TRUE TRAINING 105 - Mares with Geldings
Jan 01, 2025 by Janet Jones
Regular readers will recall from Posts 54 and 60 that True is very attentive toward mares. I thought he would lose interest in the female sex as he got older, but no. To this day, he offers each mare special attention the moment she enters the arena while we are working. He has learned with training that this attention can only be displayed by a heightened awareness, a slightly arched neck, and one ear cocked toward the mare as we pass. Anything further I do not allow, and True obeys those rules well.
But in turnout, life is different. For one thing, there are no pesky human rules. True has never been turned out with mares or stabled next to one. But he does get turned out in settings where mares and geldings have separate pastures but a common fence.
Let me clarify that True has no problem getting along with geldings or with mares. He is sociable, cooperative, playful, and friendly. He understands equine social dynamics, introducing himself into new turnout groups with easy care. He is neither particularly dominant nor particularly submissive. When he enters a new group, I’m certain to prepare him gradually ahead of time, so he can get to know some of his new buddies before they are placed in the same pasture together. I watch the dynamics carefully for the first few days to be sure all horses get along well.
When True first entered his current group of about ten geldings, I made sure he knew two of them first from friendly barn encounters. A few days later, I led him through the pasture gate. The entire bunch of ten stood facing the gate, maybe 25 feet away, observing the new kid. I removed True’s halter and gulped. But instead of approaching the group, he turned quietly and walked to the far end of the 30-acre pasture, where he stood by himself.
After a couple of minutes, one of the geldings approached him. I realized, “Ah, Trouper knows how to do this!” Even prior to weaning, he grew up in a pasture with other horses and had clearly learned his lessons. Most of his life has been spent in pastures 24/7 with other horses or in daily turnout. He and Number One got along just fine and began grazing. One by one, the other geldings approached True, sniffed nostrils, then settled in for a bite of grass. All seemed to approve.
Only one gelding in the pasture group held off. He was grazing perhaps 500’ away by himself. True had met all the others, grazed for half an hour or so, and sauntered around for a while inspecting his new digs. Eventually, he strolled toward the Loner, indirectly, eyes down, clearly signalling an effort to be friendly—this was the only gelding out of ten whom True approached. The Loner squealed when they sniffed noses, and True turned away, simply strolling back to the others. They’ve all been buddies ever since, and Mr. Loner got more sociable the following day.
So he’s great with geldings. And he loves mares. L-O-V-E-S. One mare friend would walk over to the common fence daily where True licked her entire body with long strokes, head to tail, ears to toes. She was damp by the time he got to her hindquarters and started again on her face. In a group of mares, True is in seventh heaven. He approaches each one, slowly and with an almost gentlemanly demeanor. If there are any skirmishes between mares, he moves away and lets them handle it.
The only time problems occur is when the mares and geldings are mixed together with a common fence. Usually one or two of the geldings don’t even notice or care. They’re busy with their grass. But some are interested. And True sees it as his personal responsibility to protect mares from geldings.
This behavior is not unusual. Many people who do not have years of experience with hundreds of horses fail to understand that the typical gelding doesn’t know he’s a gelding. His testosterone levels are lower than a stallion’s, but they haven’t vanished. As an older male friend once told me, “I’m not looking for anyone, but I’m not dead either.”
Frequently, this human assumption that geldings have no interest in mares creates injuries. People place the two sexes too close together without adequate supervision. Most geldings paired with a mare in heat will respond to her. If there’s a common fence between them, somebody’s likely to get caught in it. Most geldings will also protect such a mare from other male horses. They’re not being bad; they’re just being horses.
Because True is so fascinated by mares, I asked his breeder, an equine veterinarian, if his castration was normal. Did they remove both testicles in entirety? Sometimes, a gelding is cryptorchid, meaning all or part of a testicle was left inside his body at castration and is still producing testosterone in amounts that approach a stallion’s. There’s an expensive blood test that can identify a cryptorchid, but True’s breeder is my friend and assured me that his castration was completely normal.
In a related conversation, True’s veterinarian here told me he has never seen a blood test for cryptorchidism come back positive. Modern veterinary science has advanced to the point where castrations are done with precision, thoroughness, and attention to the horse’s comfort. Typically, photographs are taken to prove that all testicular material was removed. So, there’s nothing wrong with True. Many geldings are attracted to mares exactly as he is. It’s normal.
Given knowledge of equine interaction between sexes, I’m able to manage True’s penchant for mares without much trouble. His pasture is separated from the mares’. The fences are strong and well-marked. I observe his interaction with all horses regardless of sex and with new geldings even when mares are not nearby. True is never placed in settings where mares and geldings are mixed.
To reduce the chance of injuries to your horses, don’t assume that mares and geldings are immune to normal reproductive behavior. Keep them separated for greatest safety. Avoid common fences between pastures. Horses are horses; we can’t expect them to ignore their instincts. If you have a gelding--probably older--who lives quietly with mares in season, recognize that your horse is unusual. Count your blessings, but please don't assume that every gelding is like yours.
Turnout is excellent for horse health, but it is also high-risk for injuries. Even when the sexes are separated, introduce all new horses to turnout gradually, over a period of a week or more. Start by placing two horses across a common fence from each other. If that goes well for a week or so, then try them together under supervision. Make sure the turnout area is large enough to offer plenty of open space so that horses can work out any difficult interactions. Observe the group dynamics carefully, and be ready to intervene if needed. You’ll learn a lot more about your horse, and you’ll be more likely to reduce injuries among them.
But in turnout, life is different. For one thing, there are no pesky human rules. True has never been turned out with mares or stabled next to one. But he does get turned out in settings where mares and geldings have separate pastures but a common fence.
Let me clarify that True has no problem getting along with geldings or with mares. He is sociable, cooperative, playful, and friendly. He understands equine social dynamics, introducing himself into new turnout groups with easy care. He is neither particularly dominant nor particularly submissive. When he enters a new group, I’m certain to prepare him gradually ahead of time, so he can get to know some of his new buddies before they are placed in the same pasture together. I watch the dynamics carefully for the first few days to be sure all horses get along well.
When True first entered his current group of about ten geldings, I made sure he knew two of them first from friendly barn encounters. A few days later, I led him through the pasture gate. The entire bunch of ten stood facing the gate, maybe 25 feet away, observing the new kid. I removed True’s halter and gulped. But instead of approaching the group, he turned quietly and walked to the far end of the 30-acre pasture, where he stood by himself.
After a couple of minutes, one of the geldings approached him. I realized, “Ah, Trouper knows how to do this!” Even prior to weaning, he grew up in a pasture with other horses and had clearly learned his lessons. Most of his life has been spent in pastures 24/7 with other horses or in daily turnout. He and Number One got along just fine and began grazing. One by one, the other geldings approached True, sniffed nostrils, then settled in for a bite of grass. All seemed to approve.
Only one gelding in the pasture group held off. He was grazing perhaps 500’ away by himself. True had met all the others, grazed for half an hour or so, and sauntered around for a while inspecting his new digs. Eventually, he strolled toward the Loner, indirectly, eyes down, clearly signalling an effort to be friendly—this was the only gelding out of ten whom True approached. The Loner squealed when they sniffed noses, and True turned away, simply strolling back to the others. They’ve all been buddies ever since, and Mr. Loner got more sociable the following day.
So he’s great with geldings. And he loves mares. L-O-V-E-S. One mare friend would walk over to the common fence daily where True licked her entire body with long strokes, head to tail, ears to toes. She was damp by the time he got to her hindquarters and started again on her face. In a group of mares, True is in seventh heaven. He approaches each one, slowly and with an almost gentlemanly demeanor. If there are any skirmishes between mares, he moves away and lets them handle it.
The only time problems occur is when the mares and geldings are mixed together with a common fence. Usually one or two of the geldings don’t even notice or care. They’re busy with their grass. But some are interested. And True sees it as his personal responsibility to protect mares from geldings.
This behavior is not unusual. Many people who do not have years of experience with hundreds of horses fail to understand that the typical gelding doesn’t know he’s a gelding. His testosterone levels are lower than a stallion’s, but they haven’t vanished. As an older male friend once told me, “I’m not looking for anyone, but I’m not dead either.”
Frequently, this human assumption that geldings have no interest in mares creates injuries. People place the two sexes too close together without adequate supervision. Most geldings paired with a mare in heat will respond to her. If there’s a common fence between them, somebody’s likely to get caught in it. Most geldings will also protect such a mare from other male horses. They’re not being bad; they’re just being horses.
Because True is so fascinated by mares, I asked his breeder, an equine veterinarian, if his castration was normal. Did they remove both testicles in entirety? Sometimes, a gelding is cryptorchid, meaning all or part of a testicle was left inside his body at castration and is still producing testosterone in amounts that approach a stallion’s. There’s an expensive blood test that can identify a cryptorchid, but True’s breeder is my friend and assured me that his castration was completely normal.
In a related conversation, True’s veterinarian here told me he has never seen a blood test for cryptorchidism come back positive. Modern veterinary science has advanced to the point where castrations are done with precision, thoroughness, and attention to the horse’s comfort. Typically, photographs are taken to prove that all testicular material was removed. So, there’s nothing wrong with True. Many geldings are attracted to mares exactly as he is. It’s normal.
Given knowledge of equine interaction between sexes, I’m able to manage True’s penchant for mares without much trouble. His pasture is separated from the mares’. The fences are strong and well-marked. I observe his interaction with all horses regardless of sex and with new geldings even when mares are not nearby. True is never placed in settings where mares and geldings are mixed.
To reduce the chance of injuries to your horses, don’t assume that mares and geldings are immune to normal reproductive behavior. Keep them separated for greatest safety. Avoid common fences between pastures. Horses are horses; we can’t expect them to ignore their instincts. If you have a gelding--probably older--who lives quietly with mares in season, recognize that your horse is unusual. Count your blessings, but please don't assume that every gelding is like yours.
Turnout is excellent for horse health, but it is also high-risk for injuries. Even when the sexes are separated, introduce all new horses to turnout gradually, over a period of a week or more. Start by placing two horses across a common fence from each other. If that goes well for a week or so, then try them together under supervision. Make sure the turnout area is large enough to offer plenty of open space so that horses can work out any difficult interactions. Observe the group dynamics carefully, and be ready to intervene if needed. You’ll learn a lot more about your horse, and you’ll be more likely to reduce injuries among them.
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