# Doing my homework Driving Mare, Gelding or Stallion



## New mini (Jul 28, 2011)

As you all know I am staring to look at horses that I would like to drive. Being new I am looking for ideas on which sex to get. My instructor keeps saying that I want a gelding. there are so many beautiful mares and stallions out there. So I am asking you opinons on what you drive and why you like what you have. I know about mares and heat cycles and they can get witchy




and stallions and there temperment



. I will never breed, getting to old for that. Ideas please


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## fourluckyhorseshoes (Jul 28, 2011)

Since you are learning to drive I would get a gelding who knows his job well and can be forgiving to your mistakes. If you have your heart set on a mare- great. Just make sure you can drive her anytime without major attitude issues. I would not recommend a stallion if you are learning- yes they can be sweet and calm, but not in all seasons and circumstances. I have a gelding that I am getting trained to drive, I guess he was my only option since we only have geldings. I have worked with mares and even though they can be sweet-- when they are in heat they can be grouchy and crampy (harness may not feel so good).


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## Field-of-Dreams (Jul 28, 2011)

Geldings. All the way. There are MANY beautiful GELDINGS out there, too! The guy in my avatar is a gelding!

If you are new you do NOT want to deal with moody mares and intense stallions. It will ruin your pleasure with driving and possibly sour you on the sport. That's not to say there aren't pleasurable mares and stallions out there, but this way you probably won't have to even think about it. When you get your experience and confidence then you may want to consider a mare or stallion. Not yet. Play first!





My first driving horse was a gelding we trained ourselves, he was awesome! Bought a second horse to drive for my friend: another gelding. Got a third horse to show and train to drive, yup, a gelding...now we have seven? eight? driving horses. Three stallions (one to be gelded) two mares, my show driving gelding, the old man who's retired now and several in training... honestly, I PREFER to drive my gelding! I trust him implicidly, I KNOW he's not gonna get a case of the stupids, I can have people drive another horse right under his nose and he doesn't take offense or get antsy.

Can you tell I love my Sunny?


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## New mini (Jul 28, 2011)

Want to sell me Sunny



Sounds like a dream horse. Keep the opinions coming. What about if I fall in love with a stallion(have not yet) and have him gelded? Just thinking and exploring


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## targetsmom (Jul 28, 2011)

Well, I am going to be the odd one out here. I do not disagree with anything that has been said, and you are certainly more likely to get a great deal - and be well pleased - with a driving GELDING. But I would suggest you not limit your choices when you start out looking. Maybe someone has a GREAT driving stallion for a low price that could be gelded. Or a mare that is unbreedable (we GAVE one away last year who was green broke to drive). We plan to train all our broodmares to drive. Our best driving horses now are two 7 year old mares; both are very reliable. Our stallion was the easiest to train to drive but I am not really comfortable driving a stallion with mares, even though he is a very good boy. So I think you should look for the best MINI and not get too hung up on the sex. In the case of stallions, it can be changed. Oh, and our first mini, who is a gelding - we gave up on training him to drive as he is way too spooky and unreliable for us (but we love him anyway).

ETA: guess we posted at the same time and I answered your question!


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## Jill (Jul 28, 2011)

When it comes to having fun, I think it's pretty hard to beat a nice gelding!


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## drivin*me*buggy (Jul 28, 2011)

I would say keep your options open. Look and try as many horses as you can. The gender isn't the important thing- the TRAINING is. Make sure you get a horse that has been trained, not that just tolerates having harness put on. Calm, quiet, gentle are your friend. You want a horse you feel comfortable and safe with, it may not be the flashiest mover, but you want something you can learn with and have fun with and stay safe. Keep us posted on your search.

Angie


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## Sandee (Jul 28, 2011)

Absolutely what Angie said! Each horse is an individual and has their own personality. You can't decide by gender nor by just watching someone else handle them. I'll give examples.

We first bought a 15 yr old gelding that had been shown and retired. He "taught" us a lot about driving. He is still with us and still "push button" for driving and still "teaching" now my grandkids to drive. He also taught us that no matter how old the horse is he can still tell you he's not happy. Because his equipment was ill fitting (and we didn't know any better) he used to fight and rear when we harnessed him. After we got the correct fitted harness etc. he has become a gentelman. So geldings are NOT always the sweetest horse.

My stallion is sweet good tempered and never offers any problem in the arena or in harness. He does spook from time to time so I'd never let a "green" driver handle him.

I trained my mare myself. Since I had her from baby on, she trusts me completely and has never tried to do anything bad with me. However, she did "run away" with my grown daughter at Nationals.

Look at all and many different ones. The ones I would recommend would be one that older and has LOTS of miles of driving. If you are interested in showing then an older show horse.


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## RhineStone (Jul 28, 2011)

New mini said:


> there are so many beautiful mares and stallions out there.


There are so many mini stallions out there because a lot of mini people don't cut the studs that need to be cut! If they were big horses, they would be cut, but since they are "easier to handle" or people want to forgo the cost of castration, people leave studs that have no business reproducing in the gene pool! Ok, off my





Regardless, I have mares that are easy and geldings that are more difficult and vice versa. I would not be actively looking for a stallion for a beginner driver, especially if he has bred mares. There are too many "what ifs" for a beginner driver. If you wouldn't want say a Morgan or a QH stallion, don't bother with a mini one, either. A horse is a horse regardless of the size. Mares can be moody as well, but I also have mares with lesser heat cycles. I agree, it really depends on each individual horse. For a beginner, I would be looking for one advertised as "kid safe" or the like. Trained to the hilt is not necessarily good, either, if it is too well trained and not "forgiving" of a beginner's mistakes. You sure don't want to have to "fight" with your first driving horse. You want to enjoy the ride and learn along the way. And don't make the mistake that some people do with getting a green horse that you can "learn with". Green + green = black & blue. Get a "been there, done that" steady Eddie reliable horse that will "put up" with your mistakes and still love you.

Myrna


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## New mini (Jul 28, 2011)

thanks for all the responses. I will look at each orse that I see and see what I like and what the feeling is between the 2 of us. I want something I can be proud of and something that I get along with. Now what is a well broke horse like? I have driven one that I felt I could have gotten out of the cart and he would have continued on without me. He did not seem to be listening to what i wanted. The Fjord that I am learning on seems to be listening to me even though he knows where to go. I want to get something that is right for me but not something that in 3 months I will no longer want. Guess that is the real question. How will I know? I had one person try to sell me a mini that she had not driven in a year. She said that it would be the perfect horse for me. Needless to say I did not even think about buying it. It is sure a buyer beware.


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## Peggy Porter (Jul 28, 2011)

I LOVE my geldings!! I heartily recommend an experienced driving horse for a new driver. I have a friend near Lexington KY that has several minis for sale. She mostly is looking for good homes for her entire herd. If I could afford upkeep on another horse, I would definitely take her one gelding. She has several package deals available: horse, cart, and harness/ If you are interested, PM me and I will forward some info to you.


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## shorthorsemom (Jul 28, 2011)

I think driving experienced is more important than mare gelding or stallion. I spent almost two years training my green geldings, then someone gave me a been there done that gelding and the difference in learning on an experienced horse with an experienced trainer is night and day from learning green on green like I was trying to do. I never got beyond the ground driving stage with my green boys. Now I am driving and learning so much. I prefer geldings, but that is just me. I have a gelding that was a stallion until he was 10 years old and he was the same supreme temperament as a stallion as he is as a gelding now. I hope to get him driving when I have more miles of experience myself.


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## New mini (Jul 28, 2011)

I am taking lessons from a trainer and have been for a couple of months now. I really love driving and if and when I get a mini I will continue lessons with her. I know I have a lot to learn but would love to practice between my lessons I have been driving a Fjord but want a mini..Going to a mini farm near me tomorrow but they do not have one that will drive. It will be good to touch bases with someone with minis and find out where they get all their feed, etc here. If things go well I may have someone here to help when I need help

Thanks to all of you I am learing a lot and will let you know what I find.


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## Field-of-Dreams (Jul 28, 2011)

New mini said:


> Want to sell me Sunny
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like a dream horse. Keep the opinions coming. What about if I fall in love with a stallion(have not yet) and have him gelded? Just thinking and exploring


I always laugh and say if I was homeless he and I would be sitting side by side under the bridge....





If you do fall in love with a stallion there is NOTHING wrong with buying him and gelding him! I wish more newbies would do that.



> I had one person try to sell me a mini that she had not driven in a year. She said that it would be the perfect horse for me. Needless to say I did not even think about buying it


Don't write her off so fast. If you could get an experienced friend to try the horse first, you may be surprised. Our Dunny was bought after a two year "vacation"- we harnessed him up and drove him right off. He was fine then and has always been fine. And I drove my Pinkie for the first time in 18 months last week. She'd been off because we'd bred her, then she got so sick and almost died. She foaled normally but baby didn't make it out of the sac. We gave her a bit more time off and then "needed" her for a parade, so I harnessed her up and took her out. She was FINE. She actually didn't go to the parade, as "her" driver ended up working that day. But I have no doubt she'd have been her old Pinkie self.

My view of the parade last weekend via Sunny:




Yup, driving down the street and taking pix.


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## targetsmom (Jul 28, 2011)

Just find out WHY the horse hasn't been driven.. if it's because of lack of time, I don't see an issue as long as the owner or someone else drives the horse first. But AVOID any horse that hasn't been driven because of an accident!!! They may not want to tell you that, but reluctance to hitch a horse that hasn't been driven in awhile would be a huge red flag. Our Ruby hasn't been driven much this year, but I would not hesitate to hook her, try her out, and let a novice drive her (assuming she acts like I think she will).


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## New mini (Jul 28, 2011)

I would not have written her off but what happened was an not something that was very nice at all.The mini flipped herself out of the cart and took off .I was holding her as the woman tried to hook her. I was lucky that I did not get hurt. So that is way I wrote her off. Not good for her owner and even worse for me.





I will meet you under that bridge and take care of Sunny for you.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Jul 29, 2011)

Yup, you've gotten some good advice so far. For me, personally, I try not to focus too much on a specific gender or color or whatnot but think of the traits that are important to me and then look at a lot of horses until one jumps out and says "Love me."



I wasn't even looking for a horse when I found my first mini, Kody. He wasn't a good choice conformationally with a weak rear end and locking stifles, but that was my soulmate looking out from under that thick forelock and it felt like I'd been hit with a ton of bricks. I'd seen and handled a lot of minis before and never had that happen so I paid attention!





He had other positive traits to counterbalance the negative (he was humorous, courageous, intelligent, had nice scope and reach at the trot, really used his long thin neck and naturally hooked his clean throatlatch, etc.) and I decided he was worth it. He's still worth it seven years later and always will be although his body did not hold up to the work I asked it to do and he's now partially retired at only 11 years old. I sure love that horse though! He has never, not ONCE, failed to come through when I needed him. He's a pain in the @$$ when it doesn't matter but when the chips are down he stops all the shenanigans and is right there going "Where do you need me, Mom?"





Now obviously you want a horse who is built to do what you want and stay sound while doing it, but I find so much of my enjoyment comes from having that special "meant to be" relationship with my equine partner. I searched for my first riding horse for six months, test riding a couple a week at 10 years old until finally I found one that was beautiful, sane, kid-safe, experienced and also clicked with me. There had been several I really liked but they just weren't "right." Keep an open mind and as others said, look for a certain level of experience and a certain sort of temperament and ask your guardian angel to handle the rest.





And remember: a good stallion makes a GREAT gelding!





Leia


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## Field-of-Dreams (Jul 31, 2011)

New mini said:


> I would not have written her off but what happened was an not something that was very nice at all.The mini flipped herself out of the cart and took off .I was holding her as the woman tried to hook her. I was lucky that I did not get hurt. So that is way I wrote her off. Not good for her owner and even worse for me.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Smart move!

Always room under the bridge....


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## New mini (Jul 31, 2011)

Name the bridge and I will be there. This is what I want in a mini.

Leia, this is what I am looking for. I have driven a few but none have clicked with me. I am looking for one that will say to me I am here with you and we will get it done. Now I just need to find that one .


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## paintponylvr (Aug 1, 2011)

I love everyones' support of geldings but I'm very different. I LOVE MY MARES! In "older" times (maybe out west only??), I'd have been known as a mare person (or if I was a guy - a "mare man")...

Last year, after getting going with driving lessons to get started - I took two older mares (rather than starting w/ babies) out of my pastures and started working with them (18 & 19). One was only enuf halter handled not to be completely wild, the other had been shown as a yearling & 2 yr old, had done leadline w/ different saddles and sizes of riders (but she was the spookiest to work with and took some serious WORK). They are both coming along - both singly and as a pair. The gentleman I was working with feels that I've graduated past what he can teach me (he works with draft horses - mostly walk work once hitched) and I would like to do both breed showing and CDE type in the future. BUT I still go over his direction and handle both trained horses and green ones that aren't mine - for experience.

I don't know what is available in OH in trained minis driving horses - but think you could find quite a few! There are several folks up there that I've "met" thru the other forums that drive minis and Shetlands or crosses of either breed. Over the weeken of the 4th, I was up there to visit Amish harness shops and see carriages, carts, wagons. I also met some of the folks that I'd already met online and got to view parts of an advanced driving clinic taught by Andy Marceoux - of Driving Essentials. I found that most of what he covered was way over where I'm at in my driving BUT both my girlfreind and I were able to "parse" parts from it that applied to where we are now. Fascinating... Plan on coming up that direction again to visit with harness shops and carriage/wagon shops. Hope to go visit a couple of pony farms, too, the next time.

I do have a "caveat" on stallions. Yes, older stallions already trained to drive CAN become great geldings (and even though I DO breed and have more than one stallion, I fully support castration and geldings. I just prefer mares). But be forewarned that sometimes a gelding becomes more "studdy" than he was as a working stallion. And full size horses have been known to not only exhibit stallion characteristics but also the ability to impregnate mares 6 - 12 months after castration. I don't have any experience with castrating mini or pony as mature stallions - just young colts. And thus far, I've always managed to sell most of my geldings...

I've come close to where a couple of folks describe their horse relationships to be - that's awesome! Keep up your search until you can find that "click" - it's worth it! I now have several young ponies that are coming along - one filly whom I'm really starting to "click" with... It's very - uplifting each time I spend time working working with her and darn near Euphoric when she "gets" somthing that we've been working with. I find her exciting and can't wait to actually get her going in the future & hope to be able to show her as my first show driving pony (she'll be 3 next year).


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## susanne (Aug 2, 2011)

I would ask your trainer to assist with your search for a driving horse and make the most of his/her experience and expertise. Make certain the horse you choose is one you'll both enjoy working with.

It would be different if you already owned the horse, but since you're starting with a clean slate, you might as well be on the same page as your trainer.

With regards to gender, in addition to which will be easiest to drive, consider what sort of driving you will do, where you will drive, who you will drive with, and what sort of transportation you will use. You could have a perfectly behaved stallion, but if you are wanting to drive with friends who have a mare, you could have a less than ideal situation, especially if you hope to haul together.


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## New mini (Aug 2, 2011)

I have my traier involved. she is in the large horse world and has some contacts there. she has asked for help from people she knows. We are not in a mini horse area. I know there are a lot of mini horse farms in Oh but they are 4 and 5 hours south of me. I am looking all over the place and have put out emails about the one that seem interesting. My sesach will go on until I find that right mini for me.

Thanks for all the replys and helpful information that you all have given. I know I will find one somewhere and sometime. I am not in a rush to buy one now since one is available.


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## LazyRanch (Sep 3, 2011)

I had a friend try to give me her driving mare. She was up front with me, and said the mare was an absolute witch. I walked over to my truck, emptied my penny holder, and dumped them in the mare's water tub and told her to come back and talk to me in a week. She still has her mare, no longer a witch, and loves driving her.

Sometimes the work around is really simple if you like the horse enough to look for it.

That being said, I agree with those who would advise against a stallion as a beginner/first horse. They can be unpredictable, you don't want to put them in a pipe corral next to a mare - and in many cases, some geldings. When you compete, chances are good you won't be able to join the social group at the last hazard; you might have to stand too far apart to talk. Stallions are more likely to strike or bite. If you have a lot of experience, it isn't such an issue, because you are aware and know how to handle it. But when you are learning, there are just too many other things to think about without worrying about a stallion's mentality. If you see a stallion you cannot live without, buy it and geld it.

At one point, I was campaigning 5 chestnut mares. I would pull up and unload them and someone would inevitably show up and warn me about chestnut mares and their tempers. Never saw it. I love my mares for their independence and ability to think fast. I have loved my geldings for their solid steadiness.

I love my Vicks, because I love showing stallions. I have had the privilege of having several to compete. Once you are "theirs" they will follow, carry or drive you anywhere (although, heaven help you if they don't like you). Sometimes they get too possessive though. I had a Quarter Horse who wouldn't let my boyfriend near me, nearly busting down a stall door, and a TB who nearly died when I sold him. He refused to eat or drink. Finally had to go bring him Little Debbie Oatmeal Creams.

You may consider looking more at your first horse's heart and head than how pretty or beautiful it is. A safe, sane attitude is golden.


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## gatorbait4sure (Sep 5, 2011)

targetsmom said:


> Well, I am going to be the odd one out here. I do not disagree with anything that has been said, and you are certainly more likely to get a great deal - and be well pleased - with a driving GELDING. But I would suggest you not limit your choices when you start out looking. Maybe someone has a GREAT driving stallion for a low price that could be gelded. Or a mare that is unbreedable (we GAVE one away last year who was green broke to drive). We plan to train all our broodmares to drive. Our best driving horses now are two 7 year old mares; both are very reliable. Our stallion was the easiest to train to drive but I am not really comfortable driving a stallion with mares, even though he is a very good boy. So I think you should look for the best MINI and not get too hung up on the sex. In the case of stallions, it can be changed. Oh, and our first mini, who is a gelding - we gave up on training him to drive as he is way too spooky and unreliable for us (but we love him anyway).
> 
> ETA: guess we posted at the same time and I answered your question!


Mary, Who left?

dru


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