Is it true that mares are harder to work with than geldings?

Photo Shoot: www.globalchampionstour.com.

“If you need a pleasant, calm horse, get a gelding.” Riders often hear this phrase. Stallions are usually more temperamental, and mares … Mares are mares. Or not? Last year, a large-scale study was carried out on this subject, which proved that mares are by no means more difficult in character than geldings. Nonetheless, many riders are prejudiced about the behavior, temperament and reliability of horses based on their gender.

The study involved 1 riders. As a result, it turned out that there are certain differences between the behavior of mares and geldings. But they don’t show up when riding… and in fact, geldings are no easier to work with than mares.

Studies have confirmed that, in general, some of the behavioral characteristics of mares and geldings actually occur. Geldings often spoil the ammunition in the stable, for example, tear blankets. But for horse owners this is not news: geldings love to explore everything they can by the tooth. Mares, in turn, are more likely to run away when their owners want to take them home from the field or pick them up from the paddock.

However, these are practically the only behavioral features based on gender. All other bad habits, such as a tendency to stand restlessly, resisting during work, showing aggression towards other horses in the arena, or shaking their heads, are no more common in mares than in geldings. In other words, there is no scientific support for the opinion that mares are more mischievous, aggressive or unreliable than geldings 🙂

So, if next time someone says “just not a mare” – you know what to object to them!

Source: Equlifestyle.eu