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Post by lisadundee on May 25, 2013 20:05:37 GMT
I have recently bought a stallion to show and cover my mares with and my previous stallions only covered in hand but I am wanting to turn my new boy out with my herd but I have never done this before and am concerned especially for my two week only filly foal, is he likely to hurt her? There are two mares one of the mares isn't due to foal until the 14th August so quite late and the other mare has the filly foal at foot and there will be another mare too who is currently empty. How do you integrate your stallions in to your herd safely and do you only leave them to run with the mares when they are in season? I wasn't planning on turning him out with them until mid June so the filly will be a little older by then.
Just looking for people's experiences and what you do with yours? Thanks
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Post by gillwales on May 25, 2013 20:45:42 GMT
Personally I would not let a stallion run with mares with foals at foot. It is very easy for a foal to get squished. The down side to running is you can not be certain of covering dates, plus my old boy would only think about one mare at a time so if you had 2 in season he would stay with his favourite, however he had done most of his covering in hand, it is also more dangerous for the stallion. However there will be plenty who will say the opposite. I certainly would not run if you intend to show, make certain you put bells on his covering bridle then he will not get hyped up at a show. Do not show in the same bridle you cover in.
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Post by lisadundee on May 25, 2013 21:10:02 GMT
Personally I would not let a stallion run with mares with foals at foot. It is very easy for a foal to get squished. The down side to running is you can not be certain of covering dates, plus my old boy would only think about one mare at a time so if you had 2 in season he would stay with his favourite, however he had done most of his covering in hand, it is also more dangerous for the stallion. However there will be plenty who will say the opposite. I certainly would not run if you intend to show, make certain you put bells on his covering bridle then he will not get hyped up at a show. Do not show in the same bridle you cover in. I know it's such a tough decision, the stallion has just gone 5 last week and has only covered once in hand with his previous owner, and I would love for him to be a well socialised stallion who can run with his mares and I thought if I could do now while he is still young and babyish that it would be easier. My two previous stallions were totally different, out Hanoverian had only ever covered in hand and was quite highly strung but my section D had lived out with his mares all his life and he was so chilled and at shows you wouldn't have known he was a stallion, it was as if he didn't need to make a fuss because he had it handed on a plate at home lol. He was a lovely natured stallion and I always thought it was in part due to running with the mares and foals and being well socialised. The other thing I think is when he is turned out he constantly paces up and down the fence line and runs up and I sort of think at least if he was turned out with them I know he would run up a bit covering but at least he wouldn't be stressed pacing up and down all day. |
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Post by Philippa on May 25, 2013 22:05:16 GMT
Is he proven to run with mares?? Personally if not I wouldn't introduce with a foal at foot. I had a B stallion who would run with mares but not foals.
We always ensured one of the mares was in season when introducing the stallion so he had something to focus his attentions on while getting used to the others and so he didn't run the mares ragged or vice versa.
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Post by lisadundee on May 25, 2013 23:19:27 GMT
Is he proven to run with mares?? Personally if not I wouldn't introduce with a foal at foot. I had a B stallion who would run with mares but not foals. We always ensured one of the mares was in season when introducing the stallion so he had something to focus his attentions on while getting used to the others and so he didn't run the mares ragged or vice versa. Hi, he has only ever covered once about 6 weeks ago and this was in hand, I was hoping with him being young and nice natured and at the start of his 'stud' life that he would be easier to integrate and because I plan to have him for a very long time hopefully make his life as fulfilled as possible  |
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Post by Louise Dixon on May 26, 2013 7:03:16 GMT
Firstly let me say that I am NOT experienced in this area, I too am having my first season with a stallion running with mares. But my gut feeling would be to let him live with the empty mare, and try running him with his own foal next year. I probably wouldn't put him in with foals that aren't his, especially when he hasn't run wih mares before.
I don't know how your mares are about their foals, but mine are extremely laid back, and wouldn't mind leaving their foal with the other herd mares for a couple of hours, so I would probably watch them like a hawk for coming into season, then whip them out of the mare and foal field and pop them in with the stallion (probably taking out the empty mare) for a wee while.
It is so hard to know what to do, isn't it, when you are new to it? I had one mare in with our stallion, all fine, put a second mare in and mare no. 1 got totally obsessed with mare no. 2, and then wouldn't let the poor stallion near either of them, they formed their own little girls club in a corner and he was NOT included. So I've had to take the second mare back out for now, The mares were the problem there, though, not the poor stallion, who is a poppet, and I am lucky because I know he happily ran with his mares and foals at his owner's (he is on loan to us), and I can ring his owner with my millions of questions!
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on May 26, 2013 7:22:51 GMT
I have had a very different experience to gillwales, I and most native breeders I know run stallions out with mares and foals and I've never heard of an injury to a foal, although I do agree about covering dates. I work to a "not before" system of when I turn a stallion out with mares. More likely the stallion could get kicked if he's too keen on a mare who isn't! I learned from experience that my D boy gets everything in foal on their first season, but manages to do so without showing any apparent interest or leaving so much as a scuff mark, I don't know how he does it! I've also had mares who won't let other mares near the stallion at any stage of their season rather than the other way round, although D boy above managed to escape his bodyguard somehow and cover others. Equines did, after all, evolve living in herds of stallions with mares and foals, not much future for your genes in damaging your offspring who carry them!
Having said that, mine were brought up to run with their mares, running in herds of boys from their yearling summer, and introduced for their first covering season very carefully; for their first time covering an empty and experienced mare in hand and turning the two of them out together immediately afterwards. After that I try to add the mares as and when they come in season. A stallion's behaviour running out will also depend on their experiences in life so far, as well as their natural temperament, as will a mare's. One who has had a bad covering experience may be too frightened to let a stallion near her, and in other cases a stallion badly kicked by a mare can be very wary.
I leave mine out as a herd for the season, depending on field usage really. Then the stallion has some time out on his own rather than going out with the boys directly afterwards, I think that would be asking for trouble. But nothing is worked here any more, and except for the odd foal show, anything going shown goes away to a producer. He is also well separated from other ponies when with mares, with either a field or a double fence and hedge in between. All sexes though are used to being around others, having boxes in the same big barn and being lead around past them etc.
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Post by gillwales on May 26, 2013 7:56:36 GMT
The second time a stallion covers is when the tend to get very eager and is when they need careful handling.Did he pace prior to his first mare? 5 is quite late to introduce a stallion to a mare. The 2nd time a stallion covers is when you need to teach him respect, he must obey his handler. There was one big stud who used to allow the stallion to be free while the mare was held, the stallions would not mount a mare until given a verbal command. I also witnessed Orielton Aristocrat who was a boy with the best manors. He was in a paddock, his owner told him to get back while she took the mare in with him, he then waited patiently for her to say come on the boy, he did his job quietly and then backed off. What I did used to do was turn out my boy with the mares he had covered that season, they lived very happily together. At the end of the day you need to find a system that works for you. I do hate to see stallions rape their mares or who are allowed to bite or kick when covering in hand. I would urge you to consider your own safety, wear gloves, boots and a hard hat, if you have anyone helping you they should wear the same.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on May 26, 2013 10:29:13 GMT
Agreed to all that safety stuff. And I have a very experienced friend who helps with any IH covering we do here, which is very little, only the colts at the beginning of their careers and usually but not always the maiden mares, who certainly demands good manners from any stallions she handles. Her own and those where she works will back off in the field and work as you say above, it's all a question of schooling to get what standard you expect from your stallion. I have been told (I say carefully as no personal experience here) that the worst stallions for mistreating mares are valuable racing TBs because their mares are prepared by a teaser and heavily restrained ready for them. Those that run out have normally learned to respect the mares, do the correct chatting up and be polite or they get kicked!
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Post by lisadundee on May 26, 2013 11:10:02 GMT
I am experienced covering in hand and will not tolerate bad manners, I only have two fields and the first has been fenced off for him and will have electric running on it too. He hasn't run with anything since he was two. The mare with the foal at foot is the mare he needs to cover first and she is a bit tricky to cover in hand as she doesn't show but will let the stallion cover when she's ready and kick if she's not, however she ran out with a stallion last year when she went to stud and was fine.
I plan to work him most days and stable him at night but would leave him out to settle for the first couple of nights.
It sounds like the best way is to turn him out in the next door field where they can see each other and then cover the mare with foal at foot in hand and turn them out together immediately after.
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janet
Full Member
Posts: 502
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Post by janet on May 26, 2013 15:09:24 GMT
When I had my stallion and first mare I was very inexperienced, I put the mare in an adjacent paddock so could see when she was in season, she was a maiden mare and then I let the stallion in a large field with her, he had limited experience he covered her straight away and they lived happily together and I separated just before her due date, she has now gone back to her breeder to have a foal for her before she comes back to me and she has tried for 2 years and not got her in foal although she used her stallion in hand, I think it is best to run the mares with the stallion, good luck
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Post by brt on May 26, 2013 16:48:14 GMT
My stallion runs with mares and foals, but he has done all his life and is very good with the babies.
I think it's a bit different if you haven't run him out before though, my mares are old gals and would teach any stallion manners, but i wouldn't put a maiden mare out with a stallion that hadn't run out.
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Post by lisadundee on May 26, 2013 17:28:30 GMT
No they are all experienced brood mares and they won't stand for any nonsense! X
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Post by stormyskies on May 26, 2013 21:32:48 GMT
My boy only covers in hand and is very well socialised. Stables next to mares and hacks out with them
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Post by Springclassic on May 30, 2013 7:22:21 GMT
When i had my stallion we used to cover one nare in hand first, one without a foal at foot or we would chiose an experienced mare and hold her foal out of the way but still in sight, just in case, then we would turn him out with that mare, then the other mare would be turned out. I never had any issues with oliver, but he was such a well mannered boy with the ladies, and very loving with the foals, he would often be seen amongst the babies.
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Post by pattendown on Jun 3, 2013 21:06:08 GMT
i run mine with mares and foals but they are his foals and they do know ,most stallions are brill but you do get them that will attack any offspring that isnt theirs its shocking but natural behaviour ,maybe you should do as someone said and cover the mares inhand till the foals are weaned and then turn him out with them
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