This weekend I get to go and pick up my first horse!

He is a 2yr old stallion, Light silver Grulla.

Congrats

Umm... not to be a bubble burster - but your first for is a 2yr old stallion? I hope you have knowledgeable help with you. Young horses alone are a handful add in the stallion factor and you will have about 3 hands full. Just be safe!

Sounds like a beautiful horse! 

I know some people will think I am crazy, but I have my fiance' and her mother who have had horses for 15 years now to help me with him.  Plus he is a very calm guy.  When we went to see him for the first time it was at night in a small barn that had a mare in full heat and he was not at all acting up.  Went back to see him the next day in the morning and still just as calm.  And I can always have him gelded.

Just my opinion, but there are very few horses in a breed that should be left a stud. Unless the blood lines are impeccable, and conformation outstanding for a particular job, the cut needs to be made. Another issue, ask yourself the question, "Why would a stranger trust their mare to me for a breeding?" Years ago, when looking for a mate for my mare, I drove to many farms, passed on a nationally known horse in particular, because I could not get the answers I wanted for specific breeding questions of my maiden mare. (As in, oh, if there is a problem, we just tie them to the telephone pole and let the stud rape 'em). Smarter now, I do not own stock I would breed. The cost of breeding, caring for mare, possible complications, and $$ to care for mare and foal, weaning, etc., is cost prohibitive for me when I can buy a nice yearling for my pleasure riding purposes far cheaper than breed, raise to a year old, then train. Better yet, I can buy an extremely well broke 4 year old ranch horse, haul it East, for a total of $4000, which I did a year ago this month! He is well trained and ready to ride!!!

Brenda 

I have to agree with Krys and Brenda - owning a stallion is not an easy task.  Unless you plan on developing a true breeding program, you may be asking for trouble.  Trail riding could become a real challenge.  Even if your stallion is well behaved, there are mares that are not well mannered and can pose a danger to your boy.  I heard a story about a mare who tried to jump through two electric fences to get into a field with a stallion and was very badly injured in the process.  Girls can get aggressive too when they really want some lovin'!

In addition, I have been told by several breeders that a gelding will usually grow bigger than a stallion because all his "energy" is not channeled into his hormones. 

All this said, I've met some very well mannered stud horses who were easy to work with and no problem at all.  I hope you get this lucky if you decide to keep him intact.  I do love a grulla ...

If he's good now I have some questions:

1.  Was he run to death before you got there?

2.  Has he ever been allowed to touch the soft skin of a mare?

3.  Was he drugged and did you have a blood screen for it?  The really good drugs work for up to a month and can only be found by a blood screen.

4.  Are you keeping on your place? 

5.  Does your facility have stud capability?

6.  Are you crazy?  Studs should only be handled by VERY EXPERIENCED horse people.  They must mind their manners to a fault!  Give a stud an inch and you'll be travelling miles to fix yourself/fence/himself/legal stuff...etc.

If your friends have horse experience it does not mean they have stud experience, the two are not mutually inclusive.  Since you have never handled a stud much less a horse I'd have that boy gelded before you bring him home.  Sometimes cutting them late does not fix attitude problems...I have had many experiences with these types of geldings and they are not worth the food they eat!  Several have been sold as "children's horses" when they should have been taken to the sale barn instead.

Most places won't allow studs on the grounds or at trail rides.  You'll be a social outcast.

Congradulations!!!!!!!!! :)

I got my 1st horse at the timonium auction in Maryland April 16 about last year.  We recently had to sell him though. :( 

I'll give everybody and update.

Bloodlines are excellent, he comes from two different foundation lines if I remember correctly. I can have him registered in foundation, buckskin and aqha.  His attitude is the best we have ever seen.  I took him to the trainer last week,  The trainer has said he double checked to see that he was a stallion because he has never had one behave as well as he has. He does not have to be lounged for an hour before you can teach him anything.  He has not bucked or nipped.  He does have all the dun factors plus he has a belly stripe.  He is coming along very well according to the trainer, and he has reccommended leaving him as a stallion as long as his attitude does not change.

Thanks for the update-thought maybe we'd run you off!

Just another thing to throw in.......are you planning on breeding him? If so, is your facility equipt for it? Are you knowledgeable enough to handle the breeding process, breeding contracts, incoming mares, etc? What do you plan on doing with the horse for the long term?

If you do not plan on breeding OR are not equipt to breed, there is no reason to keep him as a stud. If you are planning on breeding him AND have the facilities to do so, then you should keep him as a stud. Just remember, you are dealing with a 1200# (or more) animal that has survival instincts......one of them being to perpetuate his "herd". A stallion needs special care, handling, and a facility much different than what you would need for a mare or gelding. Although he is very well behaved right now, that may not always be the case and you need to be prepared for his "stud" behavior to come out. I read an article one time about a seasoned horsewoman with a "very gentle" stud that had always been well behaved. She had raised him from a baby. Well, one day something happened and he grabbed the woman by the throat and crushed her esophogus. Someone else found her dead in the barn with her stallion calmly standing in his opened stall.

I have noticed over the years that the horses left as stallions are usually owned by someone who does not have the knowledge to realize a gelding is a better buy than a stallion.  He is easier and cheaper to support.

For a stallion to get enough breedings for a profit he would most likely have to be trained, shown, and kept in a professional breeding barn.  Those costs come high in the horse world.  The beginning horseman doesn't realize all this and is very impressed that they have a stallion.  To us old horse people we know better. 

I think this is a case of you can't teach a young dog a trick.