STALLION MANAGEMENT
Lesson One
Stallion Historical and Modern Day Behavioral Patterns
One of the most important aspects
involved in successful “Stallion Management” is the ability to understand and apply
knowledge learned about the normal and natural behavioral characteristics of
the stallion. In order to understand, and then implement that knowledge, it is
important to study and understand the expected behavior of the stallion in the
wild and then attempt to relate it to the stallion we might find as a prospect
for a breeding program.
Obviously, the stallion in the wild
that ends up being the dominant stallion with a harem of mares is selected by
an evolutionary process that has been refined over the centuries. This process selects the most virile,
masculine, stallion with the greatest potential for propagating the species. In
today’s world, the process of selection is much different; we choose or select
the breeding stallion based on successful athletic accomplishments such as
racing, cutting, jumping, reining, or other desirable qualities in the show
ring.
Would this have been the same
individual as would have been selected by nature? Very
unlikely. And yet, there may be
many stallion behavioral characteristics that these two individuals have in
common.
First
of all you must understand that breeding stallions (dominant herd or harem
stallions) were selected over many centuries, for aggression, speed, stamina,
strength, libido, and overall dominant behavioral characteristics within a
herd, especially among their peers. Discipline and domination by human masters
is not easily accepted by this type of personality. As an individual responsible for the successful
management of a breeding stallion on today’s modern breeding farms, this can be
a very difficult and challenging task and also sometimes a very dangerous task.
Many stories and antidotes abound in
the horse breeding industry regarding killer or rouge stallions. When such
stallions are found to be an important part of the overall success of a
particular breeding operation it is because they have achieved status as a
valuable breeding stallion, not because of his overall good manners. The status of such stallions is based on
superior athletic accomplishments or superior pedigree.
It may very well be your
responsibility to modify those dangerous behavior patterns in such a way that
you can successfully and safely maximize this stallion’s ability to produce
healthy, live foals.
On the other hand, because of the way
breeding stallions are selected in today’s horse industry, you may experience
the opposite end of the spectrum, a non-aggressive, shy breeder with little or
no natural libido. You will encounter breeding stallions in the industry on all
parts of the behavioral spectrum from completely out of control in the breeding
shed, to ones that have little of no interest in the receptive mare.
Another factor that you need to keep in mind if you find
yourself in a position where you are responsible for managing a successful
equine breeding operation is the fact that many stallions are made bad or rouge
by inexperienced handlers. If a difficult stallion is not handled properly, bad
habits and fearful or aggressive behavior can be easily exacerbated and become
a near permanent part of the stallion’s personality. In these situations, only an expert stallion
manager or equine behavioral professional would need to be depended upon to try
and correct the situation. When we talk about a stallion behavioral
professional we would rarely be talking about an “intellectual” type, but
someone who has a great amount of “real-world” experience in the proper
handling of the breeding stallion.
When
dealing with the average stallion there are a few things that you should keep
in mind. These are rules of thumb that most successful trainers would probably
agree on regarding dealing with a stallion, whether it is a breeding stallion
or a stallion in performance training.
RULE
Never
Trust a Stallion
Many who have been around horses for a
significant amount of time can probably name a stallion or have heard a story
about a stallion that has been a perfect gentleman his entire life.
"Excellent disposition” or “bomb proof” is usually one of their advertised
claims to fame. It is still unwise to completely trust them in all situations.
When something pulls a stallion's primordial trigger, he tends to forget his
humanization. How fast he reverts depends on his training. When dealing with a
stallion, remember to always be on guard and “never trust a stallion”
To train and maintain discipline over a stallion, you have
to convince him you are more powerful than he is. There are many forms of
restraints available, but when it comes right down to it, a stallion is only going
to respect the person who is more dominant than he. That is the law of nature.
Keeping a stallion under control often involves the use of restraint devices
that do not cause pain unless they are implemented. The most commonly used form
is the use of a chain (stallion) shank attached to the sturdy halter by way of
the chain being over the nose or in the mouth or possibly above the upper gum
(lip chain). None of these techniques are cruel, but can easily and quickly be
put into play by the stallion handler when the Stallion begins to act up.
Chain
over Nose
Chain through Mouth
Chain under Chin
Lip Chain
A common method of stallion control
involves a lot of beating and banging. Inflicting pain can give you control over
his body, but a stallion can never be dominated unless you gain his respect. A
stallion respects power, aggression, stamina, and cunning in a fight. Every day
can be a fight with a stallion to see who rules, which leads to rule number
two:
RULE
TWO:
Always
Be Alert and Focused When Handling a Stallion
Whenever in the presence of a
stallion, be at your sharpest. Even the
nicest of stallions is trying to play some kind of mind game with you to gain a
little dominance. A stallion must have a
very clear idea of exactly what he may or may not do.
Draw an “acceptable behavior line“ in
your mind, and when (not “if”….he will test you) he crosses the line
immediately get his attention by way of a quick snatching of the lead rope to
let him know his behavior is not acceptable. You must establish that you are in
control.
The most prevalent bad habit of
stallions is biting. A well-trained stallion has definitely had the fire
knocked out of him for nipping. He knows it is unacceptable behavior. But do
you let him rub his muzzle on you? Was it your idea or his? Unless the stallion
clearly understands the answer to this question, he perceives this behavior as
a little way to cheat on your rules - to gain a little dominance.
Horse Biting in the Wild
This is the game stallions play. The
variations on the basic theme are endless. There is nothing unusual or aberrant
about it. A stallion constantly seeks to control his environment---to take
charge of a herd. As long as the horse is consistently dominated, the stallion
can live in harmony with his human companions. The trouble begins when the
stallion controls the situation part of the time or, heaven forbid, all of the
time, which leads to the third rule, which should be followed to the letter:
RULE
THREE:
WHEN
IT IS TIME TO DISCIPLINE A STALLION BE QUICK, DIRECT
Black is black. Wrong is wrong. Once a
stallion understands what he can and can't do, then discipline and, if
necessary, appropriate punishment is an integral part of keeping the horse
under control.
I’m not suggesting you beat a
stallion. The key to gaining his respect lies in his initial training….he
stallion must understand what he can and can't do. Like all horses, stallions
are not born knowing human etiquette. They must be taught. Fortunately, the
herd gives us a hand. A horse learns to expect retaliation if he threatens
another animal. Biting, kicking, and other aggressive gestures may bring on war
in the pasture----in your barn, the same laws should apply. You should demand
respect from a stallion and in turn, never take him for granted. Treat him as if you are the herd leader and
he is a younger male. You will allow him to breed with mares in your band as
long as he obeys your rules.
This attitude makes sense to stallions. In the wild, young
stallions are subordinate to the breeding males and have a hierarchy within
their own male groups. Assuming this position with young two- and
three-year-old stallions entering the breeding shed for the first time is
relatively easy, as they usually are not willing to commit to an all-out war
for domination of the herd.
As you might expect, older and more
experienced breeding stallions that have not been taught manners are going to
put up a good fight to maintain control in the breeding shed. Their
evolutionary history dictates they should have to fight for breeding rights.
Still, most stallions know when the battle is lost and will accept domination
by humans who allow them to cover mares.
This is the raw perception of life for
the rogue stallion: dominate or be dominated.
Is it possible we are breeding too much aggression into
our stallions? I don't believe so. Most stallions are nice horses that would
rather not hurt anyone. For the 1 percent with deserved reputations for being
rogues, I believe we are not necessarily looking at a problem of too much
aggression, but of too little horsemanship. Some of the most successful
Thoroughbred breeding stallions in the nineteenth century had reputations for
being a bit roguish. The English stallion of the late eighteenth century, St.
Simon, founded a dynasty that today belongs to the clan of Princequillo.
The family of Fair Play, his sire Hastings, and many of his sons were also
known for their tempers. The great energy of Native Dancer was also passed down
to many of his sons, who were considered cantankerous to handle. It would be
hard to imagine the modern-day Thoroughbred without the influence of these
horses because it takes aggression to win races. In fact, it takes aggression
to do most of the high-energy competitive events: racing, cutting, reigning,
jumping, and endurance.
I believe what we need is not less
aggressive stallions, but more people capable of understanding the uniqueness
of the stallion in the breeding shed. A good stallion handler does not walk in
off the street. It takes years of experience to understand the nature of the
beast. To be successful handling stallions in the breeding shed you must be
capable of projecting the power and domination necessary to control a fourteen-hundred-pound
breeding machine responding to his hormonal urge to breed.
Click
Here To View a Power Point Presentation about the Stallion
Assignment:
Please
answer the following questions and send your essay to Dr. Sales at jacksales1234@gmail.com
Be sure
to include your full name, lesson number and email address on all work.
1. What is your experience with stallions?
2. What perceived notions or feelings do you
have about how to deal with stallions?
3. Have you ever been around a rogue
stallion?
4. Have you, or someone you know, ever been
hurt by a stallion?
5. Are you currently involved with a
breeding stallion?
6. Do a quick computer search on behavior
modification of a domestic animal and write a couple of paragraphs explaining
how some of these techniques could be used successfully in “stallion
management“.