Newbies WAKE UP

[barnbum]

Oo, ooo I want to reply!

I've not had many minis, two broodmares--who are wonderful to me, but the lead mare can be a pistol to the others. Every foal has been different, so shy, some in your pocket/lap. I had five fillies first--so had no experience with boys except for my stallion. He required consistent work to keep in line, but manageable if work was several times a week. Then came Tucker, my first colt, and last foal born here. He only wanted to bite once he came out--for days. I worked with him a lot and again, consistently, and that became a non-issue. Now, age 2, Tucker is amazing! When I take him out for a romp in the fields, or we do obstacle work, he's a delight! The lead never goes taunt with my Tucker boy--he's a team player! Oh gosh, I love geldings. And mares.

 

[MindyLee]

Molly you are intitled to your opinion about geldings and mares just like everyone else here.

I do have to say I was sorta on the same page as you when it came to geldings and not liking them. BUT not because they where ever mean BUT because you cant breed with them. And thats where This whole topic kinda fits in from for NEWBIES!!! Well being into horses all my life and minis since 2004, I never would have guessed I would own a gelding EVER. But reciently I did adopt a 30 yr old cushings and severly foundered gelding who now is part of my family. I can say even tho Im not head over feet in love with him like I am with the rest of the herd, and where still getting to learn oneanother, he is a real sweetheart and very loving and will live out his days here. I now look at geldings differently as they are more then just a horse with no use. And I may never own another gelding after my adopted one passes on BUT like you thats just my prefrance.

If you are not a fan of geldings cause they are mean and you had bad experiances with them then thats your choice. I am very happy to hear that you did however find Toby and he worked out for you like my old mini gelding did for me. And hope you do have many happy yrs with him and enjoy him like you beloved mares!

Good luck and take care!

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

Wow is all I can say. If a horse kicks, bites or pins you in a corner that's a management issue, not the sex. I've never been flat out attacked by a Mini, but if I was there wouldn't be a second time.

Bad manners are bad manners. Same for no respect. Too many people treat Mini's like they do little dogs and let them get away with behaviors you'd not let a Dobie, Rottie or Great Dane get away.

We were working with a stallion today that had never been clipped and rarely haltered that has been here less than a week. PiA to catch, but he's learning. He did good IMHO considering he really didn't know what we wanted or expected. He did learn his feet coming off the ground was not a good idea and what 'over' means. We clipped another in full hormonal mode, but easy overall and a gelding (another gelded last week) that had never been clipped before that did great. We also worked with our 15 year old stallion, gelded less than a week. Harnessed him and ground drove him - first time in 10 years and did fantastic for being very rusty.

In all these years, I've been bitten by a mare, kicked - usually my fault (tickling a baby's belly gets you kicked) - but never aggressively) by all sexes, and find training is training for all. Some horses are just smarter than others, some take awhile to get it.

 

[Blackwater Farm]

I had the unique opportunity growing up to ride and work with ALOT of different horses. Draft to mule to mini, english, western, saddleseat, mare, gelding, stallion, foal to smooth mouth, and I can honestly say that I think it comes down to a horse is a horse is a horse. When we went to look at horses we didnt look at sex or breed or color, we look at "how can I better this horses life so it can go on to better someone elses". We'd take it home, give it what it needed, be it groceries or training or re-training. There are bad mares, bad stallions and bad geldings. Just like people, it's called stereotyping...you can't dislike a whole group due to a few bad experiances. When you start to do that you might miss out on the horse of a lifetime!

 

[chandab]

There are bad mares, bad stallions and bad geldings. Just like people, it's called stereotyping...you can't dislike a whole group due to a few bad experiances. When you start to do that you might miss out on the horse of a lifetime!

Well said. [The only thing I might change would be "can't" to "shouldn't", but that's just semantics.]

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Yep just bad training period. Its then unfortuantly your responsibility to retrain them to show them that this behavior is unacceptable. Unfortuantly thats what I find lacking is untrained minis and breeders not taking the time to train them as foals.

 

[lucky seven]

molley actually made me smile, the things she described her geldings have done to her, my one and only gelding has done to me and my hubby, he isn't the best for our farrier but we keep trying to train his bad behavior out of him. Everytime I think I have made progress, he does a complete U turn and reverts back to the bad behaviors she described. The only thing he no longer does is rear. He nibbles, plays tug of war with my coat while I'm wearing it, drives us out when we are feeding him and just won't cooperate to be walked. He doesn't do anything willingly that I purchased him to do with me. I talked to a mini breeder about him and she agreed that it is better that we keep him rather than sell him because I couldn't live with myself if he went to a family with children that were hurt by him. He makes a good companion to our older pasture horse, so he still has a value. Meanwhile, I keep hoping...............

 

[miniluv777]

Thank you for sharing this. I am a "relative newbie" and you can't help but think "how cute" etc. But after a couple years I have come to know what you speak of.

The whole unwanted horse situation is so awful. Breaks your heart. I HOPE and PRAY people heed your message.

Have any of you experienced difficulty in selling horses lately or ever? My horses have plenty of food so it isn't imperative that I sell even giving our current situation. However, I am noticing that we are having difficulty selling breed-wide. The abuse and neglect cases have also skyrocketed because of this. While it's easy to judge, and some of them deserve to be judged, we have to put ourselves in their shoes. Perhaps they lost their job and have to pay $25 per hoof trimming, $2 per bale of hay, $15 per bag of feed, $50 plus for vet work per horse, $100s in registration fees, etc. and also have to feed their families. Give them away you say? But what if nobody wants them because they cannot afford the associated fees just to own a pet.

For newbies: you CANNOT make money selling horses, not even in the BEST of economies. Expect to keep and be responsible for those adorable babies that you will not sell. Horses can live to be 30. Expect to feed, care for, groom, trim, and vet that adorable baby for up to 30 years.

Do you want to breed? Don't! The reality is that miniature horses are just not selling. If we all bred our horses half as much their value would increase. In 14 years I have only 8 miniature horses and viewing the sheer numbers of miniature horses for sale on the Internet I know they are not selling. I do not mean to offend with this post but I have enough seniority in this breed to know there is a problem when the average value for a gelding in '98 was $500-$1k, a miniature stallion in '98 was probably close to 2k and open mares would go for 3-6k and today some of the best are now going for $500.

Want to breed? Let me save you and everyone else a lot of heartache. Don't.

 

[Helicopter]

I too must come out in defence of wonderful geldings.

I have 12 geldings and 7 mares and they are all delightful but when I sit out in the padock it is the geldings who arrive first and don't leave. The mares come too but have to hang at the back because the geldings want all the luuuuuve.

:wub