“Stacy-I am thoroughly enjoying your Facebook page and your blog. Since you do travel so much, how do you handle stallions? Any proper precautions/suggestions you have? Do you haul mares with them? Thank you kindly!-Sharli”
Sharli- We are currently on the road hauling a stallion, Jac, a gelding, Newt, and a mare, Lucy.
Stacy is currently on the road and hauling a stallion, gelding and mare. This is how she has them loaded on this trip.
When we load them, if we have the space, we go stallion-skip a stall- gelding then mare. We do this because we largely haul the horses in the slant load with them untied so they can put their heads down. Jac (stallion) and Newt (gelding) will play under the dividers but Newt can still choose not to play if he wants by not putting his head over there:)
Our trailer does have a ‘stud wall’ up front. On this trip we have our hay there. If we were full of horses Jac could go in there but with the full wall between horses he wouldn’t be able to visit.
The biggest thing in general with stallions is being sure they will listen to the handler. The training isn’t really very different…it is just that the stallions tend to question authority or become distracted more easily. If they ask questions the handler needs to be prepared to answer; for example if they invade your space you must correct them for it. If they are distracted then I take it as a sign that they need to be kept busy. For example if I am leading one and they are looking for a mare then I will stop, back, ask them to drop their head, etc….mixing it up. If I can keep them busy they are more likely to stay focused.
When we stay at horse motels or if we are at shows we also check out the stalls to make sure that they are set up so that mares can’t tease the stallions. If possible we put them near geldings, in end stalls or along the walls to reduce the number of possible mares in heat stalled next door.
Stallions are extra work and are not for everyone but the well trained ones often behave so well you wouldn’t even know they were stallions.
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[…] How do you handle traveling with stallions? Do you haul mares with them? […]
Where is Popcorn?
The other way used to haul mares and studs in the same trailer is a little vicks vapor rub in the studs nostrils
Great response and brought up one of the things I’m very confused about, to tie or not to tie? Will you elaborate more on this point. My trailer is a slant load and has a feeder so I’ve always tied with a breakaway snap. However I feel bad that they can’t lower their heads and have read that it is important. The thought just scares me a little and not sure my trailer is the proper arrangement for that anyway. As I said before would love your thoughts on the subject.
Love your blog and videos! Thank you for sharing your life!
Always keep a jar of Vicks handy. Shipping racehorses to race, you can’t always be picky as to trailer mates, and a lot of racehorses are not gelded.
When we haul our well behaved stallion years ago, we ‘helped’ him to avoid distraction in our trailer by applying a bit of Vicks vaporub around his muzzle & loading him first. Less scent and less visual made for a relaxed trip.
I live in australia would you ever do frozen semen of Jac to there? Cos that would be awesome!!!!!!!
Yes mam! They are definitely more work. Thanks for the response! I am loving all of your feedback!
“silently praying/hoping you are near WiFi” …..great INFO up there….. was wondering when Jac will be able to…..ya know…. father one of his own………we know Greg owned Roxy and Jac…. does he or you own any other “relatives” of theirs???? I know you are probably tired of all my questions…. but I really do appreciate you answering almost ALL of them….thanx again…. (even if you don’t answer these)
ps…I do know Newt and Louie are related to them somehow… but can’t keep them all straight…. Maybe a horse chart would help….lol
A few years back I sold an aged miniature stallion to a lady via the internet, she hired a “professional hauler” to pick him up and take him approximately 250 miles. The fellow pulled in with a six horse gooseneck containing five large mares. He was unaware that the mini was a stallion…although only 30″ tall a full blown stallion all the same. We had to make a quick remodel of the area he had left to haul the mini. He was planning a layover between my place and the stallion’s destination but after he loaded the guy said to me, call your client and tell her we will be in tonight! I will never forget listening to Boone sweet talking those girls and standing on his hind legs looking out the window of that trailer as they left our place. They arrived safe and sound at his new home and were able to take their rest there.
stacy have you ever used vick’s vapor rub on stallions when around mares ?
A long time ago in college with mixed results. Have you?