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Ask a Stallion, Tell a Gelding, Negotiate With a Mare… Myth or Truth?

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Beezie Madden & Cortes C: Franz Venhaus on flickr

Panel Experts: Julie Winkel and Linda Allen

Submitted by member: Elise

I have heard the saying – Ask a Stallion, tell a gelding, negotiate with a mare…….. I know that I had a gelding I could kick and go no matter what, I have a mare now that I have to really be quiet and let her figure things out, kicking and tapping with the whip seems to shut her down, and I rode a stallion that was just a dream to ride and seemed to know everything that I wanted.  Do you adjust your training based on the gender and if so, how?  Or is it more on each individual horse?

Answer by Linda Allen

Though it is hard to generalize with horses, there is far more truth to that saying than fiction.  Geldings most often tend to be consistent and reliable in their demeanor and less apt to change under different conditions and circumstances.  This doesn’t mean that their individual personality can’t vary from very sensitive to rather lazy and easy going, or that they can’t have individual quirks.  In general geldings are the most tolerant of things such as inconsistency in the aids coming from the rider, uncomfortable tack, harsh training methods, etc.

Your average mare, when schooled to do the sort of work she is good at and enjoys, can be an incredible partner.  Most often a well-schooled mare is happiest when their rider pretty much leaves them alone to do what needs to be done.  A rather sensitive mare in particular hates to be given conflicting aids or otherwise interfered with when they are doing their job.  They often show their dissatisfaction by kicking at the leg or pinning their ears.  Early training of a sensitive mare is best done by a good horseman who knows how to find the narrow line between being overly demanding and overly permissive.  Mares aren’t prone to tolerate nagging or inconsistency in a rider.  A mare’s natural “toughness” can make them exceptional partners when the going gets hard in certain disciplines such as high level jumping or endurance.  However, this same quality can be the rider’s worst nightmare if they try to go head-to-head against a strong-minded mare.

Stallions can be tricky.  Most importantly they need the right start. Some young ones seem to think they are destined to rule the world – THEIR world at least.  In their early training it is essential for them to learn that the human they work with is their well-respected leader.  Mutual respect is key.  Few stallions take to being bullied and many bad behaviors are a result of someone having taken this approach with them.  They demand respect and, once mutual respect is achieved and maintained, many can be just as straight-forward to handle and ride as a mare or gelding.  In training a stallion for jumping, it is always wise to remember that despite all appearance of extreme ‘bravado’ that so many stallions evidence, this can vanish in an instant if the stallion is over-faced too early in its career.  When someone tries to ‘make’ a stallion do something the result can be disastrous since fighting can be a part of their basic nature.  Good horsemen earn the respect of any horse they work with and avoid ever becoming the antagonist.

I believe that horses in general have a well developed sense of what is fair and what is not.  Taking advantage of their inherent desire to learn and to accomplish what is asked of them can have definite negative consequences over time.  Teaching a horse his role in life in a way that produces trust in and respect for the humans he interacts with is the way to achieve the most from any horse, no matter the discipline.  When things are not going as you would like the best way to deal with it is to first figure out exactly what is triggering the undesirable behavior.  If a horse is reacting to pain or confusion, inflicting more is not the answer!  While they can’t talk – be they a mare, stallion or gelding, they do communicate through their actions and expressions.  It is up to us to learn to ‘hear’ them and decipher what they are telling us.  In this way we create the two-way conversation that can make riding such an incredible and unique sport!

Answer by Julie Winkel

Although I have had horses of different genders that certainly fit in those stereotypes, I’ve also had horses that don’t conform at all to that generalization.

I think it’s fine to be prepared for stallions to be difficult, mares to be quirky and geldings to be more level in temperament, but each horse is an individual. As a horseman it is very important to understand each animal’s personality as well as strengths and weaknesses to be able to train, communicate and have the best partnership with them. That insight and open-mindedness will give you the best recipe for success in finding a special horse that works with you, for you and enjoys their job.

Hope this helps!

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Linda Allen

Linda Allen (Hunter, Jumper, Course Design) - is an accomplished Olympic Course Designer, Clinician, Judge, Equestrian Facility Design Consultant and Author. For more than 45 years, Linda has been a fixture in the Equestrian Industry. Linda is an FEI Official International Course Designer, FEI Certified Steward and Course Director for Show Jumping and US Equestrian Federation "R" Course Designer for Jumpers and Hunters. She is a USEF Registered Judge for Jumpers, Hunters and Hunt Seat Equitation, Foreign Judge for FEI Events in Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Italy and Saudi Arabia and has been Member and President of the Ground Jury for multiple World Cup Finals and World Equestrian Games events. Visit her website: www.llallen.com

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