This is probably a really stupid question, but I’m going to ask it anyway.
If you are raising a colt as a future stud, does it matter if he is out with mares from day 1? Does it do anything to his capacity to be a horse apart from being a stud - learning manners and all the things a riding horse is expected to learn? Or does the fact that he’s a breeding stud from whatever age he starts up at make him way more of a handful/challenge?
TIA
I don’t think it’s a “one answer fits all” question. My senior stallion was out with a gelding and a mare until he was 3 and then was out with mares off and on, usually just one at a time. In his later years he was fine with having mares and geldings in with him. But he was a bit of an exception in many ways. His son, now 22, was out with 2 other colts until he was 3 and that was fine. He has never been in with another mare, unless it was by mistake, but he would probably be ok. He’s not aggressive. When they are younger, many (not all) are fine in mixed company. Once they reach more maturity or start breeding, they will change and that will dictate what you find works best. As a rule, I like to have them well started under saddle and comfortable going places as a riding horse before they breed so they have those skills and manners in place. I also think it’s important not to blur the difference. If breeding, I always use the same procedures and with one I used a different gate to go through if breeding. You want them to understand that when thus and so happens it means “breed” and otherwise it means work or relax. If he deserves to be a stallion, that should work. It’s important to be fair and be sure they understand their jobs and what behavior is expected and tolerated. I think socialization is important and isolation is a mistake.
PennyG
If it turns out that the decision to let him breed too early was a mistake, can you ever go back from that point, or will you have ruined him forever, possibly even as a gelding? I guess that’s not really answerable either but on a case by case basis?
I agree with Penny in that I like the boys to have basic education prior to breeding and that I keep a pretty consistent rountine for the “breeding time” vs the “riding/working time”… which is good because it allows my boy to be pretty well behaved at shows around mares (a mare even almost ran into him last weekend and he had to walk a gauntlet of mares to his last class and there were no issues with him). Of course every stallion is different and there are those that will never have an issue regardless, and there are those that will ALWAYS have an issue… but that is my “general” idea. 
That being said, I personally know of a boy in Germany that actually bred a mare when he was in his yearling year (oops) when he jumped into a mare paddock. He was gelded and never had any issues what so ever (and his gelding son was pretty nice too in terms of temperament) but this colt was SUPER nice tempered to begin with.
I thought is was probably a stupid idea to let a colt grow up pasture breeding, but figured I’d ask anyway. Thanks.
Group turn out is good for colts. Bred mares (or infertile… though the best way to get your never-settled-written off for infertile-mare to conceive… put her in with a young unproven uninspected stud. Even quicker if they are uncomplimentary types and would never in 1m years be bred together), geldings, other colts, are all good choices depending on the situation. some use molly mares as well, but then the colt still will breed sometimes, it’s just not a fertile breeding.
I would certainly keep a very young colt with the group to learn basic manners but once he gets to about 8-9 months you’d want to shift him out from the mares and fillies. To be left in a group of colts or geldings should be fine, but you need to keep an eye out for his development and move him out on his own should problems start up in the group.
Pasture breeding is not a good idea imo, particularly with a young inexperianced colt. You could well end up with an injured boy. An older, more experianced stallion knows better when to make advances and when to leave the girls alone! He will also have a better understanding of herd manners, behaviours etc, that a youngin doesn’t yet understand.
Breeding should be kept to one place and proceedure so that the colt learns when he is there he can do the studly thing but anywhere else he must be a gentleman. When a colt or stallion is schooled properly, you should be able to take him out in company or to shows without him having a performance about the mares.
You shouldn’t have problems gelding a colt that has served, I know of many young stallions that have spent a couple of seasons in the breeding shed and then gone on to be awesome ridden geldings. Again, it comes back to proper schooling.
One of my stallions was out with mares as a youngster - they were already bred, so not cycling, and it was a great education for him! He understands “no”, and he is really well socialized. I can keep stable him anywhere, ride him in crowded warm ups, it was a great education for him. But I’d be hesitant to turn a young stud out with breedable mares and let him breed away… It makes it hard for a stallion to understand the difference between breeding and working. Of coure, all depends on the individual horse.
I’m not a huge fan of pasture breeding, although have allowed it. The “disciplining” of a youngster from mares can result in catastrophe – but so can almost anything else. I don’t think if you allow a young one to breed before starting/training it will necessarily “ruin” him, but it could make it more difficult to get the manners and attention on being ridden – always an individual thing. Good luck with whatever you decide. Everyone’s situation is different and I don’t think there are right or wrong answers.
PennyG
There are so many ways to raise you stud colts correctly, most of them depend on the individual colt in question. My personal preference is to raise them in a group as weanlings and then move them to a small band of preggo mares or other gelding mates. Both options run the risk of injury as they will help teach your youngster manners in a herd. Turning out in a small group w enough room to get away from the head pasture mate still give the colt a chance to be part of a herd. We have been lucky that our boys have grown up in a pasture together and have been very good together and don’t fight. One is even collecting on the Phantom and can still go out with his other stud colt buddy w/o harm to either one.
But I can not stress enough that if your horses either gets aggressive in the group or becomes the bullied one move him out. It’s not a good situation for his or any horses development to be in that kind of situation.
I am not a fan of pasture breeding for many reasons, but I don’t think it ruins a horse if there are set boundaries for behaviors set early on.
Ours are under saddle and collecting, so we use a certain fuzzy halter only for breeding, exit a certain direction out the barn and only go near the phantom area to breed. No exceptions!
Good luck!
Thanks for all the answers. I’m vaguely considering keeping my colt intact if he doesn’t sell as a weanling. I have a place sorted out for weaning with another colt who is being kept entire. But I want my horses at home, you know? And if he bred my mares (with a few exceptions ie his mother, a boarder’s mare and my riding horses) it wouldn’t be the end of the world and in one case, a blessing. But I’m also aware that not everyone makes a good stallion owner and I’m worried I might be one of them. I have No desire to have an out of control gelding about the place because I made bad decisions and it isn’t like we need more horses/stallions.
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