Stallion Group-Keeping in Theory and Practice
Version: 2009.06.10
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Part III: Know-How [3]
"Stallion Nine Men's Morris" at a Distance
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The procedure thereby is just as simple, only just one stage earlier, at the stage of sight- and not yet at the one of physical contact: If, while on the paddock, the stallion cannot behave normally at the sight of inferior stallions, he gets put into the box stall and there has the familiar conditions as in single detention. If he calms down in the box stall, he can go back out onto the paddock and thereby once again has more space and sight contact to the other stallions.
For this purpose one could also conceive a habituation-installation for instance, in which there are not only separate paddocks next to the group paddock for the application of the "Stallion Nine Men's Morris" method, but where, for the "Stallion Nine Men's Morris" method at a distance, these paddocks in turn lead into a box-stall or similarly strong isolation in which not only physical contact but also any and all sight contact to the other stallions is impossible. - If you are considering this, make sure that the other stallions can really not be seen, that the walls of the box-stalls are really impenetrable or that the box stalls are not right next to each other. Otherwise there's a very big chance that your box-stalls will be turned into kindling!
Depending on the circumstances, one might even be able to use an existing pension stable facility that has box-stalls that are facing the outdoors and which are separated completely with walls between them, and which additionally all have a paddock in front of them with as much running space as possible, for such a stallion-habituation-facility. In fact, just by the completely normal daily use of such box-stalls that are facing the outdoors with paddocks in front of them probably quite a few stallions have been trained to behave properly towards other horses, even stallions, if he simply had to go back into the box-stall every time he got too excited!
With such a facility one could use the principle of "Stallion Nine Men's Morris" even before the stallions are let together in a common paddock. Especially with very aggressive stallions with witch it is clear beforehand already that they will not behave fairly and will ceaselessly chase and tyrannize weaker animals, this might be a more interesting option than just letting them together right away.
With stallions however who do not tend to want to chase away and tyrannize inferior horses, the application of the "Stallion Nine Men's Morris" method at a distance, just to get them used to sight contact to other stallions is not recommended, as a fight for the ranking position will most likely take place anyway and here the unnecessarily long separation of the stallions with a fence and thereby the prevention of the clearing of the ranking order causes more frustration and anger with the stallions than necessary.
In this context something important must be added in connection with habituation without letting the horses together: Never try to get stallions used to each other by stabling them in small confined rooms such as box stalls right next to each other! The separating walls of box-stalls can have a similar effect on horses as dog collars do dogs and can even increase aggression instead of decreasing it.
Stallions want to be able to smell horses that they don't know everywhere. If they cannot do that, they probably interpret this so as that the other horse is not letting them! The small difference that it is a wall of a box-stall which hinders them from doing so, and not the other horse, is completely forgotten in the excitement and probably doesn't come to their awareness. This can make stallions especially quite angry, especially if they think they have a good right to get to know the other horse, which, in case of such closeness as neighboring box-stalls, is of course 100 percent right!
Such a situation commonly gets stallions in such a rage that they literally smash entire box-stalls and turn them into kindling. At the box-stall neighbor's things are not any better then: Either there is a stallion in there that is just as pissed off that the other doesn't want to let him smell him, or a horse which is scared when all of a sudden boards come flying out of the box-stall wall. Since a scared horse in a box-stall cannot flee and thereby evade its neighbor's fit of rage, the only remaining option is defense with energetic and repeated kicking. Thereby not only beautiful box-stalls are turned into burning wood within seconds, but also a lot of things between the horses go to pieces, which perhaps could have been prevented, with a more liberal introduction that more considers the need of horses for unhindered physical contact. On top of that there is a very high risk of injury if horses kick into a splintered wooden wall of a box-stall or rear inside a box-stall and perhaps get caught on something or fall!
If, for whatever reason, you don't want to risk letting two or more stallions into a common paddock or pasture together, but still want to confront them with each other, keep the following things in mind:
- Every horse must be able to withdraw itself from the immediate sphere of influence of the other horse. The space of a box stall is definitely not enough for this.
- Do not use any separating walls, but a separating fence that is as minimal as possible, which allows as much physical- and sight contact as possible, but at the same time poses no security risks. As a rule, wood is not suited for this as it is not durable enough. It's best to use a simple electric wire (with a strong electrical impulse device!) as Ferdi did, or a separating fence or a gate made of solid and indestructible iron pipes.
Normally, if one does not seriously have to worry about the safety of a weaker animal, as in the instance of Ferdi, in which the very aggressive Indio was supposed to go together with the physically much weaker and inferior ponies, it's recommended to let the stallions together right away on an area that is as large and as securely fenced in as possible, and then, if there's no way around it, if need be, with the needed helping aids, to separate the stallions, (and if need be, attend them medically) after a time that is sufficient for establishing the ranking order, in order to let them together again on the following day.
A habituation step-by-step across a separating fence is especially not recommended when you are not trying to train a stallion not to chase away members of his kind that are obviously inferior, but only trying to stop ranking fights. In such cases separating fences and walls can have a similar effect as leashes and chains do with dogs who behave much more aggressive than when they are not hindered in their possibilities for movement and contact.
Different again is the situation where a weaker or inferior stallion is to be integrated into an existing group which already consists of several aggressive stallions. Here it's recommended if possible, to first let the new one go to pasture only in twos with especially timid group members for a few days, so he could already make some friends and, on his first day in the group, is not taken "under attack" by all stallions at once.
Whatever you do in the keeping of stallion groups, do not let yourself be made uncertain by aggressive behavior of stallions or even let yourself be led astray to castration.
Remember, the first meeting is ALWAYS by far the worst! Don't make the mistake which most people do by believing that the first meeting shows how it will always be! In many groups which work awesomely today there was a huge "fist fight" in the first meeting.
Tolerate fights, even intensive ones, if they are fights about ranking order in which the winner has not yet been determined, isolate stallions which, after a won fight do not stop chasing, harassing and tyrannizing inferior animals. Because isolation is not only the hardest, must appropriate to the species punishment, but also exactly that which such stallions want: To be separate from the animals which they are harassing.
So play with your stallions, play "Nine Men's Morris" with them! That's not only what a horse would do in your place as a leader of a group, but it's also much fairer and just as powerful as a castration! But most of all it's natural, appropriate to the species, meaning corresponding to the species of the horse and for the animals therefore, in contrast to a castration, always comprehensible and understandable!
Personally I believe in the method "Stallion Nine Men's Morris", because just like the methods of Monty Roberts, Pat Peralli or also Hempfling, it has not only great affinity to the nature of the horse, or rather is copied from wildlife, but it also has exactly the power that is needed for the task at hand. On top of that, I have witnessed with my own eyes the success which Ferdi Wirth has had by its instinctive employment with a very difficult stallion.
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