# Stallions question (possibly a silly question!)



## tye_bo (7 August 2012)

I was watching the dressage and wondered are there more stallions in dressage than other disciplines? It's not something I've ever thought about until today but there seemed to be a lot of stallions.

Do they have to make special provisions when stabling them?  Are they all grouped together away from mares? Just wondering how it works.


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## wildoat (7 August 2012)

Good questions, hoping to be educated too!


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## Freya27 (7 August 2012)

There are a lot more stallions in dressage - I think because passage, piaffe etc come very naturally to a stallion (you only have to look at one when he sees a mare to see a beauitful passage!) so they are more trainable in it. 

As for how the stabling works..I was wondering too!


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## TarrSteps (8 August 2012)

There are lots of stallions that jump, fewer that event, although more than there used to be. The extra presence testosterone brings can be an advantage for dressage, although there are good geldings, too. There is also the potential business side - horses good enough to compete at the highest levels are also potentially valuable as breeding stock, (although it doesn't necessarily follow) and it a ads to sale value.

They do try to arrange stabling so that stallions are not next to mares, especially ones they don't travel with regularly and some people bring reinforcements for walls, to block gaps etc.

But stallions that show are used to travelling and living with strange horses. It self selects to some extent because the ones that can't handle it either drop out or get cut.  Stallions that do stay in the game are trained and managed accordingly.

Also, many mares, especially the most 'mare-ish' ones compete on Regumate now, which drastically lessens the chances of running across an in season mare.


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## tye_bo (8 August 2012)

Thanks TarrSteps that's really interesting.  Why are fewer stallions eventers?  Do mares have a pre-disposition to any particular discipline?


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## jump?howhigh (8 August 2012)

I can't answer your first question about stallions in eventing but I can answer your second one mares have a good pre disposition for polo, nearly all polo ponies are mares this is because of a mares 'fiesty' temperament.


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## Tnavas (8 August 2012)

jump?howhigh said:



			I can't answer your first question about stallions in eventing but I can answer your second one mares have a good pre disposition for polo, nearly all polo ponies are mares this is because of a mares 'fiesty' temperament.
		
Click to expand...

SAme here in NZ. TB ex-racehorse mares generally find their way to polo yards - especially if they are small. The mare instinct to lead the herd makes them very determined and pushy so they are more than happy to get in the midst of things. Geldings are woosy and stallions only want to fight!!


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## d_morrow (8 August 2012)

In a recent interview Mary King said that stallions often weren't brave enough for eventing as they had their 'equipment'' to worry about: http://olympics.time.com/2012/07/28/qa-olympic-equestrian-mary-king/


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## Bernster (9 August 2012)

Interesting article thanks


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## EstherYoung (9 August 2012)

Quite a few stallions competing in endurance too.... Sometimes corralled with the others too. On the whole very well mannered and sensible chaps. After all they have to have their pulses taken in with a load of other horses so they need not to be fussed about the whole thing.

Mind you the big cob stallion from the local common who got loose and decided he was going to join in with one of our rides last year, we could have done without him


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