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A stallion acting like a stallion is one thing,a stallion with no respect for
his handler or people in general is quite another.
Quite recently Robin Groves who has experience with Morgan stallions as well
as Fjords, gelded a Morgan stallion who had no respect. He had become almost
totally unmanageable. His behavior was a liability and quite frankly who in
their right mind wants to own a horse like that. Three weeks after this horse
was gelded he was a pussycat and much happier because now people could shower
him with affection without fearing for their lives and trust me he was
reveling in his new found freedom. My 13 year old daughter headed him for
Wilson Groves at a driving show and he actually fell asleep with his head in
her arms while she scratched the inside of his ears He is a much happier
animal than was the case before he was cut. Some horses just shouldn't be
left uncut unless they can handle it.
In Holland some stallion behavior is tolerated in hand, but I have also seen
some very mannerly stallions and they were not penalized for being well
behaved. In the performance test however all the horses must be tacked up in
front of the judges and must stand still and behave before they are ridden or
driven. There is quite a bit of commotion going on around them,but they are
scored on how well they behave. If they had a beautiful test, but acted very
poorly while be tacked up they would not receive an A on the test. I also feel
that if a stallion was just a rank SOB he would be marked down for it in
Holland, but you'd have to ask Bob van Bon about that.
As far as the stallion from the northwest goes if the show or evaluation
committee is aware of his poor behavior and perceive it as a real danger to
other exhibitors and onlookers, they can exercise the right to turn down his
entry at further functions. This is a liability issue of tremendous merit due
to the litigious climate in this country.
On a personal note I can't imagine not being able to hug and kiss my stallion
while the mares grazed three feet away. He lives alone and looks to me for all
his entertainment, but he seems none the worse for wear, and when I ask him
something he always listens. Sometimes he can't help but puff up shake his
lovely head and preen, but when I quietly admonish him he comes back down to
earth. He has been successful as a performance horse because of his
testosterone not in spite of it. He goes down the center line with an aura of
LOOK AT ME EVERYONE AREN'T I FABULOUS, but I couldn't do as well as I do if
his attention didn't belong to me and me alone while I was in the confines of
that chain arena. This has been a true labour of love. He is showered daily
with attention and love and because he can handle his gender and he has
responded in kind. We feel proud to own him. By the way I understand there is
a nice picture of him in The Chronicle of the Horse in a recent issue.
As far as wether or not behaviour is learned or inherited most geneticists
agree it's often a combination of both. However this arguement will wage on in
horse and dog circles forever. And as far as I know it's not the amount of
testosterone that governs ill behavior. There are some very potent, virile
stallions with angelic dispositions. Well this got quite long winded, sorry
about that.
Vivian
