Current stallion is kept in turn out by himself, roughly 1.5 acres. He can see other horses but does not have a pasture mate. I am thinking about putting a companion in with him but how do you decide whether or not to do it? He is docile, has good manners, acts like a stallion when mares are in heat in the spring. Mostly prances and struts around the pasture for the ladies. He is eight.
Opinions? Suggestions?
I figure they’re herd animals and happier with a buddy unless they say otherwise. Seeing other horses does help, but direct interaction is better if you can arrange it.
My mentor keeps stallions in bachelor bands. I have neither the space or the numbers, but I’ve kept young stallions together before. They chew, wrestle, etc, on each other and not on me, which I always appreciate. 
As for deciding whether this horse or another, if Mr. has been kept solo since he was weaned, make sure Possible Companion is Mr Social Butterfly.
As for how, I would put Mr. and Possible Companion next to each other (fenceline or stall with a non-solid wall) for a few days. Once they’ve chilled out, go ahead and put them out together.
I believe it depends greatly on the horse. I have a stallion now that I kept with a buddy he had as a foal for several years until his buddy started beating him up much to my surprise. I then put him with a two year old colt and he did great until I started breeding him. He has always been a jumper (6 foot gate as a yearling) and if out alone would jump out, out of boredom. Never to get to mares. I would find him coming back in the barn where the activity was. Now he gets supervised turnout by himself with his younger buddy across a single fence. Not double fenced. Had another stud (no longer have) couldn’t get along with anyone or anything in his field. However he liked one in sight. Had a different one that I kept out with a “marapause” mare. She could no longer get in foal and had been an alpha mare. She was excellent for teaching him manners on how to treat a lady without hurting him. I now use her to teach all young colts that may stay intact manners. He loved having a constant girlfriend. And yes he bred her.
Stallions like any other horse is a social animal. In my experience if you can allow them to be a part of a herd or with a buddy. Some just won’t and those unless fabulous I would consider gelding for their happiness. A very nice one I would make attempts at other things before that. I have never been a believer in the it’s a stallion lock him away mentality. Plus I have found it makes them easier to handle - always a plus. Best of luck !
Mine goes out beside two mares and a gelding, with an alley between. At night though, he is in directly beside his Haflinger gelding buddy and they play through the bars…Doc steals hay out of Amazing’s mouth, and licks him on the nose. Amazing clearly enjoys the interaction. So I think as long as they get SOME interaction, they can be happy. As for turnout with a buddy-mine are out all day and not always supervised so I would be terrified it would go wrong quickly and no one would be there. I think you just have to decide what works best in your situation and for your particular guy. Good luck!
Be very careful putting a gelding in with a stallion, with mares within sight. He may become territorial and go after the gelding.
If he has not been with other horses since he was mature, I probably wouldn’t do it. I have heard a horror story of a stallion raping a gelding to death (prolapsed rectum and ruptured intestines), and would not want to take the risk.
I’ve tried numerous times housing different stallions with different buddies and the only one who could be housed with another mare or gelding was the first Arabian stallion I ever had who was a real sweetheart. Great with mares, foals and geldings - just not another stallion. Every one I’ve had since was too aggressive with any companion I tried and had to be housed solo. I currently have a long yearling TB colt out with a very large 2 year old draft cross, both are quite laid back and get along beautifully. We’ll see how long it lasts.
I agree, it absolutely depends on the individual and I will not tolerate one bullying another overmuch.
[QUOTE=CrowneDragon;7260462]
Be very careful putting a gelding in with a stallion, with mares within sight. He may become territorial and go after the gelding.
If he has not been with other horses since he was mature, I probably wouldn’t do it. I have heard a horror story of a stallion raping a gelding to death (prolapsed rectum and ruptured intestines), and would not want to take the risk.[/QUOTE]
Not sure about the raping part, as I can’t imagine a gelding standing still long enough for this to happen, but there can sure be some damage.
Usually the key is “how close are mares?” This is especially important with a stallion who has already bred. There was an experiment done just recently where they turned out some 12 stallions of various ages in one pasture (BIG pasture) and they did fine. Not one problem. They were all riding horses, so not “wild” and they were pre-introduced by being stabled together for several weeks…and again, there were not mares within sight.
And this is what mimics wild horses…the younger ones do form bachelor bands…but once you put mares into the equation you increase the chance of having conflict.
I’ve had 2 stallions. My first left when he was just a weanling and was never gelded like he was supposed to be. He was isolated his entire life till he came back to me as a late 2yr old. And he’s already pasture-bred one mare! I turned him out w/pregnant mares (no geldings/no foals) and he did fine.
But I didn’t always have a pregnant mare, so sometimes he was alone, although not far from the mares. I once tried turning a yearling son of his (gelded) in w/him, as they seemed to do fine over the fence line. BIG MISTAKE!! If it hadn’t been for my courageous stock dog, (A Rottie/Heeler cross) he would have killed that baby, because 2 people w/whips could not get him to back down. We got him out in the nick of time.
OTOH, I have his son, who is abit more mellow. He has always been in a herd. I finally pulled him from the main herd at about 18 mos and from then on he’s been in his daddy’s 2.5 acre pasture with either a pregnant mare or a gelding I bought expressly to be his buddy (to be clear, his sire is now deceased). Everyone does fine…although he likes being w/the gelding more than the pregnant mare, because she is really a bitch. At least the gelding will play with him.
In my case, the mares (open) ARE within sight and actually only about 20ft away, but so far, no issues. However he is only 3 now and never been bred, so we’ll have to see…
I will never keep a stallion isolated again, but if they’ve grown up that way, it’s a risk.
My understanding was that the gelding was already injured and having a hard time getting away, and the stallion got him pinned in a corner. He also ripped big chunks out of the top of his neck in the process, so I think he had a strong hold of him.
I don’t know much more than that, but I would hope that the stallion seemed like he would be amenable to a buddy before they tried this, so it is a warning what sometimes it’s hard to tell what they’re going to do.
I have two stallions. My APHA stallion is a unique case. Her goes out in a mixed heard of geldings and pregnant mares no issues no problems. He is normally the one getting beat up on. Definately not the normal stallion. My Belgian WB stallion that I just got in May was always turned out with a pregnant mare and did fine. When he came to me He was turned out alone but shared a fenceline with my mare and 2 month old foal. Later during a weird fluke thing somehow the foal ended up in the field alone with the stallion. I learned the weirdest thing, he absolutely loves the babies. He is so tolerant and plays very gently with them and teaches them manners. He is like a old mare without the crabbiness. After that day I turned this mare and her foal out with him. Now that weaning time has come he has his own little heard of weanlings that he plays with. He is so much happier than he was when he was alone and even though he could see him buddies and could interact with them over the fence. I believe that most horses do better with a buddy but I know that it doesn’t work for every case. Both of my stallions are currently in work and breeding during the breeding season.
My stud lived with ‘his’ mares until they came in to foal, then he lived with one of my draft geldings. Never had an issue. Even with sharing a fence line with other horses (both mares and geldings). But that’s obviously not a situation that would work for all horses. I’m a firm believer that horses are better off with a buddy, but not to the detriment of anyone’s safety.
Cyriz gets turned out alone, but shares a fenceline with two of his sons and he can see all the other horses on the farm. At night, he’s in the barn next to mares and geldings.
I’m sure he would be fine turned out with other horses, however, he is still competing and at a fairly high level (Intermediate eventing) and lots of competition horses are turned out alone to reduce the risk of injury.
Perhaps in his retirement, I’ll put him with others. Like the poster above, he does love the babies and I’m sure would be great with them.
The stallion I had a gelding pasture buddy before I sold him. He did not have access to mares so that may have been a contributing factor.
His sire was used as a weaning buddy and seemed to really enjoy having the babies around.
My pony stallion gets turned out with and is stalled next to a pony gelding. He has been with this gelding since he was weaned. They play but it is usually the gelding who is the rougher of the two. Their play is no more rough than any usual youngster play. I believe I could turn him out with other horses and he would be just as good but he is pretty laid back and respectful.
My KWPN stallion has always been turned out by himself (since I have known him) so I don’t think I would chance turning him out with other horses. He is stalled next to a gelding and across from the pony stallion (I also have mares in the same barn). He is turned out next to the pony stallion (and his buddy) with a 12 foot aisle – they like to hang out next to the fence and socialize. Both stallions also are within view of all the pastures containing an assortment of mares and geldings.
Both stallions are well behaved and respectful. I have no problem walking mares past their stalls/pastures and walking them by the mares stalls/pastures. That being said, if they weren’t well behaved and respectful they wouldn’t be on my farm or still have their jewels 
Our stallions have always had solitary pasturing, but surrounded by a 12 foot aisleway with horses - geldings or stallions - all around. Stallions are in the main stable with half door screens so they can see and socialize. Seattle Blues (ISH) was turned out with a young (3 yrs older than him) TB gelding from the time he was weaned until the gelding started beating him up years later. We had to split the buddies up for the stallion’s well being, but after Blue was gelded he went right back to his gelding buddy. Our newest TB stallion, Challenged has “Just Dandy - the ghetto rescue pony” as a companion and they are the “bestest” friends. When we started breeding this year we moved Dandy to the mare pasture where he served as a teaser, and hand bred each mare one time then left the one mare in the stallion’s pasture until she was out of heat or the next mare was ready to breed. (ps - we only breed our own mares.) Challenged was a perfect gentleman!! He got 4 for 4 of the mares pregnant without a mark on anyone. When the last mare was bred we returned Dandy to the stallion’s pasture…watching carefully for hostility. Dandy and Challenged briefly huffed around and each demanded to know where the other had been and what had he been doing!!! Then they retired to the loafing shed to recount their experiences (I guess)!!
Actually, I’ve heard of a number of stallions who loved babies. There was a TB stallion (Black Mackee) who lived the latter part of his life in MT. Every winter they would turn all the babies out with him and he’d be their weaning buddy.
I think my current boy would be fine w/babies, but this year I only had a filly, and I just can’t see taking that chance. If I had a colt, I’d try it…maybe.
The ISH stallion To Be Sure was kept out with a gelding and behaved just like any other horse - he was happier for not being kept separately.
My own stallions are turned out with buddies (geldings) during the “off season” (i.e., all winter long) and turned out next to company (geldings) during breeding season. Boarded stallions are turned out individually, with neighbors. All of the stallions here, including boarded stallions, are housed in stalls w/runs, side by side year round, they can see, smell and/or touch each other thru the dividing walls and/or runs. I have never had any problems to date. (knock on wood! LOL)
I am quite lucky though~ my own boys are very mellow, laid back stallions, and are usually on the low end of the pecking order with their turnout buddies. I am careful with who and how they are introduced, and do keep a close eye on behavior and body language of all involved.
My young stallions/colts grow up in a small herd environment and learn a tremendous amount of social skills that way. I have found herd life to be super beneficial in a multitude of ways in my own, personal experience.
We apparently can’t get the smell of mare far enough away. My friend with whom I share a barn has raised up two stallions from foalhood. Both of them had great friends among the other colts, all of which were then gelded. Her boys were used for breeding, including live cover, so perhaps that was the turning point. But both stallions went from best buddies with the geldings to serious aggression overnight. Literally overnight.
I own the geldings that her stallions went after. No serious injury, but a bite and a kick that took a long time to heal, plus a chase through fences that was heart stopping. Took me two times to learn, but I’ve learned now. It’s not going to happen again! For both of her boys, the switch was turned in their four-year-old summer.
My 5yo TB stallion is always out in company. He goes out with any geldings, bred mares and foals/youngsters. Never had an issue. He’s happy as a clam. So am I. He has amazing manners. I chalk that up to the grumpy mares.
LOL I have a hard time having just geldings share a fence line (much less a stallion) and mares sharing a fence line because of silly head/neck biting games or jealous best-girlfriends backing up to the fence kicking!
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