Should a Beginner Rider Buy a Stallion, Gelding or Mare?

When you are looking for your first horse, you might wonder, should you buy a gelding, a stallion, or a mare?

When starting out, choose a horse with a reliable temperament. Hormones such as testosterone are associated with aggression, so beginners are usually advised to avoid stallions. Mares and geldings are generally calmer, although exceptions exist.

Consider the following factors when deciding which type of horse is right for you.

Stallions

Generally, stallions are not suitable as beginner horses. High-end riding stables might place a beginner on a stallion under close supervision, but stallions can be self-interested and hazardous if mishandled. Buying a stallion could be disastrous for new riders or owners, even if owning a stallion seems appealing. Some experienced riders and owners avoid stallions because even the best-trained ones can become temperamental and, without proper handling, dangerous.

Mares

Although mares are less aggressive than stallions, they can still have difficult moments. During heat cycles, mares might become moody or temperamental, especially in the spring breeding season. Some mares become very hormonal and distracted from their rider or handler. Mares can cycle any time of the year, with varying degrees of moodiness.

Not all mares are difficult to handle during their cycles. A mare's behavior largely depends on her training and temperament. If a well-behaved mare becomes unusually moody, she might have cystic ovaries or other health issues needing veterinary attention. Despite potential inconveniences, many mares are excellent beginner horses. Their heat cycles are rarely dangerous, particularly with no stallion present.

Geldings

There is a slight preference for geldings among beginner riders because geldings do not experience mood swings related to heat cycles. A gelding's suitability depends on its training, temperament, and the age at which it was gelded. Geldings gelded later in life might retain some stallion-like behavior, even though they cannot reproduce, making them unsuitable for beginners. A gelding gelded early in life is usually steadier.

When choosing a gelding, there is one thing a buyer has to watch for, and that’s a ridgling. If a horse is stallion-like in its behavior but appears to be a gelding, it may be something called a ​rig, or ridgling. Before modern veterinarian medicine ensured gelding was done properly, a horse left with some testicular and epididymis tissue may have exhibited stallion-like behavior. This is where the term ‘proud cut’ comes from.

Today, it’s unlikely you will find any truly ‘proud cut’ geldings. They are more likely to be cryptorchids. This is a procedure that renders the stallion unable to reproduce while still producing testosterone, a hormone which makes stallions more aggressive.