copper is making you mad or frustrated, don't be afraid to ask someone for help.

As I understand it, the deal is done and he's yours? If you do decide that he's not the right pony for you, it would be more difficult to sell him, or at least ensure a good future home for him, without some basic manners. But he's a baby and there may just be a sweet-heart gelding under all that goofiness.



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## strass (Aug 11, 2006)

Geld him. Sell him.

They aren't Chia Pets...sometimes you have to put some time and effort into them.

Have you visited the Youth forum? Lot's of nice young people on here with abundant patience who may be able to help you get going.


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## alphahorses (Aug 11, 2006)

strass said:


> Geld him. Sell him.
> 
> They aren't Chia Pets...sometimes you have to put some time and effort into them.


Okay .. this is a book but I write it in hopes that you will carefully consider it and understand I have your best interests in mind!!

If you are serious about raising Shetlands or shetland/miniatures, then unless you have the money to keep a pet around or to show in 2 divisions I have to agree.



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The people who are really successful with any breed of horse (and I am not there yet!) get there because they set goals and stay focused on them. And they are realistic. IF .. and that's an IF because I don't really know what your goals are ... IF your goal is to someday raise, breed and/or show shetlands or miniature shetlands, you can't do it with a grade pony. :no: No matter how nice he is or now what is breeding, he will not help you obtain your goals if he is a grade. :no:

As far as showing him Pinto .. you can do that and probably have a lot of fun with him. If you have the money and time to show both Pinto and Shetlands/Miniatures - go for it! But if you read the bred standard for Pintos, the ideal pinto is 1/2 white and 1/2 solid .. and I'm not trying to be mean here .. I'm trying to give you some honest feedback to help you ..



: but your foals color .. as nice as it may be .. is not going to "blind" ANY judge out there.

So my suggestions .. and I've learned this after many hard years of experience and much much money and time wasted, so I hope this will save you from some of that!!! ... is to sit down and really decide (1) what your goals are and (2) if you realistically have the means to get there and (3) what you need to do to get there. Then make your decision on keeping/gelding/showing/ whatever this colt based on that. I'm sure there is an adult in your life, maybe your mother? who can help you to really sit down and think through this.

Consider too that in general Geldings have MUCH happier lives than stallions.. I know people like to joke about stallions having "the life" getting to just breed mares all day, but in truth they have much less freedom, are sometimes constantly frustrated becasue they CAN'T always have their mares, and often have a harder life because of behavior problems if not properly trained and handled.



Unless they are a really superior animal, I PERSONALLY .. just my opinion! .. think that the kindest thing you can do for a colt is to geld it and give it the best chance you can for a good productive life.

One more thing .. and again, I'm trying to help you here ... I know you're frustrated with the person you bought the colt from, but the fact is that unless you had some pre-arranged agreement that the colt would be handled or trained, or whatever, he really had no obligation - at least legally - to do so. Now SHOULD he? Probably, though i don't know his individual circumstances. So learn from this too ... we've ALL been there! .. if you buy a colt that's not weaned, and the way they act is important to you, either buy from someone who has a good reputation for selling well behaved halter-broke foals or come to some agreement with the seller as to how much they will be trained and handled before you bring them home. Otherwise, just learn from your mistakes and ..as frustrated as you are .. don't broadcast it to people in a public forum. What happened is between you, your family, and the seller .... A good reputation is ESSENTIAL for succeeding in the horse world.... or any other part of life! Well.. enough preaching .. please take what I've had to say in the spirit in which it was intended :bgrin The fact that you are asking for advice and open to people's suggestions shows a certain maturity that will help you to make the right decision.



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## MDMminis (Aug 11, 2006)

Thanks everyone i think i'll geld him for showing also GC (forgetting your name again lol) i'd love to come out to help you show Coco. Mr, handsome and knows it lol PM to tell me alittle more so i can clear up the calendar. I've never showed but i've watched in stands to many times to not know what to do



. I've just never had anything show ready to take in.

But i'd really be interested in helping you show, also i was told by my moms friend her stable is Candy Land in Castalia, OH she said i have to be atleast 18yrs.old to show ANY stud pony or not? She also told my mom it was Ohio law i'm not sure if she just didn't want me taking Wrangler as a stud or not. But yea i think gelding is for the best and just get a mare or more geldings and stuff to start some showing.

Really the reason i like the ponies is there so easy for me to be handling i'm short so working my 16HH walker he's gentle but still if he ever got out of hand its a little more difficult that a 30" pony lol. But yea PM ASAP so you can still take the little guy. Thanks



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