When you’re new to the wonderful world of horses, there are plenty of terms to be aware of and it can sometimes be daunting. When you are in the market for a new horse, there are some things that you must know, before you buy.
This time around, we’re going to be talking about the various horse sexes: Mare, Gelding, and Stallion. Before we get to the topic of which horse is “better” let’s discuss what each word describes when we call a horse a gelding, a mare, or a stallion.
What is a gelding horse?
To put it simply, a gelding is a male horse who has been neutered. A male horse is usually gelded, also called castrated, between six and 12 months of age. The reason why this is done is because it helps to keep him calmer than if he were left intact.
Some horses are done later than that depending on the breed and current purpose of the animal.
For example, many racehorses like Thoroughbreds are gelded later in life if they’re having a successful racing career. The main reason why a male horse is castrated late is to leave the option to breed if the owners think his line should be carried on.
Our OTTB (off track Thoroughbred) horse was gelded late, which is obvious based on his behavior when in the presence of an in-heat mare when compared to geldings of other breeds who are usually done sooner.
What is a mare horse?
A mare is a female horse who has never had her sex organs taken out. This means that she has a full cycle complete with hormones where she goes into heat and flashes herself to the male horses, usually by moving her tail up and to the side.
Because a mare still has her hormones intact, she will usually be spicier than your average gelding will be. While she’ll be spicy year-round, it’s amplified during her cycle.
In fact, a common saying in the horse community is, “hell hath no fury like a chestnut mare.”
The mares are usually left intact in regards to the sex organs because a mare is usually not dangerous, like a stallion, or uncastrated male horse is.
What is a stallion horse?
A stallion is a male horse who has not been castrated. This is usually done for stud purposes so he can breed. Most of the time, only horses from excellent lines are kept intact, though as mentioned above, some racehorses are left as stallions for quite some time until they’ve been retired.
Most average horse folks will never own a stallion because they can be aggressive, especially around an in-heat mare. While some stallions are perfectly safe, their behavior can be unpredictable.
For that reason, stallions should only be owned by experienced equestrians.
Gelding VS Mare, Which is Better?
We’ve now owned both a gelding and a mare, and have been around hundreds of each. They are both usually great options depending on what you’re looking for.
On average, mares tend to be a bit spicier. The reason why is because a mare has more hormones and it can show in its attitude. That said, I’ve also met geldings who were also very spicy, and it’s really dependent upon each specific horse.
The problem, is that you won’t usually know until you get the animal home and it is settled in to its new home.
For us, going forward, and only because we don’t know the horse’s attitude until we’ve made the purchase combined with the simple fact that geldings tend to be calmer on average, we’ve decided to stick with geldings — at least for now. There is something special about the calmness of a gelded horse that many mares struggle with. That’s not to discount a mare, because they have their place, too.
Our first horse was a mare, and she’ll always have a special place in our hearts.
And, if the right mare came along, we’d be more than willing to welcome another one into our barn.
Conclusion:
Knowing which sex of horse you want before you buy is an important decision. Ultimately, mare or gelding, there is no wrong choice.