Keeping 2 stallions...

[MiniHoofBeats]

Ok I have 2 questions...

Here's the scenario...I have one stallion, he's a tall B and he is just the biggest sweetheart but I think I want to geld him and make him my driving/show halter gelding. He has the grey/roan gene and I have decided I don't want to have him as my main herd sire but he is just too darned sweet to sell! So I have my eyes on a gorgeous colt right now and am considering purchasing him but I am not sure how to house the two...I did want to try getting 1 or 2 foals from my original stallion before gelding him but if it's a bad idea to keep 2 stallions near each other, let me know! I only have this one pasture to work with, it's a LARGE pasture that can be split in half and still be huge for one mini!

first one, if you own two stallions can you keep them pastured NEXT to each other? I know it's bad to keep them in with each other, especially around mares. Neither stallion would be in sight of the mares, but I have been looking at and I think I will soon be purchasing a second stallion. I have a large pasture I can split in half with metal horse panels to keep them separated - would they be ok next to each other or will they be too riled up from being able to sniff each other through the panels? I could always put up 2 rows of panels so they're separated by a few feet.

second - if I were to geld one stallion, can you keep a stallion and a gelding together (until the gelding is fully healed and can go in with the girls)? Also - anyone have a problem having a gelding in with the girls, the girls thinking the gelding is their stallion, and then not wanting anything to do with your real stallion?? Or are mares responsive to stallions irregardless?

Am I making sense? lol...let me know if I am or not =) Thanks!

 

[Mona]

I keep my stallions pastured next to each other all the time. That is just how I am set up. They have onoly a fenceline separating them from one another. They do well this way for me. They may charge towards the fence at first, but I have never had it go beyond that. One thing though that I did find, was do NOT put mares in the pasture with a stallion and expect the other stallion to be calm. That is when trouble can start.

You said the new one is a colt, but you did not mention an age. Since your current stallion is quite tall, and mature in comparison, I would not just turn the two of them into a pen together, even if the stallion gets gelded.

As for putting the newly gelded boy in with the ladies, I think he will be more prone to act like a stallion towards the mares, rather than them wanting him to be their stallion and not taking another. I think it might be best for this year, to keep him in a separate pen next to the colt, and then try putting the two of them together in the Fall after hormones calm down.

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Mona,

Thank you very much for your advice!!! Sorry about forgetting the ages...my current stallion is a yearling, he will be 2 years old this August. The new colt I am looking at is 7 months old.

I have the room to keep them separated for a year like you said, but I just wanted to be sure they can be by each other and not have any big issues. Thanks very much =) I'll keep the mare thing in mind too!!

 

[Mona]

Mona,

Thank you very much for your advice!!! Sorry about forgetting the ages...my current stallion is a yearling, he will be 2 years old this August. The new colt I am looking at is 7 months old.

I have the room to keep them separated for a year like you said, but I just wanted to be sure they can be by each other and not have any big issues. Thanks very much =) I'll keep the mare thing in mind too!!

With this in mind, at those ages, I would sure not hesitate in trying to put them together, and see how it goes. There will be some running and rough-housing to begin with, but I would take a chance. The younger the better, as far as I am concerned!

Also, I would still leave the 2 boys together until Fall. If they make friends now, even after the other one is gelded, they would likely still remain friends and could probably be kept together. Of course, nothing is fool proof. You just have to try and do what you want, and have a back-up plan to put into play should the arrangement not work out.

 

[northernmi]

I just gelded a 2 yr. old stallion in October and am just now putting him in with my geldings. He isnt ready to go with the mares yet and I"m not sure he will be. I guess it depends on your boy. This stud hasnt bred any mares before I gelded him, but he still acted studdy after for a long time. Its been 5 months and he is just now settling down. I would run a fence on the new boy and him, after a few days they usually make good company for one another. My new stallion is 7 and I have to keep him and my other 6 yr. old stud seperated in seperate locations. I have found that running geldings beside the stallion usually works well after a few days and keeps my stallion happier.

 

[Boinky]

I have found that i can't keep my two boys together in the summer months when mares are in heat..but in the witner months they are fine living together even with the bred mares. I'd just see what they do. they might love each other or they might hate each other..see what happens then work around the "problems" as they may/maynot arise!

 

[Bluerocket]

See Tony's thread about all his stallions that stay in the same pasture.

http://minihorse.ipbhost.com/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=55895

I have 2 colts and 2 geldings together in one turnout - and soon to add another adult stallion and 2 more yearling colts into the group. I do not turn mares/fillies out with the boys - but they are just in the adjacent paddocks.

We will see how it goes.

JJay

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

See Tony's thread about all his stallions that stay in the same pasture.

http://minihorse.ipbhost.com/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=55895

I have 2 colts and 2 geldings together in one turnout - and soon to add another adult stallion and 2 more yearling colts into the group. I do not turn mares/fillies out with the boys - but they are just in the adjacent paddocks.

We will see how it goes.

JJay

Goodness I know, I saw his photo and I was like "holy cats! how do they stay together without fighting all the time??" I thought stallions could NEVER be pastured together...so this is all new news!

I am thinking Chase (my yearling stallion) would love to have a friend, when I picked him up he was currently running with around 10 other colts so i'm sure he's pretty lonely being by himself now!

Thanks everyone for your advice!!!

 

[midnight star stables]

Hey,

Midnight(stallion) has been with Billy(gelding) for years and years. Nitro(newly gelding 7year old) will be put with Joy, hopefully by June.. Hope this helps abit and Good luck :aktion033: I love your minis, and I believe that Chase could go with the girls(after some time) or the new colt

: IMO, I would try to keep him with the colt

:

Desiree

 

[Tammie]

I have two 3 year old stallions and they are always pastured together with no problems at all. They have been together since they were weanlings which probably helps but my friend has many stallions and tries to pair them up with either another stallion or a gelding and she has great success doing this with stallions/or geldings that have not been together since they were weanlings. It depends on their individual personalities I think.

Tammie~

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

My place is small so all horses can see each other at all times. During winter I did have my two boys (ages 2 and 3) in side by side paddocks but the older guy got possesive of the girls and I have them seperated by one paddock now. The younger guy was fine. They are atleast 15 feet apart at all times. I suppose if I had room to try to see what would work I'd try keeping stallions together- particularly if I had as many as Tony!

Tammie

 

[CMR]

I have two stallions, one gelding that was gelded at the age of 13(he's sixteen now so still acts like a stallion), and two geldings in together, no problems. The stallions are three and four, and i didn't have any problems introducing them to each other(about a month ago.)

 

[CheyAut]

My 2 year old stallion lives with two geldings all the time, they keep him in line (he's smaller, and they're dominant...). He also is turned out with my other horses (though not my 2 year old filly unless I"m SURE she's not in season, and I'm there watching! lol!)

Jessi