Mare vs. Gelding
I did not always like mares, but that was because I did not understand them. And all you ever hear are usually negative things about them. Many people who have them, let them get away with murder, and they all say, well she’s a mare what do you expect. I guess I expect a lot, because I would never say that about any horse.
Over the years, I have trained a fair amount of mares, and no matter how bad they were to start; they ended up being great horses. Why? Because I gave them rules and I became their leader. I taught them what to do and praised them for doing it right. I never fought with them and I never tried to make them do something they didn’t want to do. I convinced them that what I wanted was really what they wanted. I never tolerated them acting out with other horses, and I convinced them that it was ok for other horses to be in their space.
Now I love a good mare. Why? Because they are smart, they can figure things out quicker and that makes them easier and quicker to train. They are also all about the job and once they understand their job, they usually go about it with enthusiasm. They like to work and have a purpose. Also lead mares are usually confident and less spooky which makes trail training a breeze.
But to get along with mares you have to understand what they are about and to train them you have to understand that you cannot push them into something they do not want to do. You can convince them but you can never push them like you can do with a gelding. If you earn their trust, they will take care of you, but that’s only if you let them. It’s a give and take relationship, sometimes you give, and sometimes she gives.
I think many people get confused on if they should buy a mare or a gelding. Each has their benefits and each has their downfalls, but each individual horse is also different. There are great mares and there are great geldings, but there are also bad mares and bad geldings.
Over the years you may have heard if you are just starting to ride to get a good old gelding. This is because geldings are more predictable. Mares have to deal with hormones and some can get moody when in heat. If you evaluate the mare while she is in heat and she is well behaved, then moodiness should not be an issue. An older mare can be a great horse to start with. Think of it as riding grandma, she wouldn’t let you get hurt if she can prevent it.
So if I am telling you mares are great, why do they recommend geldings? Geldings are more tolerant and will tolerate more mistakes, and boy do we make mistakes when we first start riding. The mares expect you to figure it out and get better, and they expect it soon. So a sensitive mare would not be a good fit, but an older tolerant mare may work just fine if she is not moody when in heat.
It is best to buy a horse with a good temperament that is willing to work. Then understand the differences in mares and geldings, so you understand how to get along with them and how to train them.
To understand this, you must start with understanding their social behavior.
In the herd, mares are the leaders. The lead mare is sensible, and dominant. She keeps the peace, she leads the herd to food and water, shows them when it is safe to eat and rest. She also shows them when to move on because it is not safe. She inspires confidence; therefore, the other horses do not have to worry because they feel safe. She is pretty much like a good mother.
The stallion in the herd is the protector, so pretty much like a dad.
There is only one leader in the herd and only one stallion that is the protector. The rest have their own rankings. So just because it is a mare does not mean it will be a leader. Only a dominant, sensible, smart mare will be a leader, this is the alfa mare.
If for some reason a non-dominant mare, who is not confident becomes the leader, or there is a non-dominant gelding that is a leader in a pasture, the herd will suffer. The herd may be more unruly, anxious and reactive.
So what does this mean to you? You just want to get a horse.
Well, geldings will usually tolerate a lot of mistakes and are more forgiving, and that is why people like them, but this can also be a bad thing. For example, you may be trail riding and ask your gelding to go on bad and dangerous footing and he goes. You make it through and because your oblivious to what you just made him do, you think he is a great horse.
You ride up to a fence for your horse to jump, you get him in a bad spot and he risks his life and yours to get over the fence, he hits the fence and falls and you both get injured.
You may be trail riding and ask your mare to go on the same footing, she stops and won’t budge. You call the mare moody, but in reality, she is saving herself and you because she knows enough not to go on the bad footing where she could fall. You try to make her go, and you hit hurt, she bucks you off. In her mind, she did the right thing. You didn’t convince her that it was safe. You tried to make her do something dangerous and she simply said no. Then you told her to do it by hitting her and she said, I don’t think so.
You ride your mare up to a fence and get her in a bad spot. She slams on the breaks and stops. She says, what are you crazy we can’t make that and I’m not going to kill you, and myself because I know I cannot jump that. As you lying on the ground because you fell forward when she stopped, you wonder why the hell is she looking at me like that? If she could talk she would say Suzie some day you’ll understand, that you falling on the fence is better then both of us flipping over, but Suzie doesn’t understand and she just thinks she has a bad mare.
So how would you have made the mare cross the footing? Well, if you got off and walked her and showed her you didn’t die crossing it, or if you had another horse go first and he didn’t die, then she might of gone, but beating her will never convince her.
How do you make her jump? Well first she needs to trust your opinion on where to leave the ground and she must feel safe. She also must know she has the talent to jump. Remember they have a high level of self -preservation. So if you beat her in front of the fence, you will just make her mad, because in her mind, she did nothing wrong. You must build her confidence, by jumping what she feels comfortable jumping and then make it harder, but if there is no confidence in what she can do, she will never jump the fence for you and if she is not athletic enough to jump, well she is smart enough to know it and she is not going to try what she knows she cannot do.
Why do mares pin their ears and kick out? Mostly for the same reason, to tell the other horse to stay out of their space. Are you still asking why? Well, mares know if a male horse gets close enough, it may choose to mount her and she doesn't want that. So she says stay away in horse language. You must never forget this, because if a human gets in the way they could get bit or kicked.
To fix this you must show her how to behave and to show her that you will not let them mount her. This is unsafe behavior for a riding horse and should not be tolerated.
So once you understand why mares do the things they do, it is much easier, to get along with them and easier to train them.
Mare Characteristics
Smart
Leaders
Quick learners
They have common sense
High level of self-preservation
They like to have praise. When they do something well, they want to know it. If you praise them and make a fuss they are more then happy to do it again. They want to know when they do a good job, to them; it is just as good as getting a cookie.
To train them you must convince them to do things, you cannot push or beat them into something they do not want to do. It is best to make them think it is their idea not yours.
They can be moody when in heat. They are just like woman, some of us getting lots of pain and feel horrible and other woman are just fine. So if they do not feel good, they may not want to do the task at hand, but who would if they didn’t feel well. So you may need to ride different when they are not feeling well. If you have abdominal pain and someone kicked you, I bet you wouldn’t tolerate it either. So think of why she is being moody and adapt. She may need a supplement or pain meds or hormones to help.
If you bond with them, they will do anything for you
If you piss them off they will shut down and not do anything for you
They want to do a job and they want to do the job well
They usually are not very playful, except if young.
They are usually very sweet and cuddly if they trust you. They are more then happy to be loved on. Many will put their head in your lap if you let them. You have to experience a sweet one to understand. It is just different then loving on a gelding.
They can be dominant about their space. Why? Well, remember they still have all their organs and they don’t just want anyone to breed with them. If you show them they are ok and you will protect them, most will stop kicking and pinning their ears, but they have to believe you are the lead mare in order for them to behave as you wish. Also not all mares pin their ears and kick. Some are totally comfortable with other horses, so it just depends on the horse.
There are alphas and followers
The alphas are brave and want to be the leader, so sometimes you have to let them believe they are the leader.
The followers can be cautious and spooky. These horses need a leader to be confident and less spooky.
They are pretty much like woman and you never want to piss a woman off, she will remember the date, the year and exactly what happen!
Your mare won’t forget either if you compromise her safety or you forget to give her, her daily dose of attention. She may pin her ears or act unruly because you didn’t do your normal routine, so before getting mad, figure out what is different, you may be surprised.
Geldings Characteristics
Some are very smart but not the majority at least compared to mares
Average learners, they are too busy messing around to stay focused, the others are just spacing out, ever talk to a man when he is watching TV?
They may take longer then a mare to learn something, but when they have it, they usually do it well.
Most are level headed but some can be moody too, and they don’t have the hormone excuse
Lower level of self-preservation and may hurt themselves because of it
More tolerant then mares, so they will tolerate more mistakes without getting upset
Will try to get out of work, because why work if you don’t have to
Playful and like to mess with the other horses. They do lots of silly things to get attention, they also like to nip at their buddies and push them, ever watch two geldings in a pasture or next to each other, and they will sit for hours and poke at one another, just because.
Will do anything for you if you convince them to, you can usually push them more then mares. Since they grow up with a mare telling them what to do, it is not that hard to convince them to do something for you.
Are sweet but not as cuddly, they will tolerate all your hugs but they would be fine without them too.
Also leaders and followers
They don't get upset if you just walk by and they didn't get their daily attention. They just think oh well and go back to eating.
Not as protective of their personal space
Pretty much like a man
So you ask what should I buy? Well whom do you get along better with? A woman or a man? How tolerant is your personality? Do you like a silly horse or you just want them to go straight to work? Do you want to be taught something or just get by? If a horse will not do something, will you think it out and convince them or would you rather just give them a good kick and have them do it.
Again I would go with the horse’s temperament, willingness and the horse’s experience and then if it’s a mare see how she is in heat. Last remember a good horse, is a good horse no matter what gender it is.
As the old timers say "Ask a Stallion, Tell a Gelding, Negotiate with a Mare!"
I did not always like mares, but that was because I did not understand them. And all you ever hear are usually negative things about them. Many people who have them, let them get away with murder, and they all say, well she’s a mare what do you expect. I guess I expect a lot, because I would never say that about any horse.
Over the years, I have trained a fair amount of mares, and no matter how bad they were to start; they ended up being great horses. Why? Because I gave them rules and I became their leader. I taught them what to do and praised them for doing it right. I never fought with them and I never tried to make them do something they didn’t want to do. I convinced them that what I wanted was really what they wanted. I never tolerated them acting out with other horses, and I convinced them that it was ok for other horses to be in their space.
Now I love a good mare. Why? Because they are smart, they can figure things out quicker and that makes them easier and quicker to train. They are also all about the job and once they understand their job, they usually go about it with enthusiasm. They like to work and have a purpose. Also lead mares are usually confident and less spooky which makes trail training a breeze.
But to get along with mares you have to understand what they are about and to train them you have to understand that you cannot push them into something they do not want to do. You can convince them but you can never push them like you can do with a gelding. If you earn their trust, they will take care of you, but that’s only if you let them. It’s a give and take relationship, sometimes you give, and sometimes she gives.
I think many people get confused on if they should buy a mare or a gelding. Each has their benefits and each has their downfalls, but each individual horse is also different. There are great mares and there are great geldings, but there are also bad mares and bad geldings.
Over the years you may have heard if you are just starting to ride to get a good old gelding. This is because geldings are more predictable. Mares have to deal with hormones and some can get moody when in heat. If you evaluate the mare while she is in heat and she is well behaved, then moodiness should not be an issue. An older mare can be a great horse to start with. Think of it as riding grandma, she wouldn’t let you get hurt if she can prevent it.
So if I am telling you mares are great, why do they recommend geldings? Geldings are more tolerant and will tolerate more mistakes, and boy do we make mistakes when we first start riding. The mares expect you to figure it out and get better, and they expect it soon. So a sensitive mare would not be a good fit, but an older tolerant mare may work just fine if she is not moody when in heat.
It is best to buy a horse with a good temperament that is willing to work. Then understand the differences in mares and geldings, so you understand how to get along with them and how to train them.
To understand this, you must start with understanding their social behavior.
In the herd, mares are the leaders. The lead mare is sensible, and dominant. She keeps the peace, she leads the herd to food and water, shows them when it is safe to eat and rest. She also shows them when to move on because it is not safe. She inspires confidence; therefore, the other horses do not have to worry because they feel safe. She is pretty much like a good mother.
The stallion in the herd is the protector, so pretty much like a dad.
There is only one leader in the herd and only one stallion that is the protector. The rest have their own rankings. So just because it is a mare does not mean it will be a leader. Only a dominant, sensible, smart mare will be a leader, this is the alfa mare.
If for some reason a non-dominant mare, who is not confident becomes the leader, or there is a non-dominant gelding that is a leader in a pasture, the herd will suffer. The herd may be more unruly, anxious and reactive.
So what does this mean to you? You just want to get a horse.
Well, geldings will usually tolerate a lot of mistakes and are more forgiving, and that is why people like them, but this can also be a bad thing. For example, you may be trail riding and ask your gelding to go on bad and dangerous footing and he goes. You make it through and because your oblivious to what you just made him do, you think he is a great horse.
You ride up to a fence for your horse to jump, you get him in a bad spot and he risks his life and yours to get over the fence, he hits the fence and falls and you both get injured.
You may be trail riding and ask your mare to go on the same footing, she stops and won’t budge. You call the mare moody, but in reality, she is saving herself and you because she knows enough not to go on the bad footing where she could fall. You try to make her go, and you hit hurt, she bucks you off. In her mind, she did the right thing. You didn’t convince her that it was safe. You tried to make her do something dangerous and she simply said no. Then you told her to do it by hitting her and she said, I don’t think so.
You ride your mare up to a fence and get her in a bad spot. She slams on the breaks and stops. She says, what are you crazy we can’t make that and I’m not going to kill you, and myself because I know I cannot jump that. As you lying on the ground because you fell forward when she stopped, you wonder why the hell is she looking at me like that? If she could talk she would say Suzie some day you’ll understand, that you falling on the fence is better then both of us flipping over, but Suzie doesn’t understand and she just thinks she has a bad mare.
So how would you have made the mare cross the footing? Well, if you got off and walked her and showed her you didn’t die crossing it, or if you had another horse go first and he didn’t die, then she might of gone, but beating her will never convince her.
How do you make her jump? Well first she needs to trust your opinion on where to leave the ground and she must feel safe. She also must know she has the talent to jump. Remember they have a high level of self -preservation. So if you beat her in front of the fence, you will just make her mad, because in her mind, she did nothing wrong. You must build her confidence, by jumping what she feels comfortable jumping and then make it harder, but if there is no confidence in what she can do, she will never jump the fence for you and if she is not athletic enough to jump, well she is smart enough to know it and she is not going to try what she knows she cannot do.
Why do mares pin their ears and kick out? Mostly for the same reason, to tell the other horse to stay out of their space. Are you still asking why? Well, mares know if a male horse gets close enough, it may choose to mount her and she doesn't want that. So she says stay away in horse language. You must never forget this, because if a human gets in the way they could get bit or kicked.
To fix this you must show her how to behave and to show her that you will not let them mount her. This is unsafe behavior for a riding horse and should not be tolerated.
So once you understand why mares do the things they do, it is much easier, to get along with them and easier to train them.
Mare Characteristics
Smart
Leaders
Quick learners
They have common sense
High level of self-preservation
They like to have praise. When they do something well, they want to know it. If you praise them and make a fuss they are more then happy to do it again. They want to know when they do a good job, to them; it is just as good as getting a cookie.
To train them you must convince them to do things, you cannot push or beat them into something they do not want to do. It is best to make them think it is their idea not yours.
They can be moody when in heat. They are just like woman, some of us getting lots of pain and feel horrible and other woman are just fine. So if they do not feel good, they may not want to do the task at hand, but who would if they didn’t feel well. So you may need to ride different when they are not feeling well. If you have abdominal pain and someone kicked you, I bet you wouldn’t tolerate it either. So think of why she is being moody and adapt. She may need a supplement or pain meds or hormones to help.
If you bond with them, they will do anything for you
If you piss them off they will shut down and not do anything for you
They want to do a job and they want to do the job well
They usually are not very playful, except if young.
They are usually very sweet and cuddly if they trust you. They are more then happy to be loved on. Many will put their head in your lap if you let them. You have to experience a sweet one to understand. It is just different then loving on a gelding.
They can be dominant about their space. Why? Well, remember they still have all their organs and they don’t just want anyone to breed with them. If you show them they are ok and you will protect them, most will stop kicking and pinning their ears, but they have to believe you are the lead mare in order for them to behave as you wish. Also not all mares pin their ears and kick. Some are totally comfortable with other horses, so it just depends on the horse.
There are alphas and followers
The alphas are brave and want to be the leader, so sometimes you have to let them believe they are the leader.
The followers can be cautious and spooky. These horses need a leader to be confident and less spooky.
They are pretty much like woman and you never want to piss a woman off, she will remember the date, the year and exactly what happen!
Your mare won’t forget either if you compromise her safety or you forget to give her, her daily dose of attention. She may pin her ears or act unruly because you didn’t do your normal routine, so before getting mad, figure out what is different, you may be surprised.
Geldings Characteristics
Some are very smart but not the majority at least compared to mares
Average learners, they are too busy messing around to stay focused, the others are just spacing out, ever talk to a man when he is watching TV?
They may take longer then a mare to learn something, but when they have it, they usually do it well.
Most are level headed but some can be moody too, and they don’t have the hormone excuse
Lower level of self-preservation and may hurt themselves because of it
More tolerant then mares, so they will tolerate more mistakes without getting upset
Will try to get out of work, because why work if you don’t have to
Playful and like to mess with the other horses. They do lots of silly things to get attention, they also like to nip at their buddies and push them, ever watch two geldings in a pasture or next to each other, and they will sit for hours and poke at one another, just because.
Will do anything for you if you convince them to, you can usually push them more then mares. Since they grow up with a mare telling them what to do, it is not that hard to convince them to do something for you.
Are sweet but not as cuddly, they will tolerate all your hugs but they would be fine without them too.
Also leaders and followers
They don't get upset if you just walk by and they didn't get their daily attention. They just think oh well and go back to eating.
Not as protective of their personal space
Pretty much like a man
So you ask what should I buy? Well whom do you get along better with? A woman or a man? How tolerant is your personality? Do you like a silly horse or you just want them to go straight to work? Do you want to be taught something or just get by? If a horse will not do something, will you think it out and convince them or would you rather just give them a good kick and have them do it.
Again I would go with the horse’s temperament, willingness and the horse’s experience and then if it’s a mare see how she is in heat. Last remember a good horse, is a good horse no matter what gender it is.
As the old timers say "Ask a Stallion, Tell a Gelding, Negotiate with a Mare!"