Was I Wrong to Freak Out?

[duckluck]

Stuff like this is exactly why most boarding barns don't allow studs. It takes the right kind of person who knows what they are doing, which many stallion owners are not, and it certainly sounds like this woman is a perfect example of who shouldn't be because she is mad at you. She needs to go take a look in the mirror to find out who she should be mad at. A stallion like this sounds like a good candidate for the "gelding bus", because if he can't be trusted to be around people then he's a danger to everyone around him.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
If he's sterile, they why in the world would he be kept as a stud?! That's just nuts...I have to wonder if this person is someone who is keeping him intact because of some kind of weird personal pride/ego issue. I had an ex-stud that was gelded at 10 even though he was a very gentle horse (he kept jumping a six foot fence and creating flurries of foals...this was before I owned him) and he was the best horse I'll ever have AFTER he was gelded.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Okay, I've read the whole thread. I wanted to be sure I am not misunderstanding things here. What this boils down to is what are the rules in THIS public barn? If the rules say no studs or even no loose horses in the arena, then Ropo absolutely is entitled to be upset. If it does not, then the stallion had every right to be there. His reaction scared her. Understandable. What everyone needs to remember is that ANY horse can react exactly the same way. I've had geldings that would stomp you if you walked into their turnout pen yet were perfect gentlemen and child-safe the rest of the time. Horses who have been stalled come out of that stall with a LOT of pent-up energy. They are perfectly behaved all the way to the turnout and all the way back. But once inside they know they get to jump and buck and run and kick and roll and do all the horsey stuff they aren't allowed to do all the rest of the time. Freedom! It really does sound like this is what happened here. And since Repo was a stranger, the animal knew she wasn't there to take him back to his stall, so he challenged her!

To me the issue really isn't the horse. The issue is what are the rules? If the gal who owns him was within the rules, then the most anyone can reasonably expect is a note, flag, or something similar that says the arena is in use. That's an issue to take up with management.

FTIW I have kept, trained, and shown stallions for most of my adult life. Most who are handled from birth by a responsible trainer have no more issues than anybody else. Mares can be just as cantankerous as any stallion, yet nobody thinks twice about keeping mares. IMO way too many stallions get a bum rap because of people's misconceptions and not because they've actually done anything wrong. It's like assuming that all pits are gonna eat your kids.

JMO

Rusty

 

[spectrumranch]

If he's sterile, they why in the world would he be kept as a stud?! That's just nuts...I have to wonder if this person is someone who is keeping him intact because of some kind of weird personal pride/ego issue.

According to the original poster:

Supposedly he's getting gelded as soon as the weather gets cooler.

But I can see your point, of it is just an ego thing, I wouldn't consider that they maybe just purchased him if he is new at the barn, and they would rather wait until it cools down when flies won't be a problem to geld him.

What if it was a child that entered the arena, and they were hurt by this stud?

Very true, cause I know it is not the parents responsibilty to watch there kids. It always amazes me that people show up here- without an appointment, open the car doors, a mob of kids jump out an all go in different directions! Climbing on fences, chasing birds, etc and the parent think "how cute" when the little brats need a good a** paddling!​

 

[herfrds]

Lets see here, the stud came at ROPO not once, but twice. Ears back and teeth bared. Kicked at her after the first charge and it is treated by a few as no big deal because he is a stud? She overreacted?

I don't think so.

So what if this woman is mad at you, she is responsible for her horse, not you.
I would talk with the managers about setting up a safety system with this horse there. I like the halter and lead rope over the gate to the ring while he is in there, but that can be abused.
Must be tied up when stall is being cleaned.

I wonder how many of these posters who are saying you overreacted would respond if this horse had charged a young child and injuried them? and the child was suppose to be there.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

...or if the horse had actually injured Ropo. I'm sure this thread wouldn't get the same reaction!

I don't think that a horse running at full speed towards you with ears pinned and teeth bared is coming to say Hello! Usually when my horses runs towards me to say a friendly hello, it's with a silly little frolick. They also tend to stop before running me over!

 

[onthespot]

Most states have LAWS outlining how stallions must be controlled and contained. Find out what laws apply in your state. Give a copy to the person running the place, and another copy to the stallion owner.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Horse related activities are dangerous activities. That's why most commercial establishments have some form of disclaimer posted on the premises. Not all worthwhile horses are docile dobbins. Horses that are used in any sort of competition are generally super well fed/supplemented AND kept stalled for a large portion of their lives. This in turn makes for an animal that is fairly jumping out of its skin with good health and vitality with energy to burn. It is not reasonable to expect such an animal to plod along. Nor is it reasonable to expect to find only meek, quiet horses boarded at a public facility. In fact you are more likely to find just the opposite. If a skilled horseman is willing to pay out high boarding fees to have access to good arenas and other facilities, it is not unreasonable to expect that the animal they are spending all this money on is going to be competitive, i.e. "spirited" and fairly aggressive. That aggression often channels itself into success in the arena, which in turn can result in a room full of trophies for the person footing the bills.

Not all successful competitive horses are particularly easy to live with. Some owners just consider that part of the price of being successful. Others enjoy the challenge. They seek out horses with potential rather than looking for the gentle sweeties.

Horse related activities ARE inherently dangerous activities. Just something you might keep in mind when you are tempted to turn your kids loose around the local barn/arena.

JMO

Rusty

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

It's problem is that it has cajones & no respect! LOL

 

[Kansaseq]

The issue isn't about gender; rather it's about a horse who needs more careful handling. He has demonstrated that he can be aggressive and potentially more dangerous than the average horse you encounter at a boarding facility (or at least the ones I've ridden or boarded at--which were many). From this point on, both the owner of the barn and horse need to make sure that type of situation doesn't occur again.