Stallions Behaving Badly

by Adriana
(Mexico City, Mexico)

I'm a beginner both in handling and riding a horse (started 3 months ago, no previous experience). The horse I work with is an 8yo stallion, quarter horse, 'charro'! He lives on a stall by himself and next to him there are other horses, mostly mares and foals and there's another stallion in the 4th stall next to him.

I'm not good in handling him but was making some progress. The most difficult is to keep him calm while we go on trails with a mare next to him, or if he sees other horses on the way (he wants to fight all horses and mate with all mares on the way, especially the one next to him or in front of him as we always go out with this mare and her experienced rider!). Lately I noticed he's really hostile, refuses to do what I ask (e.g. doesn't back off or move the rear) and even wants to kick with the front leg. Today he looked anxious and stressed, ears pinned back if I wanted to get closer. The ranchers told me he escaped from his stall the other day while the mare (that accompanies us on trails) was out too, and kicked her - she has a wound at a front knee. I don't know if they punished him for this but today I couldn't even touch him. They keep telling me the horse has now bad behavior because I can't 'show him who's boss' by shouting at him and this sort of things, according to the traditional way of horse training.

While I agree the horse does not respect me because I haven't been able to prove I'm his leader yet, I cannot agree that I could become his leader by shouting at him either. And I don't think he wants to kick me now just because I haven't yet proved a leader!!! I wasn't a good leader when we started working together but he didn't want to kick me for that! He was just bored and refused to do what I asked or invaded my space to get his carrots, but that was all. In the meantime we really did make some progress and he started to pay more (not total) attention and do some things at my command. Suddenly, all that small progress vanished; it's really a different attitude; once (even before he kicked the mare), I was riding him and he wanted to kick with the front leg but there was nothing in front of him on the road, so I really don't know what was with him. Along the trail he stumbled several times, he even shook his whole body (as when being wet)... with me on his back, while I was talking to his owner at the ranch. So...after we actually made some progress before, why would a horse be suddenly so annoyed and want to kick me even while offering him an apple today (he hasn't eaten apples yet so he didn't like it!). He clearly wanted me out of his space, turned the rear to me and lifted the front leg to kick! he would have probably done just that but he didn't have much freedom to move, having had a rope attached to the ceiling and his head.

I tend to believe these behaviors are not so much the consequence of my poor leadership but rather the result of the horses being isolated and alone in a stall most of the time, plus hanging their heads with a ceiling rope to be groomed or handled, and they are stallions living next to (not never touching) mares, foals and another rival stallion at the other end (who usually gets to mate with most mares because that one is a Spanish pure blood and mine is a not-so-fine-but-lots-of-character quarter horse).


I know you'll advise me to stay away from stallions if I can't ride well and I don't know much about horses but this is the only horse available for me at the ranch and... I love him although he seems to hate me! I don't have a round pen to practice join-up. How could I earn this horse's respect/trust and why does he suddenly want to kick me?! Could he just be fed up with me considering I'm not skillful with him?!

I'll upload some pics of us, his name's Muñeco (Doll)... but actually he's nothing like a doll, he's a real stallion all right!!! The white one is Prince, the Spanish stallion, Muñeco's rival! In the picture where I'm riding Muñeco, it's after I fell off him because he was spooked by a dog. In the background of that pic you can see their stalls, one next to the other, the two stallions are at each end, in between them and all around... mares! Some with foals, some pregnant, only the one kicked by Muñeco is neither! And spring is coming! Imagine that!

Thanks for your time and patience with such a long 'question'.


Hi Adriana,

You’re absolutely correct that a lot of these behaviors you are encountering are a direct result of the unnatural living conditions placed upon these stallions. Isolation is a sure fire way to create stress, anxiety and unwanted emotional behaviors upon any horse, but for stallions it is even worse. Everything you described are all natural instincts for a stallion. Their main focus is to propagate and challenge their competition to ensure survival of their own harem. Is Doll being used in a breeding program?

This brings me to a personal pet peeve regarding not only how we need to change the way we house stallions but also why we have them to begin with. Unless we are involved in a respectful breeding program (being aware as to how many and to whom they are given to), we just add to the problem of too many unwanted horses in the world and people getting hurt. I see too many people owning stallions for the simple reason of having bragging rights like a badge of honor. From a stallions point of view his life has a much different purpose than what we think it should be.

Training stallions requires handlers to have exceptional experience, confidence and patience. Shouting will not bring about respect. That’s just what people do when they have run out of knowledge, effective training tools and frustration has set in. It appears punishment is the only tool available and used with these horses which brings retaliation from a stallion not training.

With your level of experience and in all good conscience, I can only recommend you not interact with these stallions. You are up against too many factors you don’t have control over and I am concerned you are going to get hurt.

Nothings impossible! I know you can manifest finding a calm horse that you could learn from while staying safe at the same time. I believe your life is worth it, don’t you? :0)

Wishing you safety,
Elaine Polny
Horses by Nature