I have a 7 year old stud horse that has been pastured with the same 6 gelding ever since the stud was a yearling. He has grown up with them. The stud is not your typical stallion my 4&5 year old nephews can handle/groom/ride him. Anytime I would take him to a barrel race or ropin no one ever knew he was a stud because he new not to pay attention to other horses. The only time stud behavior was acceptable was for live cove or the phantom. Well this morning he attacked  and almost killed 3 of the gelding he has always been pastuered with. I ended up having to get my help chase him on the 4 wheeler to try to separate him from attacking the one gelding. I ran in and got a gun because I literally thought the only way to stop him from almost killing my geldings was to shoot him he would pin the gelding on the ground it was awful. Then he went after the guy on the 4 wheeler. The only way we stoped him was but running into him/hitting him with the 4 wheele and nocking him down.  It was a traumatizing morning. And I’m at a loss of what just happened this morning. I know stallions are unpredictable. But does anyone have any insight on what the hell would have cause my bomb proof kid gentle stallion to do  this? He has never been aggressive to husband pastuer buddies. I’m in shock. 

He’s a stallion is the phrase that keeps popping in my mind. Maybe he has realized he is the stud and it’s a leadership thing within their herd. How long has it been since he bred a mare? Is there a mare on the property?

Hes shown a different side and the bomb proof kid friendly stallion label unfortunately has been permanently removed. They are merciless when attacking. We had two studs at one time. Our paint stud (younger and great to be around for a stud) got through two gates and broke an oak gate (hung on cable- 5 boards and cross boards) to get to our full brother to special effort. It was horrific. The old stud was smart but just getting over powered quickly. My dad was swinging a shovel and mom was spraying his face with water to get them broke up. Of course it was middle of the night and dad was in his whitey tighties and cowboy boots. I’m sure the neighbors were impressed????‍????

Yes I can’t label him that way now. And it’s heart breaking. I have been in tears all day over it. I immediately took him to the vet and got him gelded this morning. It’s not worth it to me to have a dangerous stallion on my property. Going after horses is one thing but after he went after a human. I just can’t tolerate that. So now I have to refund my contracts which is a bummer but it is what it is. I hope after a few weeks go by he can be turned back out with his buddies or if he will forever be savage.  Really breaks my heart and was so  scary to watch my gentle, kind and “bomb” proof stallion almost kill his pastuer mates. One mare on property that isn’t technically in sight. And has not bred any mares this season. . Was going to start this coming week ... ;(

Well I am so sorry that this happen, but its a good thing he did this now with the geldings and adult and not with your nephews, that would have been such a tragedy if you are anyone else were caught off guard with him. I knew of a child that was not so lucky with the family stallion many many years ago.. 

You did the right thing getting him gelded, I would had his manhood taken off too. You said it yourself stallions are unpredictable and it just takes that one time to set them off. 

So very sorry..

Agree with Miss Roxie.   So very sorry for you and your geldings. . . 

I’m glad we didn’t have to convince you that was the right choice.  I’m so sorry and I hope he does come around, I’m not sure I would push the timeline though.  We just cut a 2 yr old colt and the vet was talking MONTHS for the horomones to fully clear his system.  That’s a 2 yr old who hasn’t even seen a mare since we brought him home from a sale last summer.

i wouldn’t rush it if you have an area where he can just stay by himself for a while.

My now 15yo stallion was my go to weaning granny for 5-6 years. And even after I stopped weaning to his pasture he was always out with 'the boys.'  When he was either 6 or 7 he turned stallion finally. He ran one of my geldings through a centar fence and stepped on the geldings neck. Barely saved the gelding. I figured it was payback for the gelding (who was Zan's older bro) pushing Zan around for many years. But 3 months later Zan ran his younger brother through another part of my fence. Luckily just some scraped skin on the other colt. But from that point on Zan has had to live by himself. 

He is also one that I take to shows all the time and he does not pay attention to mares. He doesn't like any horse too near him, but many horses, mares, gelding, other stallions, have the proximity issues so it's not a stallion thing. 

They change. The age they change is always different. But they all do. 

Okay that’s good to know he is the first older horse I have gelded. So I won’t rush it. Thanks so much for the reply

I am so sorry this happened.  Stallions are stallions -- even the most gentle can get riled up and dangerous.  A friend of mine had a beautiful stallion he showed very successfully in halter, pleasure and trail for years.  This horse was one of those you did not know was a stud - he never said a word at shows or did anything -- until he did.  He was 8 or 9 years old when he came un-done in the arena during a halter class and nearly killed his owner.  The owner left the show immeidately with him and drove straight to his vet who gelded him. He was a fabulous youth show gelding for the remainder of his life.  The horse that helped earn me a college rodeo scholarship and boat loads of $$ is another example.  He was good -- until he wasn't.  His day of reckoning was the day he kicked apart a two-horse trailer.  He was loaded into another trailer and taken straight to the vet....fabulous gelding.    Anytime someone tells me their stallion is just the best most gentle horse ever,  I take it with a grain of salt.  They all are until they aren't.   

I have some friends that own a cutting stud; he's 24 this year, and they've owned him since he was 4 or 5.   From the time they bought him, he was taught MANNERS.   And he's never acted a fool in all these years.  But they were always careful with him and those around him.  Becky always said "he's a stud, and that means unpredictable."   No doubt in my mind he would have lost his jewels immediately if he had done anything remotely stupid. . . 

Do you AI only? Or live cover? Has he been breeding this year? 

That’s what I did I hooked on drove straight to the vet and got him gelded. I can understand the aggressiveness towards another horse. But after he tried going after a person. I just couldn’t do it. Not worth it to me. I hope he get back to his normal amazing self...

Both. And this week was going to be his start to this season. But not anymore. Now working on refunding contracts ugh..

Thats how my guy was. Everything was extremely black and white. So there was no room for him to need to guess what was acceptable or not. And if He even thought about wanting to talk or looking in the wrong direction if it was  not while he was breeding. There  would be immediate major correction. But that never even would have to happen because he had been taught since a yearling that there are very strict manners/rules being kept a stallion on my place. It’s just a shame it happened . But very greatful nothing worse Came out of it. And now I can only hope he will be just as an amazing gelding as he was a stalllion 

EVERY person that "dreams" of having a stallion should read this. It can happen ANY TIME.
Stallions are very unpredictable and I do not care if they have been fine---they can blow at any moment so therefore can NEVER EVER be trusted. I do not care if they always act like a gelding---it just takes ONE time and it can be a life changing moment.

Studs will always be studs. Always have to keep an eye out. Sometimes biology kicks in and its a different horse. Friend of ours some years ago RAISED a stud and he also was the most well mannered horse ever, hauled good with other horses , mares could be tied right next to him etc. One day the owner ( Female) was cleaning his stall and she kicked him out into the run and put one of those stall guard fences up to keep him out. She had her back turned and he lunged over it and grabbed her by the neck and killed her instantly in front of her two children. The father came home from work, shot him in the head, and had to go to Jail for animal cruelty. Jury decided a vet needed to be called rather than a bullet. He wasn't in jail long, but thats besides the point.

Yes! My dad worked as the breeding manager of a cutting horse farm and has countless stories of studs that never did a thing "until that one day.." He never got hurt, but he never took them for granted either.

Just last fall a friends 24 yo stud who he ropes off of and I have NEVER seen him act out of place, even around mares in season, broke through his pipe corral and another pannel fence and attacked 2 weanlings, one was his own that he had been in the pasture with for most of the summer. One had to be put down due to the injuries. You just never know. 

That is heart breaking. That’s why I loaded him up and took him straight to the vet to get  gelded. Once a person was involved that was it for me. Not worth the risk. 

You do never know. I’m still in shock over it. Just very greatful   No one got killed. 

I haven't read all the replies, but I will put my 2 cents in.  My stallion was fine with the geldings, unless there were mares around. He always had to stay in his own pasture with hotwire around it.  I'm not sure I'd be in a hurry with the knife.  Just change his housing situation, and always, always, handle him with a chain from now on. 

My .02 as well.  Not directed specifically at the OP, speaking in general.  

When people treat a stallion like a gelding, they are asking for problems.  You wouldn't treat a hand granade like football, even though they have similarities.  If you aren't set up for a stallion don't get one.  If you don't know how to handle a stallion don't get one.    

Live cover typically makes them a little tougher to handle. You originally asked why he triggered. My guess is:

1) He’s a stallion in his prime 

2) He knows what live cover is

3) He knows it’s breeding season

He may very well be fine running with the geldings in the off season. But if you want a breeding stallion, he needs to be pulled prior to breeding season. While he was fine in the past, I’m not trying to be mean...but by leaving him with those geldings during breeding season...you were setting him up to fail eventually.

Its been several years now but a friend whom I hauled with had a stud, he was around 10 at this time. He tried to mount my GELDING while I was on him. I stepped off and was kicked in the head, back and legs several times until someone threw a bucket and hit him hard enough on the head to make him stop. The entire time she was on him and wasnt able to do a thing. I had to be taken away in an ambulance and had a cracked vertibre, broke tail bone and tore muscles in my leg. She kept him a stud for many years after. I stayed away and still do when i see them out. 

I think you did the smart thing by gelding him. Once they know they are the "boss" its hard to make them see other wise. Thoughts are with you because Im sure its hard!

I hate it for you but I’m glad you got him gelded.

I don’t feel your being mean. I’m younger and he was my first stallion to stand by myself. So I guess you live and learn. Thanks for your reply I appreciate all the info!

Thank you. I hate it too. I thought I did all the right things.(so I thought) I  Followed a repo vet and stud farm for a few years. Felt like a paid my dues. (Of course always room for improvement/new learning opportunities) saved money for years. Found the bloodlines got him as a yearling and got him to 7 years old. And no we weren’t a big name stallion but we were successful and it was fun owning/standing him. But when I first decided I wanted to do this years ago I promised my self I would never put on the rose colored glasses and if he ever got dangerous to people I would geld him immediately. Sorry for the long post. Still heavy on my heart ??

I agree with a couple of other posters...........not sure I would be in a hurry to geld him over this. A lot of stallions can not be pastured with geldings and even though he had been with these geldings his instinct and hormones kicked in to run off the other weaker males, for whatever reason. Guess the full moon and mares in heat got him fired up and the geldings were a threat in his mind.

He has not been hard to handle, has not shown any problems with people handling him, etc., then I would change how he is pastured and go from there.

i think you are absolutely doing the right thing . some friend owned a bomb proof stud   at 24 he savagaed her dang near tore her breast off.    but its was ur decision and i appuld you have the smarts to do it

When he attacked a human he crossed the line, I would had him gelded too, and this is what the OP did, I think she did the right thing in getting him gelded. 

I completely forgot until I read this post. . . Lula Bell was on her mare at a barrel run year before last when someone's stud (NOT AT ALL like the studs we've been talking about) tired to mount Peekaboo.   It could have been catastrophic, but thank God Peek spun and got LB and herself away from him.  At that point the stud was in major danger tho--LB's daddy was going for him AND THEN for the owner but friends stopped him.   People that don't know horses most assuredly don't need to own and/or ride studs around other people and horses.   Have mercy, know your limits so that everyone is safe. . . . 

This is surely not directed at the OP 

Yes, this a hundered times over!  You didn't do anything wrong, it's not your fault he attacked your geldings out in the field.  But this reason, and all of the comments I have read, make me grateful I got out of the stallion game a long time ago.  Best of luck to you, I hope he makes an excellent gelding.

That had to be scary. A stallion is a stallion we have a nice one but wouldn’t trust one.  Spring and nuts probably what’s making him act up. 

That had to be scary. A stallion is a stallion we have a nice one but wouldn’t trust one.  Spring and nuts probably what’s making him act up. 

Bumping this back up, I think it should stay at the top for the younger stallion owners to be on their top alert owning a stallion. 

Edited to add, I think the OP did the right thing and I THANK HER for telling her story, this should be an eye opener for any one that wants to own and haul a stallion..

I will say it again---EVERY PERSON WHO WANTS TO OWN A STUD SHOULD READ THIS POST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She would have had a lot more than a law suite on her hands. 

If I could change the title I would but can’t figure it out lol

Its simple, just edit the title, click onto the title and you can change it..

Just giving this another bump, since its a good topic

We decided we weren't taking any chances either, despite how highly talented of a horse this guy is turning out to be. Nerp!

Thank you for sharing. We have a young stud but we have sent him to experienced people to handle to get his manners straight and despite so many people I see saying to treat him like a normal horse, we are giving him his own pipe pen. He will be able to see other horses.  But will not be allowed to run with them. Ever. Nonetheless there is always the potential there. Stories like this always remind me of it.