# Stallion like behavior in gelding



## GreySorrel (21 July 2009)

I am at my wits end with my Quarter Horse gelding. I brought a new mare home, ever since he has reverted back into stallion mode and is just in love with my draft mare. He teases her, nickers to her, tries to nibble her knees or flanks, but thank goodness at the moment she is not in heat. 

Because of his behavior, even driving his sister away from the new mare, there is a lot of animosity between everyone, as I started out with 2 mares and one gelding. My other draft mare is very sweet and not very quick moving so she has been sporting a few bites and cuts, which I expected  from putting a new horse in with them. The gelding, Terry, still drives them around, still has to dance around Trixi every chance he gets, and tonight, when I went to the barn, my other draft mare Smoke was dead lame on her left hind!! So, into her stall she went with lots of shavings, two tablets of bute and lots of fresh water and hay. 

I have had his hormones tested, everything came out negative. There is no hidden testicle nor anything like that either. It took me a good year of training to get him calmed down enough to have a pleasurable ride on him as well, as for a while he would poke and drag his feet going away from the farm, but as soon as we turned to head home, he would jig, dance, prance, chew with his mouth, and be a general pain in the arse. This year he has been a real pleasure to ride, responsive, supple, patient, and did what was asked of him. I haven't taken him out to ride since Trixi arrived so I don't know what to expect yet, if anything. 

I have read that sometimes it can be the adrenile glands that cause them to act in that fashion. Does anyone know? Have you had a gelding who acted like this? What did you do? 

I can't afford any of my horses hurt, I have had a crap week between my dog getting bit in the face by a copperhead snake, now my show mare dead lame and sore, bites on her, Terry being a butthead...ready to sit and cry.


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## saalsk (21 July 2009)

There is often no particular reason why they do this, some horses seem to remember having hormones, and sometimes if they were cut late they are more likely to act a bit stalliony. Can you seperate them so the girls are not quite so close ?

I have tried various supplements on my very riggy gelding, and some are quite effective - the most useful I found was Agnus Castus based. He is on a mixed yard, but always has at least one field between him and any girls, and has learnt to cope. 

Good luck


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## bailey14 (21 July 2009)

Horse can be true rigs or false rigs.  A false rig is a horse that has been gelded but has retained stallion behaviour.  A true rig is a horse that has been gelded and retained some testicular tissue.  It may be your horse is a false rig so blood tests would come back negative.  

My horse was accused of mounting geldings at one of my previous livery yards I stabled him at, and he was blood tested which came back negative.  He had been gelded late at 7 and he was 10 when I bought him, and did act a little stallionly but never ever did i or anyone see him attack another horse. However, for some reason the YO was convinced it was him that was tearing at the geldings withers and causing damage to their rugs.  In the end he made my horse stay in on permanent box rest (he was too unhappy on his own in the paddock and kept jumping out).  My hand was forced and I had to give him Depo Provera a female hormone whcih was not tested for use on humans.  Altogether he had three injections of this hormone.  I knew Billy wasn't attacking the others and used to sit for hours in the field watching him with the camcorder at the ready in case I caught something on tape to implicate another horse instead.  It eventually became obvious that it was not him that had been doing the damage ot the others as whilst we were both away at a show, my friend (being the main accuser in all of this) had her horse badly mauled.  

It was only about a year later that I suddenly lost my lovely horse to a sudden unexplained heart attack.  I have often wondered if  it was the injection so I would urge you not to use this method.  I had to sign a disclaimer before my vet would let me use it as it was unlicensed for use in horse.  Course I was a lot younger and naive and felt I had no choice if I wanted to keep my horse at this 'fantastic yard'.  Of course looking back I can't believe how stupid I was.  Billy died at the age of about 13 and I remain guilty to this day that I may have contributed to his death due to peer pressure.


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## Box_Of_Frogs (21 July 2009)

This behaviour is NOT uncommon in ordinary, happy geldings. My last ned, a 14.2 20yr old Highland x and the sweetest, safest thing on 4 legs had a bit of a "thing" going with one of the mares on the yard and he would occasionally mount her in a half hearted sort of way. He wasn't cut late and his nature and behaviour didn't change one jot. And there was a 16h gelding at my current yard who was very very unhappy if he couldn't be t/o with at least one mare. And when a mare came into season and flirted with him he was seen mounting her regularly, to the point of penetration. His behaviour with people and other horses never changed. He just remembered girls = mounting. I wouldn't mind betting that your gelding will settle down once the initial excitement wears off. I wouldn't have thought the adrenal glands would have anything to do with it directly - they produce adrenalin which affects the systems that prepare the horse for fight or flight.


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## bailey14 (21 July 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
 This behaviour is NOT uncommon in ordinary, happy geldings. 

[/ QUOTE ] Yes I realise that.  I have actually seen mares mount other mares.  We had a dog bitch that used to cock her leg when she went for a wee as she was on hormone tablets to stop her being incontinent following a spaying.  Of course everyone is familiar with both gelded yearlings and entire yearlings (is that the right word) mounting each other in play.  The thing is some people are rather ignorant, see a horse come in with injuries to its withers and sides and presume a horse is mounting it.  Unfortunately if there happens to be a horse around at the time that looks the part, ie. has a stallionly neck and has some stallion traits then sadly that horse is labelled as a rig and a trouble maker.  Throughout the summer months when my horse was forced to stay in whilst his friends were out in the field playing it just so happened that the real rig didn't get up to mischief, maybe the presence of my horse used to set him off, who knows. That day when we arrived back at the show and my horse was exonerated from liability was one of the happiest days of my life. It just goes to show that we 'shouldn't judge a book by its cover'. x


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## GreySorrel (21 July 2009)

Ah thank you all for the replies. Applecart, I am so very sorry you lost your horse, that is never easy is it, and please, you surely were not at fault for doing what you felt was right for his well being at the time. I am sure he knew you loved him and in this day and age, that is important, so hugs to you! 

I have had the blood tests, all came back negative and well within a geldings level. I know when I spoke to a vet yesterday about giving the 3 mares shots so they don't come into heat and he can relax more, she made a comment about how it does put off some owners when they see their horses doing what comes natural. I firmly told her that NO I wasn't embarrassed or upset that Terry was mounting the mares, it was more that he can hurt them when they turn to squeal at him or he takes a chunk out of them, I can ignore everything else. I just want his brain to re-engage and he be a good riding horse again!! And as for separating, I tried that already and after two days in the pasture right across the way where he could see the mares, he colicked badly and we almost lost him, so I hesitate to do so again. 

And I am sure that Box_of_Frogs is right, Trixi has only been here about 3 weeks or so, and as things settle even more, my little herd will become more settled.


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## GreySorrel (22 July 2009)

Just an update...talked to one of the vets I use here, she explained about all the different things on the market that would help but they aren't a guarantee nor have some even really helped at all, more to placate the owner. 

So, what were going to do is give each of my mares a shot of oxytocin, it keeps them from going into heat for about 50 to 90 days, then we do the shots again. I will have to give them a shot x2 a day for 7 days initially then they will be good to go. The shot itself is very small needle wise, she said it could cause some mild cramping for about 20 minutes then your done. She also mentioned that in the case study of this drug on mares, it worked a 100% of the time, AND the bottle of oxytocin I will need is only about $12.00. 

Hopefully this will work and my gelding will calm down. I am taking him out for a hack today so we shall see how he does.


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