Deal with troublesome behavior

Veterinarian explains how to be firm with the aggressive stallion and encourage the timid one

SUCCESS in any breeding operation depends on quality stallion management, including proper handling and a good rapport between the stallion and his handler. These are essential because some stallions are more challenging than others.

According to Marlin C. Baker, D.V.M., who operates Alpha Equine Breeding Center in Granbury, Texas, stallions whose behavior presents a challenge can be divided into three categories: aggressive, timid, and those with erectile dysfunction. The key is to figure out the situation in which the stallion will perform the best and then handle him the same way each time. Because each stallion is an individual, it is important to match the horse with the handler who works best with him and then have that same person handle the stallion each time, because consistency is important to achieve the best results.

Aggressive stallion

When handling an aggressive stallion, Baker uses a cotton lead shank with a 30-inch chain. The chain is put over the horse's nose or through his mouth, depending on how aggressive he is.

"We try to never be mean to the horse, but some we have to get quite firm with," Baker said. "The worst thing about an aggressive horse is he'll either try to bite and savage the mare or try to strike."

To solve a biting problem, Baker puts a muzzle on some stallions or he might put a heavy pad around a mare's neck and withers to protect her. To safeguard the mare from being kicked, Baker said he always tries to back the stallion away from the mare after the stallion dismounts rather than turn him around with his hindquarters toward her.

Baker said it is important for the stallion manager to know the personality of each stallion to determine what will work best. For some aggressive stallions, the handler will exercise them to take the edge off before bringing them into the breeding shed.

"Others we bring directly out of the stall, wanting them to be as fresh as possible," Baker said. After breeding the mare, the stallions are turned out in a paddock or hand grazed as a reward.

Some stallions need to be schooled in breeding etiquette, so when one is overly aggressive, Baker has the handler remove him from the breeding shed and then return. This might take several attempts until the horse learns acceptable behavior.

"Some are so aggressive they can't enter the vagina of a mare properly or easily," Baker said. "With some, we use a little xylazine [tranquilizer] to take the edge off their aggression, and this helps them ejaculate a little bit better. It only takes about three-quarters of a [cubic centimeter] to be effective for this purpose."

When the stallion is washed, "we always approach him from the shoulder and then work backward," Baker said. "I am a real stickler about having the same crew working together each time."

As a general rule, once the stallion has teased the mare--starting at the mare's head and shoulder and working back toward her flank--Baker's crew tries to get him to mount from directly behind the mare to avoid problems.

"This is not always easy, especially with a young stallion you are training," Baker said. "Some of them want to get up on the side of her hip. With those we try to turn the mare under them or push them into proper position. Probably the most difficult ones, however, are the stallions that are very timid."