[Haas Horse Farm]

From the post above I think you have it figured out. Good luck to you and enjoy your stallions. I hate geldings so for me it has to be a mare or a stallion. I bet you will find that a stallion is a lot more fun and respectful than a gelding. IMHO all geldings have some issue... they are lippy or crib or something... Looking forward to hearing your stallion sagas. Congratulations.

[Bruce Wiley]

Being clear, consistent & direct, getting straight to the point, and wasting no time, or carrying on any fussy stuff.
If you do fall out of his good standings, this strong headed animal wouldn't tolerate it and he will only see you as being weak, something he can dominate.
He will need constant re enforement in his training routine & handling in order to keep him on the straight & narrow.
Again, its about being an effective teacher/leader/director/rider.
My attitude about working, training of all horses is:
I only want them to respect me, my requests, having the most acceptable attitude, performing everything correctly and I do believe, all horses must select their leader. This happens and it no mistake, luck, or this was a good horse.
It's thru proper training application, clarity of the communications, handling & riding.
I hope this helps

[SweetSavannah]

How should I go about getting him used to being around other horses?

On endurance rides there are instances where you have to pass other horses, or be passed by other horses. Of course you tie a blue ribbon in a stallions tail to let others know he's a stallion and to give you lots of room, but even so... he's going to have to get used to this happening.

How do I go about this in a safe manner?

I'm thinking I can start in an arena or enclosed area and have a friend riding a gelding overtake us, and then we overtake him and so on... then eventually build our way up to having mares go past us.

He's kept next to other stallions and they don't get into fights or anything, mainly just playing over the fence. How did you guys get your stallions used to other horses while being ridden?

[shaiarabs]

agree with alot of the above

the biggest thing I tell people to remember is they must be socialized to assist with manners

and that they need to keep in mind that little things become very big with the average horse they can become extremely big with a stallion

as the others have said consistent, firm, and make sure you have loads of time to fix the little things so you can have that small win to keep the big ones away

[Beau]

Originally Posted by SweetSavannah

How should I go about getting him used to being around other horses?

On endurance rides there are instances where you have to pass other horses, or be passed by other horses. Of course you tie a blue ribbon in a stallions tail to let others know he's a stallion and to give you lots of room, but even so... he's going to have to get used to this happening.

How do I go about this in a safe manner?

I'm thinking I can start in an arena or enclosed area and have a friend riding a gelding overtake us, and then we overtake him and so on... then eventually build our way up to having mares go past us.

He's kept next to other stallions and they don't get into fights or anything, mainly just playing over the fence. How did you guys get your stallions used to other horses while being ridden?

I think you've pretty much got it. I would start out riding him with geldings, and once you feel completely comfortable and in control, move on to mares. Our stallion is over across the fence from our geldings, so he's around them all day. And he gets ridden in the arena with other horses, mares or geldings, daily. You just have to keep him focused on you.

The big thing with stallions, which you seem to have down, is that you have to be firm, and not accept any misbehavior whatsoever. You might let a mare or gelding get away with something every once in a while, but if you let a stallion get away with the same thing, he will take that and run with it. Stallions seem to test a lot more then mares or geldings. And because they're full of testosterone, they can become much more aggressive. You are basically constantly working on a stallion, ground training, and riding. With a mare or gelding, you can get lazy and get away with it, but a stallion is much more likely to catch you off guard, if you let your guard down.

You seem prepared though, and it's not as though you won't have help. So good luck, I'm sure you will get there with him .

[Haas Horse Farm]

LOL My suggestion would be the exact opposite in that I would use mares first and then geldings. Most of my stallions hate geldings. Start by riding with a friend who is a hand and can take evasive action if needed. Also trailering with other horses is a great way to introduce him to them. Then teaching him to stand tied with other horses. That is just something that has to be done. There is nothing you can do but do it. Have a whip in hand so you can pop it if he acts up. Any noise is not tolerated. This is where being ridden vs breeding are very different.

I can tell you though that sometimes having boys tied on the same wall can be an issue... hehehe... One will start to paw so then the other one will. Then they will run their teeth on the wall. Like monkey see monkey do. The worst though was we had to take the stall balls out of their stalls because they would throw them across the isle at one another or down the hall at people.

Enjoy... and remember with stallions there is no such thing as normal. They are extremely creative and smart.

[Beau]

I guess it depends on the stallion. Ours spends a better part of the day talking with the geldings over the fence, so it was a natural step for us. But mares who aren't in season (obviously) would be okay too. Our stud is always a lot more interested in the mares though. He pretty much ignored the geldings from the start.