The sex of horses is, at least in modern times in Canada, typically classified into one of three: stallions, geldings, and mares. Each will be discussed here along with common behavioural traits both in training and in the wild (where possible), and then we will explore some common horse jobs in fiction and the suitable horses for them.

The distinction between stallions and geldings is that geldings are castrated males, where stallions are intact males. With that difference comes a slew of variation in behaviour, management, and probable uses depending on the world and time period being written.

Stallions

Let’s have a look at stallions first. Stallions can be a lot, to put it simply and bluntly. They tend towards more aggressive or dominant behaviour, which can translate to increased showiness or presence depending on the setting. (Ex: some riders love stallions for their out-going behaviour, as it can contribute to flashier movement in the show ring.) But this comes at a cost.

Although they are as unique as people and will always have exceptions, stallions tend to be prone to being overwhelmed by hormones. It makes handling and management very specific, and requires absolute attention from the handlers, especially with other horses present. They can be quite susceptible to distraction due to the scent of mares, as well as perceived “threats” from other males.

In spring and summer when mares come into heat for the breeding season, stallions can have a one-track mind bent for breeding. Well-trained stallions or those with milder dispositions will be better about regarding their handlers politely, but careful attention is pretty much always required. If the stallion has been used for breeding before, they are that much more enthusiastic about doing the deed, and can be downright dangerous if they get it in their head that that’s what they want to do. For this reason, it is common for stallions intended for breeding to do their competitions and prove themselves in the show ring prior to being used for breeding. For starters, it proves their quality and desirability as a breeding stallion, but also puts miles in training into the stallion before he is allowed to breed. Once they know what the parts are for, that’s basically all they want to do whenever they see a mare, so it is easier to retire a stallion to stud than start him that way. As with everything, there are exceptions, but this is a basic introduction to the practices and reasons behind them.

It is common for stallions to “drop” and even get hard when arching their necks and nickering, trying to get the attention of mares or even when meeting other males. It’s all part of the bravado to show off, and try to look like the flashier stud.

The old wives tale that stallions will fight to the death is something of a myth, but in a genuine fight, the consequences can be quite devastating. When the testosterone and adrenaline take over, they can fight until exhaustion, and can sustain serious injuries in the process, usually from bites, cuts from rearing up at one another, and striking out. In a stallion fight, it’s not uncommon to see them rearing up and striking out, and even dropping on their knees to bite at the other’s stomach and genital region.

In the wild there will only be one male to a band of mares, and for horses, safety is in numbers, therefore being the losing male (and therefore outcast) can be devastating. That being said though, it is not unusual to see small bands of young males together. Horses are by nature herd animals and will be drawn to companionship provided they are not sparring for mates.

Geldings

Geldings tend to be milder-mannered, and significantly less prone to aggressive behaviours related to hormones. If a male horse is gelded late (older than 2 years), they may maintain some stallion-like qualities, but the lack of testosterone drastically reduces most of those behavioural concerns.

It is worth noting that the older an intact male gets, the greater the risk is in castration. When the testicles are fully developed, the connecting veins will be much larger and therefore more prone to blood loss during surgery. Even with modern medicine, it is common for males over the age of two to have castrations done at an equine hospital or veterinary clinic for monitoring, and to ensure safe recovery. The older they get, the more susceptible they are to bleeding, hemorrhage, and infection. Recovery can take anywhere from one to three weeks depending on complications, but possibly longer in the event of infection or hemorrhage. Castrations are best done in early spring or late fall when temperatures are mild, but bug populations are low. Flies and other pests can drastically increase risk of infection, as well as irritation of the area in general.

Now just because these boys are castrated does not mean that they will be devoid of presence or flashiness in the show ring, or wherever else your world takes you. Quite the contrary, many geldings are just as capable as having a “presence” with the bonus of better focus. Many geldings excel in all disciplines, and they are often most desired as riding/working horses specifically because they are far less likely to be distracted by hormones and related biological drives/cycles. Without testosterone raging through their veins, they tend to have better focus, and a more amenable personality as both a riding horse, and to be handled on the ground.

It is possible for some geldings to continue producing testosterone if both testicles had not dropped at the time of castration. These are called cryptorchids (or rigs, in layman’s terms), and they are likely to continue exhibiting some stallion-like behaviour. If this is something you are curious to explore in your book, I strongly suggest doing further research on it, as it goes beyond the scope of this article, and, if you are curious about that sort of thing, is rather fascinating to learn about in general.

Mares

Mares are another entity entirely. These are adult females, and due to the location of their reproductive organs, it is deeply impractical to spay them. As such, like stallions, they are susceptible to their natural hormones of evolution, but they present in a very different fashion.

Mares often get a bad rap for moodiness associated with their oestrus cycles, but the sort of relationship a person can have with a mare is very different than with a male horse. Certainly from my own experiences.

In the wild, the bands are generally matriarchal, as the older, wisened mares are responsible for the safe-keeping of the herd. For a long time it was thought that stallions had this role, but the turnover rate of stallions is much higher, and it falls upon the alpha mare to guide her bandmates.

As mothers, mares are responsible for protecting their offspring, sometimes for as long as years, and for anyone who has had a good relationship with a mare, even humans can be taken under the wing, so to speak. Their instinct is to be both defensive and protective of their own space, their offspring, and those in their band. It is often said that if you win a mare over, you win her for life as the bond can be incredible.

The defensiveness of mares, as well as their moodiness, has given many of them a bad rap within the industry. It’s a shame, because they cannot tell us with anything but their behaviour that they are in pain, and if their cycle is anything like a woman’s, it can be incredibly painful. So much of the criticism seen against mares is very similar to the sexism associated with PMS for women. When mares come into heat, some of them can be quite, shall we say, keen, while others are more likely just to get a little cranky. Some make it very obvious, as they will urinate frequently, and if there are males around, will raise their tail and wink their vulva with little squirts of highly aromatic urine. There is a distinctly pungent smell to it. According to some historical documents, it is said that having mares at tournaments like jousting was highly frowned upon because the stallions would go wild at the scent of them.

There are herbal supplements, as well as medications that can help alleviate the symptoms associated with the oestrus cycle, and I have even seen products like the mare-ble, which I suppose is best compared to an IUD. Essentially, it helps reduce the symptoms that can drastically affect some mares’ temperaments. If this is something you are interested in exploring in your book, I would recommend researching when these techniques were used, as that goes beyond the scope of this piece.