Geldings VS Mares (and what about Stallions?)

[LindaL]

Growing up with big horses, I owned geldings most of the time and they were consistent! Never had to worry about hormones or grumpiness. I loved my geldings!

Then my 1st Mini was a 2 yr old stallion...and he was a real sweetheart! Literally had to check underneath him to make sure he was a stallion!

Bought some mares and he was still my favorite. Bought a gelding and he was a good boy, but he became my daughter's show horse, so I didn't really bond with him. I eventually gelded my stallion and he made an even more awesome horse!

For showing, I do love showing stallions (except ones who BITE, which is not fun when you are out in the ring and he draws blood and you really can't DO anything!), but I also love mares!

The only gelding I own right now is the 1st Mini gelding I bought (my daughter's horse)...We have owned him for 15 yrs now!

I do have a 3 yr old stallion that if he doesn't sell soon WILL be gelded and become my show gelding.

I have to say that altho I love my mares, "boys" are more fun for me!

 

[TomEHawk]

I prefer stallions for a f ew reasons. Mares have a tendancy to be a bit "moody" and take longer o learn things. Geldings are calmer an usually learn easier than the stallion or the mares, but they are missing the fire stallion.

 

[Shari]

I said I like them all. Over the many years, I have had geldings that were outstanding, worked with stallions that were too. Now I have all mares.

Mare's are different, it takes longer to build their trust but once you do, they will do any thing for you.

Maggie is a great little mini, has helped me in many ways. When I go out driving with her, we always go out alone. There is one draw back with Maggie though, she see's a boy, any boy and she is a right hussy.

But I never see her moody at home.

With my Icelandic Mare's, they are just as good as the best geldings, they don't show season to horses. They never get mare moody. I don't have to worry about them, if I go out on rides with others.

For me, I found it takes a long time for the Arab geldings I had to learn things and my favorite Arab gelding sure wasn't missing the stallion fire.

Show an Icelandic mare once, and they get it.

Maggie is nearly as quick as the Icelandic's in learning.

 

[Sandee]

I voted other for the simple reason that I haven't had enough of a broad experience with minis to properly decide. In big horses I always rode geldings until the last horse I owned was a mare. I've been thrown, bitten, and charged but as I look back it was often my fault. I believe that the same could be said of most experiences with minis however, I have only own 4 so I can't say for sure.

My stallion is so sweet, to me any almost everyone but like any child as soon as you brag they'll do something wrong. I've never seen him purposely strike out at any human. He is totally down to business when he's in the arena _ with me. He can and does nip if you aren't paying attention. I've learned where to place my hand and what to watch for so he's a "sweet, kind boy". My niece didn't agree when she attempted to lead him from one pasture to another and got bit and she's been around big horses all her life so she's no beginner.

My mare gives me her all when we are showing. She will test everyone else for the authority. She pulls and tugs on the grandchildren when they try to lead her. She has "run away" with my grown daughter in a driving class but she immediately calmed down when I took the reins. She will protest if you enter her "domain" (her stall) especially when there's food involved. Bad habit? You bet. We've had many "talks" about it. She might be a one person horse which is not necessarily a good thing.

I've had 2 geldings. One I described in another post as difficult until we found out that his driving equipment (the stuff he came with) didn't properly fit. He can also be willful whenever he sees grass - nearly pulled my 200 lb hubby off his feet. He has fought with my stallion and attempted to mount my mare (before she was full grown). But this guy is a whizz at teaching people to drive and giving them confidence by winning for them (I mean really "for them" he's that push button).

The other gelding is a double registered Shetland. Other than looking and acting like a gawky, gangly teenager, he's a sweetheart to work with. He tries so hard to please (although he might hop right onto you because he doesn't always look where he's going). He thinks he's either a cowpony or herd dog as he decided this winter it was his job to make the other 2 horses in the field come in when I called. I'm sure they sighed in relief when he went back to the trainers this spring.

So I don't know which gender is best but I do know that I truly LOVE these little guys over the big ones any day.

 

[AshleyNicole]

I love Stallions lol. I love how I can just call Bare's name is he is on his way for lovins or treats, LOVE his personality. Love our stallion Sky and ol' man Rowdy( lol I have nicknames for everyone) for their personalities as well.

Love mares as well, have my favorites for sure of those. Rowdy who I got last year will come up when I am sitting down and just nuzzles all over me with her friend Legz. I LOVE that.... Love Silver my mare who loves attention as well. I have a group of old horses in their 20s I call my old herd of Bacon, Geisha, King, and Mama who I love a lot as well they are the most spoiled group you will come across( no bad habits but just think they deserve to be spoiled at that age)

Now I have had two geldings before who were just trouble, ran the mares off from feed buckets and bullied everyone even the top mares and stallion they would team up and give everyone a hard time. Now I know that was just those two and would have geldings again actually thinking about whether I should geld my colt from last year. I have a good friend that only has geldings and I know they are really sweet and do everything

.... lol so I LOVE them all

 

[Thinking small]

I'm going to go with liking them all equally. To me anyways, i have found it's more about the individual horse vs gender. I will say i have been taken slighlty aback by the overall dislike for mares

I have encounted some rather agressive and downright unnecessary bias towards mine simply because she is a she.. i don't get that... it's like some come on itching for a fight when one has not presented itself or worse almost encourage one to be able say 'this is why i dislike mares' ...

Yes, i do find a mare is different than a stallion or a gelding BUT that isn't to say one is 'better' than the other, just it's a different relationship.

 

[High Meadow Miniatures]

Mares hands down, especially for full size horses when it comes to riding them...Mares tend to be a bit "hotter" and perhaps in most cases of the horses I've been around, they seem to have more focus than the geldings...JMO of course. There are fantastic horses out there; geldings, mares and stallions