Stallion stabling arrangements

[Cowgirl Lindz]

I'm looking at buying a stallion and was wondering what your stable arrangements are for your stud(stabling, turn out..)
The boarding facility I'm looking at is very nice but I would like to know if it is appropriate for a stallion. The stalls are very solid, on the sides between horses are wood planks all the ways to the top, the front has wood from the bottom about half way up and then metal bars. He would probably be at the end of the barn beside a gelding. He would be turn out in a line of paddocks on the far end alone but beside a gelding. The fence is tall I'm sure there would be no jumping possibility. The fence is wood planks, the bottom plank is pretty close to the ground. Should a stallion have wire mesh in between or are the wood planks enough? The gate is iron or some metal. There would be mares around, is this place solid enough for a stud?

What are your stallion's stabling arrangements?

[Fairview Horse Center]

How high are the walls? Is the paddock 6' tall and/or hot wired? Is it double fenced with an alley between paddocks? Is management experienced with stallions? Is barn help? Are boarders? Is the stallion well sociallized?

[Cowgirl Lindz]

The walls in the stalls:) on either side are floor to ceiling in wood. The paddocks are over six feet and electric fencing. He is stabled right now in the same barn as "his mares and foals" as well as a two other young stallions. His paddock is also close to the other horses and some cows. He is turn out with a mare(alternating) during breeding season but not 24/7 tho. The owners do not have much expericance with stallions but it is so hard to find a place that does:( I know them very well and can trust them which I have to say is hard to find sometimes.

[Cowgirl Lindz]

If things don't work out I would him gelded. I would like to try to keep him a stud tho.

[FuelsterFarm]

So much is really determined by how the horse was socialized growing up.

I have two young stallions on our farm, bith are turned out next to mares, stalled next to mares, trailer with mares, etc. From weaning on to their yearling year both were turned out with a pair of dominant mares and a babysitter gelding. They learned to respect the mares and understand herd dynamics.

Now the boys are turned out together, and I rotate one of several geldings in and out so they always have companionship.

My biggest concern is the artificial way in which most stallions are kept - alone. In my experience I find that this tends to lead to many of the stereotypical "bad" stallion behaviours that we find.

In terms of barn help, I would be a bit concerned with a lack of experience with stallions.

The turnout should at least have a string of hot wire as a reminder that the fence is an impediment to any plans he may have in terms of possible escape/un-chaperoned socializing.

[Fairview Horse Center]

My concerns are if there is double fencing, and lack of experience with stallions that can make an easy stallion into a nightmare. Plus in a boardng situation, the stallions need to have a bit extra tolerance as the people can't resist visiting, treat feeding, and letting their mares tease. That needs to not upset them, risk a torn down fence, or a bitten hand - especially if there are young children visiting.

[Cowgirl Lindz]

No there is no double fencing but he would be two-three paddocks away from any mares. so even if he did get out he would have atleast two fences to deal with. The fences tower above me and there is electric fencing. Like I said if I doesn't go well I'll geld him. I'll give him a two month "trial" period and if any problems arise(may they be stabling, handling...) I'll have 2 geld him. My question is: Is it worth trying or should I just geld him? I do not have my own place and this would be the problem with most boarding barns around here, stallion nervous.

[sniplover]

If you're thinking about gelding him anyway, I would just do it. He'll be much happier to be turned out in a herd situation and you won't have to worry yourself about the extra liabilities and difficulties owning a stallion can bring with it.

[andy.smaga]

My biggest concern is the artificial way in which most stallions are kept - alone. In my experience I find that this tends to lead to many of the stereotypical "bad" stallion behaviours that we find.
Absolutely correct, "alone" is one of the major problems.

[Fairview Horse Center]

Having the geldings between him and the mares may enrage him if he is not use to it.

[Faiths CremelloWB]

I have stallions boarded out out and at home. What I find really makes a big difference is the horse they are stabled beside or pastured beside. At the boarding facility the stallions go out right beside geldings. The geldings are quiet and and do not care who the neighbor is. If the stallions go beside a young gelding who is really interested in them, the stallions try to play and hang by the fence more. There is no double fence at the boarding farm.

At home here we have double fencing with a lane between paddocks. The stallions do well this way too. This way they can go beside geldings and mares.

Stalls are the same, I stable them beside quiet geldings or young (weanling filly/colts). I have only two stallion stalls with full walls. All the rest have grills between them and they go right beside where they can touch noses etc... Each stallion is a bit different and their living arrangements are adjusted accordingly. Here they are very well socialized and around other horses all the time. works well for me and they are happy...

[camohn]

I'm looking at buying a stallion and was wondering what your stable arrangements are for your stud(stabling, turn out..)
The boarding facility I'm looking at is very nice but I would like to know if it is appropriate for a stallion. The stalls are very solid, on the sides between horses are wood planks all the ways to the top, the front has wood from the bottom about half way up and then metal bars. He would probably be at the end of the barn beside a gelding. He would be turn out in a line of paddocks on the far end alone but beside a gelding. The fence is tall I'm sure there would be no jumping possibility. The fence is wood planks, the bottom plank is pretty close to the ground. Should a stallion have wire mesh in between or are the wood planks enough? The gate is iron or some metal. There would be mares around, is this place solid enough for a stud?

What are your stallion's stabling arrangements?
Fences: hotwire is your friend!Even in addition to the wood....prevents leaping...especially at the gate which is usually the lowest point.
Everyone is different. Ours lives in an end stall with his wife or a gelding or a weanling next to him. He is turned out with any of the above as well. Our stalls are oak bottom half and metal bars top half. He can see everything that goes on in the barn. He is turned out 24/7 spring/summer/fall weather permitting and in 12 hours/out 12 in winter......in for the night.

[Cowgirl Lindz]

all the horses at this boarding barn have their own paddock. He would have contact with his neighbours and be turned out with a mare or two during breeding season not 24/7 tho. I really would rather keep him a stallion but not having my own place really limits me.

[siegi b.]

Have you ever owned a stallion?

Something just doesn't sound right to me.... sorry. You're going to turn the stallion out with a couple of mares during breeding season??? And this is at a boarding facility? Are these the boarders' mares that get to "visit" with your stallion? And you already know they want to breed to him?

Good luck!

[Secretariat2]

IMHO I wouldn't be happy having a stallion in a boarding situation. Too many things can go wrong. I have a stallion who lives with a gelding companion with regular 3-board fencing, but it is on my own property.

[classicsporthorses]

Well I will put in my two cents for what it is worth. My coming 7 year old stallion is out with a band of geldings and is low man on the totem pole. He has always been out with them-they are out 24/7 with a HUGE run in. He has been stalled next to mares and been a gentleman the whole time.

My 15 year old stallion is within his own pasture (run-in)-he was given to us 5 years ago and he had always been turned out by himself. Both stallions are 17 hand wb's.

Anyway, Both are within hot fencing. The older one is 25 feet from mares on one side and 25 feet from my other stallion and the geldings on the other. His pasture sits on a knoll over looking the mares and lower pastures. He's in 5 lines of fencing alternating hot and non hot (bayco fencing). When we bred, which we do down by our big barn, I have to walk him out of his pasture, down past the geldings and down to the barn area it's a few hundred feet or so.

When I breed my younger one, I take him out of his pasture, who's gate is closer to our house, and down the driveway to the barn.

We have never had a problem AND in our case we have had stallions get out. They know what to do-that is stop and get caught period.

Handling a stallion requires good horse handling skills FIRST, stallion handling experience right up next to first. My boys only wear a chain on them when we breed (and with their breeding halters on). Consistency is key and if they don't feel comfortable handling him then they should not handle him. I am the one who handles my stallions when breeding and most other things. Mind you they are push overs 99% of the time but they are still stallions. When people come to visit they are told the "Stallion" rules as in no treats, playing with their mouths etc.

As laid back as my younger stallion is, he's a big lug, no children are allowed in that pasture to get any other of the geldings unless they are with an adult.

Also, you and the boarding barn need to talk about liability insurance. It costs more to have a stallion on your property.

[Tiki]

First off, W H Y do you want to keep him a stallion? You really sound wishy washy about it, so why do you want to keep him a stallion? Just because??????? If you are not experienced with stallions, experienced with breeding and just want to keep him a stallion because of the "allure" of owning a stallion, or thinking he will be a more brilliant competitor because he is a stallion, they geld him or get something else.

[Cowgirl Lindz]

ok, well what a meant about putting him out with mares was pasture breeding. I was thinking of standing him to a few mares and I like to pasture breed my horses. Once again all I meant was if things are not working out as much as I would like to keep him as a stallion,I would geld him. This is my first stallion(I do have experience with them) and well you gata start some where:)
I really like this stallion, I had originally chosen him to breed with one of my mares. The owners are now selling him and I would like to buy him. He is a registered paint horse with nice breeding, very good conformation, nice tempered, well mannered, he is homozygous for the tobiano gene(always will give a toby foal) and will pass on a dilute gene 50% of the time. There is something that was telling me when I first looked at him to breed my mare that he was going to be something BIG if given the chance. And now maybe I can give him that chance(i'm not talking just breeding). Maybe he is meant to be a great paint sire and performance horse, or maybe his future is to be a great gelding tho I would kick myself if he was really great because I didn't keep him a stallion.(but he does have a registered colt that well carry on the genes)

[Cowgirl Lindz]

And yes I am undecided, it is a hard one. And I want to make the right one for both of us:)

[Maddie]

Our stallion came to us as a 9 year old that had been turned out on his own with oak fencing plus electric before he came here. Here we turn him out on his own or with his prego mares and foals. When alone he can be kept in adjoining paddocks with the rest of the herd. We have 3 strand electric and have had no problems with him. But like someone else said, it really depends on the stallion.

[smokygirl]

If possible.. I would try to find him a full time companion (my preferences are spayed mares.. hard to fidn though, and expensive. Then Molly Mules). Then he won't get mad at the other "guys" being between him and the girls, and he will have company (too many stallions don't have company.. very sad. Horses are social). Anyway.. stallion care is so much better when they aren't isolated/alone and have a buddy. Some do well with other boys (mine is with a stallion that is 2 years younger than he is) but if he's not accustomed to it, a molly is usually easier.

[Hi Jump]

In my experience my stallions have earned the right to be stallions, over and over but when I got them they were both young and just starting out. Both were approved by their respective warmblood verbands in Germany, and have since proven themselves in versatile performance and in the quality of their offspring production. Certainly just as importantly to me, they can be shipped easily, stabled at shows, handled by myself and other competant people easily , literally they can be collected shipping in to show that day and compete a few hours later at a big A show and be perfect gentlemen, that is critical under the scrutiny of the public. So their right to be stallions is assured but it became more than just my responsibility to keep them in a safe manner.
Being jumpers, security with solid walls and high fences was my first priority but honestly, I did a big disservice to my stallions allowing them to be too segregated. Now both my stallions are kept with geldings adjacent and both have pasture turnout time with the gelding. Both have a walk in shelter with an all weather paddock they can come and go at will. Addressing their happiness and socialization has done wonders , they don't choose to jump 6 foot fences (and trust me if they can jump 5'9" with a 200lb man they can jump 6 feet loose) or even try the sturdiness of gates and walls and such . So while secure fencing and safe solid stalls is one aspect I agree with the poster Fuelstar Farm and others regarding socialization, that their mental happiness and physical comfort is HUGE in keeping them healthy obedient well mannered productive stallions. My stallions are seen by thousands, in public eye at shows every single year during active breeding season and I am very proud of them, I think their environment and handling are critical to their behaviour. They have lived in public boarding facilities, and last year Cotopaxi lived 3 months during 9 weeks of the showjumping cuircuit at various venues in a 10 x 10 portable stall.

At home the freedom of choice to stand in the shelter or outside, shade or sun, roll on hogfuel or trot and buck , the ability to socialize and groom over a safe solid fence whenever they are home is all an aspect I have come to appreciate more over the years.

My one stallion Cotopaxi came to me with a hdifficult background, by way of Monty Roberts and came with a written disclaimer of him being too difficult for a performance career, and has since been a champion in dressage, competed lightly in eventing and is a Grand Prix jumper! He is handled and taken care of by myself and my kids. People see lots of pictures of our stallions showing, well here are shots of how they live in our own backyard (which could be criticized BUT I will say they are excellant mannered and successful by my assessment and we have no incidences) .

Not a great picture but you can see my stallion has trees, a vantage point, kept in primarily by the idea of hotwire, and his own content willingness :

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1772034&l=d6f3d&id=704637603

A converted carport serves as his shelter and he has freedom of choice to be in or out:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1772032&l=034ac&id=704637603

The gate between these paddocks is electrified to keep them from playing there but you can see they have a solid 4 foot wall to play over :

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2261694&l=8dda5&id=704637603

My fancy a--ed Hanoverian stallion Raffaello (hunter, jumper and dressage performer) turned out with buddy:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2489545&l=55d00&id=704637603

Flame suit on, my stallions socialize affectionately and respectfully with people including my sons who have helped me as a single mom, handle them:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2119764&l=03748&id=704637603

Again flame suit on, here Cotopaxi socializing with his own colts, between days showjumping and breeding :

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1790834&l=0fe89&id=704637603


There for all to see,

Lisa Paulson
Synergy Sporthorses
http://www.synergysporthorses.net