Geldings

[MinisOutWest]

Geldings? I thought that was the only thing that existed. ha ha

Geldings are the only thing for me!!!

Good ones are hard to find and when you do, they are priceless.

 

[Littleum]

This attitude is so 20 years ago.

Anyone promoting this view should be labeled "backyard mini mill breeder" and shunned.

 

[Keri]

Gelding factory here!

Won't own another stallion (unless its on its way to the vet to get brain surgery). And after the mares are gone, doubt I'll own another. I want to show and the hormones of mares and stallions get in the way!

 

[Reble]

In the big horse world a good gelding is what everyone wants for trail rides etc.

Best thing for beginner riders.

In the minis they are hard to sell, as I am finding with the market down.

 

[Doc and Dudley]

[SIZE=12pt]I personally have always had mares until now. I got my first miniature in June which was a 2 year old stallion. After I had him for about a week, I gelded him! He was a nut. He thought he was king of the stables. 2 months ago I traded my mare POA for another miniature gelding. I like them WAY better! I wouldn't trade my boys for anything in the world. They have such a wonderful attitude! [/SIZE]

 

[kaykay]

I have still never sold an intact stallion of my own breeding. I have one for sale right now because in all my years hes the one I think has the potential to be stallion quality. But if he doesnt sell soon hes going to be my show gelding for 2009. I am a huge promoter of geldings and honestly they have been easier for me to sell. I think I must be extremely lucky. But I think attitude has a lot to do with it too. To me our geldings are worth their weight in gold. We adore ours. I remember when I gelded Jet when I bought him and people were shocked.

I ALWAYS tell new people to start with a gelding.

And when Im out showing and see a farm with a kick butt gelding my respect for that farm goes up tremendously. To me there is no better advertisement for a farm then an awesome gelding.

 

[wildoak]

I think it shows their lack of experience and knowledge about horses in general. Those who understand the horse world would never say such a thing

Amen.

I actually find the gelding market to be alive and well. We promote geldings in an effort to encourage using these horses for something besides reproduction. If you want to breed, and have a well thought out program more power to you. For so many reasons though, a gelding is the right answer.

I've ridden lots of mares - have no bias there - but geldings for the most part just make a great performance/show horse or companions without all the mood swings.

Jan

 

[Calekio]

Geldings have a fantastic use my yard...

My 6yr old gelding babysits the other ponies... and can mix with mares or stallions.. or other geldings.

He is safe around children no matter what time of the year (or month with some mares! And that isn't to say a mare/stallion isn't safe around children... my ex stallion, just been gelded at 8yrs old... been ridden and handled by 6yr old all summer without a problem)

He is easy (and legal) for anyone to show in hand.

He is(or was until he injuried his back) a very sweet ridden gelding.

He long reins, jumps in hands, goes out for walks etc

My 8yr old just gelded boy will also do all the kid pony bits and now that he is a 'gelding' his loaner, who is 7... can legally show him in the ring... where as before.. she couldn't as over here most of them have to be 14+ to show stallions...

 

[Annabellarose]

Oh, and tell them about the gelding incentive programs available.

Could anyone point me in the direction of reading material about this "gelding incentive"!?

I am not new to horses, but I am new to Miniature Horses. I bought a six month old colt and two mares at a sale recently. I fell in love with the colt's personality and type and I had room for him and that is why I bought him. He will be gelded. I am hoping that he will make me, a Miniature Horse show world newbie, an acceptable halter horse. Even if we come in tenth place out of ten entries every time we go into the ring, I will learn about showing and have a lot of fun. I plan to train him to drive. If he shows promise as a show horse, fabulous, if he doesn't, I will have a cute, well-trained road/trail horse! One of the mares I picked out of the catalog before the sale because it stated that she was trained to drive. I wanted a horse that I could start driving right away. The catalog also stated that she was open (not bred) and that is what I wanted, for her to be open (not bred). Well, when I got to the sale, there was a paper hanging on her stall that stated that she had been bred. I was actually disappointed to learn that she had been bred!!! I liked the look of her and I liked her personality so much that I bought her anyway. I do like this mare, but I don't know if I would call her broodmare quality. I hope that the genetic Gods smile upon her coming foal and that I get a fabulous specimen, but I am not counting on it and I am already planning on gelding it if it is a colt! I went to this sale planning to only buy this (driving) mare. The other mare that I bought I fell in love with her type while I was at the sale. There is something about her that stirs my soul. She excites me! As it happened, this mare is my colt's dam and she is bred back to the stallion that is my colt's sire and I got to see the stallion at the sale...HORRIBLE!

What a trainwreck of a horse! My mare proved to be a very strong influence on her foal, thank God! Here's hoping that the genetic Gods will smile up her next foal as well!

Anyway, I couldn't agree more with those of you that say geldings need to make a comeback in a big way, but not just in the Miniature Horse community. Those of you that think this is mainly a Miniature Horse problem could not be more wrong! It is epidemic everywhere and in nearly every breed. I also wish it was easier and cheaper to spay a mare. I have never, ever known anyone that has had a mare spayed or owned a spayed mare.

 

[Sue_C.]

And when Im out showing and see a farm with a kick butt gelding my respect for that farm goes up tremendously. To me there is no better advertisement for a farm then an awesome gelding.

Exactly how I feel.

I want people to see my geldings and say to themselves...WOW...if they gelded HIM, what does the SIRE look like!!

I have always said that geldings are the future of any breed. The more youth out there showing, the better...and theperfect youth animal, is a gelding. Mares are great too, but IMHO, for youth...geldings are the way to go.

Actually, for me too, as I LOVE my geldings! And...don't think for a second that you must sacrifice "show tude" for gelding...because if you look for them, they are out there. They are not the ones I would choose for most youth, of course...but for adults who like a bit of "tude" in a driving horse...they certainly exist.

 

[txminipinto]

And when Im out showing and see a farm with a kick butt gelding my respect for that farm goes up tremendously. To me there is no better advertisement for a farm then an awesome gelding.

Actually, for me too, as I LOVE my geldings! And...don't think for a second that you must sacrifice "show tude" for gelding...because if you look for them, they are out there. They are not the ones I would choose for most youth, of course...but for adults who like a bit of "tude" in a driving horse...they certainly exist.

Well...if anyone is looking for a "show tude" gelding I know of a pretty fancy one.....

 

[kaykay]

Anna I am only familiar with gelding incentives for ASPC/AMHR. At your area regional show they will offer gelding incentive classes for both AMHR and ASPC. You show in those classes and if you place you win money!!! Jet paid for his purchase price plus some with his winnings in incentive classes and futurity classes. They also offer them at mini nationals and congress.

Kay

 

[chandab]

I also wish it was easier and cheaper to spay a mare. I have never, ever known anyone that has had a mare spayed or owned a spayed mare.

I do know someone that spayed a mare, she was a beautiful sorrel AQHA mare with great conformation herself, but her foals, regardless of stallion crossed on had crooked legs. The stallion they had at the time, loved this mare, so they had her spayed, so she could be his constant companion without more foals from this mare.

I talked to the vet about spaying my AQHA mare as she was really marish. The vet said that their spayed personality would be similar to their winter or Anestrus (sp?) personality; well, since my mare had attitude all the time, it wouldn't have helped that issue (she had lovely conformation and passed it on to her two foals, so it wasn't to stop passing on poor conformation). [i sold her to a family for their pre-teen daughter and they love her and haven't had any attitude issues with her at all. Go figure.]

 

[jlh]

This attitude is so 20 years ago.
Anyone promoting this view should be labeled "backyard mini mill breeder" and shunned.

I agree - that should be a red flag as to the type of "breeder" you are dealing with.

and that is the politest thing I can say.

sadly, you can't make decisions for other people - or else my decision would take the gelding way beyond just their herd....

as Barny Fife would say "nip it, nip it in the bud"

 

[MinisOutWest]

Carin- is this the boy you had at Pinto ? if so, he is to die for. What a gorgeous horse....

and gelding prices are good in todays market, I know of two all around geldings selling for 10,000 and 15,000 and an old halter horse for 7500, so the market is not too bad for the geldings. at least it still exists. some of the horses I see sell today are practically free. its sad, but there are so many babies being bred, I just wish people would stop breeding or reduce their breeding by over half, then the price and demand , will get better. sad to see minis being sold for 15, 20 and 30 dollars to the meat man, i was crying quietly in my truck when I saw this. I just have to keep telling myself, at least I am not a part of the problem, I am part of the solution.

 

[txminipinto]

Carin- is this the boy you had at Pinto ? if so, he is to die for. What a gorgeous horse....

YES! And I saw one of your "diamonds in the rough" at our last show last weekend! He did good!

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I love my geldings! If I had a choice that's all I'd have. Easy to keep, no special fencing.... do anything you want horses.

Lucy

 

[Sue_C.]

txminipinto...now that's what I'm talking about!! (Drooling!) I am an app lover, but that pinto would be welcome here.

So many people say that they wouldn't want a gelding because they are "dead", or "you remove the spirit", well, I beg to differ. There is a world of difference between stallion behaviour, and attitude.

My boy has plenty of attitude, and knows how special he is to me, yet he was gelded as a yearling.

 

[EAD Minis]

I always suggest a gelding for a first timer and I LOVE geldings. Sweetest things. I started out with a gelding and I thank him for everything he taught me!!! I would never take back the time I had with my gelding.

It gave me time to research, and observe what every one else is doing and also what to look for in a horse. And he definetly had 'tude'. Just ask his owners now!! He thinks he is quite the man haha. I dont own a gelding now but if I had a stall open again I would definetly buy another. I was considering buying a nice show gelding not to long ago but with my limited space I had to sit back and decide what I wanted to accomplish.

Everyone has some very good points so far

 

[HGFarm]

Just want to add that a little colt I had for sale last year didnt sell, and since the vet was coming to do a gelding party at the next farm, figured I would see if he was ready at six months to geld- the weather was right, etc....

Well he was, and we did. He sold shortly after and the owner loves him and was so happy he was already gelded and she did not have to deal with that.

We always used mares for ranch work, but we were also breeding and competing in various things then too- my top barrel horses were mares and that's all I've ever ridden. (Except the stallion) Have never had problems with mares the way I hear people talk about hormones and all, so that I dont quite understand, but I'm not saying they are not out there.