[drivingpairs] Stallion Pairs

Jodi, I did not know of your pair experience. I think
it's better for me to put all the minus things out,
then get the plus points from others, brought out to
counter them.  You mentioned lots more detail when you
replied!  Sounds like you have a lot of good stuff
already going for a stallion pair and are willing to
look at the long route to achieve it.

We have used AI, but it never came up in my thoughts. 
Conditioning to breed in certain conditions is a very
good idea, horses love routine.  Stallion relates to
situation specific, behaviour.  Bell idea is
different, but good.  Not something I ever heard of
before.  Certain conditioning can backfire though, if
you don't check stuff out ahead.  A stallion we know
is always collected on a mount, never live cover. 
RELIABLE around all horses. Owner was at a show,
riding to show ring, when they came to a vendor
display, selling breeding mounts.  Horse's brain fell
out that day!!  Normally a REALLY steady horse.  She
just put him away.  Rode to ring a different way the
next day!  Ha-Ha, owner said "Live and learn.  Walk
your route ahead of time!"

I did remember some Currier and Ives pictures of
stallion hitches.  There is a four of stallions, black
Morgans, and I think a pair of trotters.  They were
all big name horses of the times.  Pretty pictures.  A
horse who works for a living is often more willing to
accept things, just because he is kept busy.  We were
talking when my husband remembered that Weibe Dragstra
drove a four of purebred Arab stallions, pony small,
but very elegant.  Also Jim Sutton had a four of
unbred, young Fjord stallions, he specifically handled
to be a team of four.  He bred for them and raised
them together, till he drove them. Both teams were a
number of years ago. 

The insconsiderate mare owners are often unobservant,
unthinking.  Your well-behaved stallion is quiet, they
never really "look" at him, presume he is a gelding. 
Still bad manners, too close.  Driver must speak up to
gain space for their horse.  Attending an Equine
Affair last year, we saw such careless behaviour
around stallions, butt-slapping strange horses,
getting strange horses in tight with another. 
Granted, many were drugged, but people were just
stupid, no sense of self-preservation!  Even just
driving our pair, we had folk literally walking into
sides of horses, stopping right in front of us, almost
got speared on the pole!  Mare got jerked to halt, and
then snotted all over the woman's head!  Scared the
bejabbers out of her, she jumped two feet.  I was in
front of pair, clearing a route, lady cut between me
and horses, never looked sideways.  This was supposed
to be an owners, handlers only area.  Should only be
horsepeople in there.  Just can't trust folks to be
safe.

  You mentioned your stallions are too expensive to
put together, might get damaged.  My concern would be
that stallion is not used to contact from other
horses.  Could regard bumping as agression from other
horse, even if it was the pole.  We keep the team
together.  They have to develop group tolerance.  A
bump or rub is not a fight issue.  When being handled,
accidental bumps are a move over, ho-hum issue. 
Blinders, might make contact a non-issue anyway.  Just
a thought.

Quality of horses, better, new ideas in training,
thoughtful handling, has produced a lot of good-minded
stallions.  I think the quality of competition
stallions out now, has been improved from the past. 
Glad your stallions don't cause you any worry.  I know
that the bad horses sure stick in your mind, giving
all of that breed, color, gender, a bad name. 

Maybe you could get a small clinic together at a your
place or close by.  Pretty casual format.  A clinician
could come in the middle of the week for 3-4 pair
participants, for a couple days.  We like that kind of
format, get lots of attention.  We all hitch and go
out together, but horses alternate so not exhausted,
learn even more by watching each other.  Split four
ways, cost can be less.  Especially good is the
discussion over the pot-luck lunch and dinners. 
REALLY get a lot from that.  Clinician stays a
someone's house, then maybe does a weekend clinic
nearby, so can get paid a two-fer on one trip, for his
time.  Would leave your weekends free for work.

Go ahead and try working towards a pair.  Goals are
fun to work towards, the road there can be very
interesting!

Kathy Robertson

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