Keeping Horses in Harems
- Topics: Article, Behavior, Breeding Planning, Stallion Care
I am a veterinarian in Atlanta with a special interest in behavior. I also own and raise Arabian horses. I have a 2 1/2-year-old stallion, and I would like to keep him in a harem situation. He is now pastured with another gelding and is quite socialized to other horses. Recently, he bred a very experienced older broodmare, who did a great job "patiently educating" him.
What has research told us about stallion behavior in a "natural" husbandry situation? Will these stallions become more aggressive or difficult to handle? (I would like to use this horse as a riding horse, and he is currently very easy to handle.)
Is it possible to keep a gelding at pasture with a stallion and his harem? Also, is there any research on using Regumate to prevent pregnancy in mares long-term? I’d greatly appreciate input and ideas.
AThese are great questions that I can answer from my experience. Most of what I’ve learned about the effects of various domestic management schemes on stallion behavior comes from doing research for other main reasons, but during which we moved stallions from one type of housing and management to another. What we inadvertently saw moved us to do some research specifically on those questions. The rest of my understanding of the topic comes from clinical experience with stallions in various farm conditions
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