A HERDSMAN'S HANDBOOK FOR THE MODERN HOMESTEADER

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Actually, I can think of absolutely no valid reason for a small, novice homesteader to own a stallion at all . . . unless it's only for the short period of time after purchase necessary for a veterinarian to perforce the castration operation.

A few stallions are needed, of course, to sire foals, and the, larger, stables can justify keeping them for this purpose and as a means of exhibiting the advantages of their particular bloodlines. If a stallion can be trained and shown at halter or In performance classes or in races, this enhances the value of his offspring.

In summary, we can say that stallions are psychologically "mare-oriented".

Mares are only a shade better than stallions as a regular mount. Even though temperamentally more docile, their usefulness is somewhat impaired by their femininity. . . they always seem to be either, pregnant, nursing a foal or in heat!

Most people are unwilling to subject a pregnant mare, to very hard or prolonged work, nor are they willing to put up with the troubles associated with having a foal tag along when the mare is being used. During their heat period, many mares become almost hysterical and unmanageable ... and, in any event, are not safe to ride in the presence of a stallion at this time.

Most mares also undergo some sort of character change during pregnancy (some become vicious and others more docile). The only obvious advantage to owning a mare is that replacement horses can be produced by the simple expediency of breeding her to the stallion of your choice.

Due to the nature of their sex, mares are either "stallion oriented" or "foal-oriented".

In contrast to stallions or mares, geldings are "people-oriented". Geldings are friendlier, easier to train and more attentive to their handler. This is not to say that castrated male horses do not exhibit a wide variation in individual temperament... but. at least, each one is consistent. Whatever a gelding's personality—good, bad or indifferent—it will be pretty much the same, week in and week out. Certainly, a gelding will not surprise you with a sudden shift in behavior due to any ebb or flow of sex hormones! I would strongly advise that your first horse be a gelding.

The size of your ideal horse will be dictated by his intended use and you should always pick a horse a little bit larger than needs to be to do his job. It should be obvious that a horse carrying only 15 percent of its body-weight will perform better than one carrying 25 to 30 percent of its body-weight. Most horses can carry tremendous loads for a short time, but to force them to do this for long periods results in damage to their ultimate productivity and well-being.

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