The stallion: character, pedigree, and performance.

You know the stallion as the male equine who is not castrated and who is dedicated to reproduction. But what do you really know about this horse with a character that is considered more difficult than a gelding? We tell you everything so that you can know everything about stallions.

Stallion or whole horse?

We often confuse the stallion horse and the whole horse. In both cases, it is a horse that has not been castrated. In common discussions, you will often hear that the stallion has already bred at least once while the whole horse has never bred. However, the real difference is at the level of the aggregation with the National Stud, and not at the simple fact that the horse has already bred or not. Indeed, the stallion is registered with a Studbook and is recognized as being able to reproduce in his breed. The stallion is thus a whole which is intended for the reproduction. He must be approved by the Studbook and thus corresponds to the criteria of race. He is also registered as a stallion with the National Studs. This means that a horse can be a stallion even before having started a breeding career. Also, a stallion can cover a mare but, as he is neither approved nor recognized as a sire, his foal will not be born with papers and will not be registered in a studbook at birth. To register a stallion as a stallion, it is necessary to have it approved by a studbook, so you must consult the rules of each breed association to know if your horse is registrable. Indeed, they are the ones who set the conditions of approval of their stallions to maintain an excellence in the production of their breed. The conditions of registration may depend on the origins of the stallion, its state of health, its performances and/or its zootechnical characteristics. The horse is then a candidate and may be submitted to an approval commission or may undergo aptitude tests before becoming a studbook sire. The issuance of an approval may be subject to conditions of duration, geographical area, breeding method or restrictions for health or zootechnical reasons.

If you want to know if a stallion is approved, simply go to the National Stud website (www.ifce.fr), look for it in “Horse Info” and go to the “breeding” tab where you will find the “Approval” section.

The character of the stallion

The stallion’s reputation is that he has a lot of character, is difficult to manage or control and is sometimes even considered a “dangerous” horse. Then certainly, one does not approach a stallion as one approaches a gelding, however that does not make of it necessarily a “vicious” equine as one can hear it say. It is true that the testosterone of the stallion sometimes gives him more character than the other horses, although we find mares sometimes much more characterful. However, the character of a stallion will depend on his education, his living conditions, and the relationship he has with his fellow horses and with men. It will also depend on his nature because each horse has his own character, and they are not exempt from the rule. Each stallion has his own personality: some will naturally be calmer than others.

It is always important to keep in mind that stallions are originally breed for reproduction and that they are aware of this. It is therefore natural for them to be on the alert when a mare approaches. It is therefore difficult to blame them for this trait, as ethology suggests.

However, if isolation can be an easy solution, it is far from being a way to solve the problem. On the contrary, the stallion is still a horse, an animal that lives in a herd, so it needs to interact with its fellow horses. Isolation will create stress in him – which will then be an element that will trigger or aggravate his bad temper. It is important that he has at least one “buddy” with whom he can interact, a gelding with a calm nature may be a good solution.

It is important to know that you cannot apply the dominant/dominated concept in a relationship with a stallion, which is also valid with a stallion: so, you must consider them as your equal to have a healthy relationship with them. It is also important to be alert and to spot the warning signs before a demonstration of aggressiveness because like other horses, they “warn” before acting. It is therefore necessary to be vigilant to the signals they send to spot the signs of anger or irritation in them. The relationship with a stallion or a whole horse requires patience, knowledge, and openness to ensure that it takes place in the best conditions. Not everyone is cut out to get along with them. In fact, according to Karina Lewis (an American trainer with a master’s degree in Psychology), it is interesting to look at one’s own social life and the state of one’s relationships to know if one can get along with a stallion. For her, a person who encounters many conflicts in his personal life will encounter conflicts in his relationship with a stallion.

The education of a whole or a stallion is paramount in determining its future character. It is crucial to establish a notion of mutual respect with him. They are quite prone to testing boundaries, and they know how to do it so innocently that you may not realize it. The “boundaries” must be clearly defined because these horses have absolutely nothing against discipline, if it is fair, and understand very well what is tolerated, expected of them and what is forbidden. However, we must insist on the mutuality of this respect! As said before, this horse is your equal, don’t expect him to respect you if you don’t show him respect. There is no need to be violent or aggressive to apply discipline, unless you want the horse to be aggressive as well, you just need to get his attention, to impress him. The voice can be enough to put him in his place. Do not lose sight of the correctness of the discipline, which must be applied with any type of horse, but if it is not the case, it does not forgive with the stallion or the whole. Anything that causes fear or pain to the horse may turn into a display of aggression. Finally, forget about demonstrations of force and prefer to use your intelligence to make him respect you.

Education is also a determining factor in influencing the behavior of the future stallion. The young male must, from his youngest age, learn what his place is regarding the man and understand what he should not do.

Finally, stallions have a lot of energy and a sharp mind. They therefore require an investment in terms of time and especially a lot of patience.

How do you know if a young male will be a good stallion?

Dr. Jim McCall, professor and expert on horse behavior, training, and management, has examined the factors that make a male foal likely to become a good stallion. For him, it is possible to know in an obvious way which horses are made to be stallions, and which are made to be geldings.

First, it is a question of pedigree: do the papers of your foal make him a good future stallion candidate in his breed. There is an old Anglo-Saxon adage in the breeding world that says, “If you tell somebody who the daddy of your stallion is and you have to say anything more than that, you don’t have a stallion”. Translation: “If you tell someone who the daddy of your stallion is and you have to say anything more than that, you don’t have a stallion”. This means that the origin of your horse by his sire must be telling. Also, it is important to get an idea of the future physique of his whole. Dr. Jim McCall believes that 4 months of age is the best time to see what the foal will look like as an adult. Even if everyone has his own opinion about this age, it allows to see if the future stallion will be able to match the quality expectations of the breeding.

If your young male has good papers and at 4 months old his physique corresponds to the breed criteria, the breeder will keep him whole until an age where it will be clearer to define his future dispositions, that is 2 or 3 years old. This allows the breeder to wait and see if the foal can become a sufficiently docile stallion: will it be easily manageable for breeding and for promotion? Dr. McCall assumes that between 12 and 14 months of age, these young horses usually already show their degree of aggressiveness.

Finally, performance will be the last criterion in determining whether to keep a horse whole. Will your horse stand out enough to become a good stallion candidate?

If your foal meets the above criteria and seems exceptional enough to deserve to pass on his genetics, then it is in your interest to keep him whole.

The best stallions of the moment

Each year, the WBFSH, the world federation of sport horse studbooks, publishes the rankings of the best stallions in each discipline. These rankings consider the qualities of the stallions, the number of their production but especially the quality and performance of their products.

In 2017, it is Chacco-Blue who comes out on top of the best stallions in show jumping. Eighth in the rankings in 2016, the performance of the products of this stallion who disappeared in 2012 made him jump in the rankings. A product of Chambertin and a dam by Contender, Chacco-Blue is notably the sire of Chadino, Chaqui Z and Chacco’s Son. This year he is ahead of the leader of the ranking of the two previous years: the famous Diamant de Semilly. Behind them is For Pleasure, the Hanoverian chestnut double Olympic gold medalist, as well as Cornet Obolensky, the gray BWP son of Clinton who has held a spot in the standings since 2014. Casall, the Holsteiner who retired in 2016 after winning his last Grand Prix under the saddle of Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, is in 5th place in the rankings. He is followed by Kashmir Van’t Schuttershof, a son of Nabab de Rêve as well as Kannan, an internationally renowned KWPN stallion who has been in the top 10 stallions in the world for the past 8 years. The unmissable French Saddle stallion Baloubet du Rouet, multiple medalists and deceased in 2017, is ranked 8th, just ahead of his son Balou du Rouet, registered in the Oldenburg Studbook. Berlin, the grey Holsteiner stallion with numerous international offspring, closes this ranking.

In eventing, it is by far Contendro I who wins the title of World Number 1 for the 3rd consecutive year. This versatile Holsteiner son of Contender also produces excellent show jumping and dressage horses. The excellent French Saddle Jaguar Mail and the Irish Thoroughbred Master Imp XX complete the podium of the best CCE stallions. Behind them, we find Ramiro B, the BWP with a great career as a sport horse and sire. The excellent Balou du Rouet achieves a double by also being ranked 9th among the eventing horses.

The complete ranking of eventing stallions:

1. CONTENDRO I
2.  JAGUAR MAIL
3. MASTER IMP XX
4. RAMIRO B
5. PUISSANCE
6. HERALDIK XX
7. LUX
8. CRUISING
9. BALOU DU ROUET
10. GRAFENSTOLZ

The ranking of the best dressage stallions is won, as in 2016, by De Niro. This sublime black stallion, of Hanoverian breed and son of Donnerhall, has won many Grand Prix and transmits to his offspring his handling, his type, and his superb gaits. Sandro Hit took 2nd place. From the Oldenburg breed, he was the best dressage stallion in his lifetime and is considered a breed leader in modern dressage. Another Oldenburg stallion completes the podium: Rubin Royal comes 3rd in the world ranking.

The complete ranking of the dressage stallions:

1. DE NIRO
2. SANDRO HIT
3. RUBIN-ROYAL
4. GRIBALDI
5. JAZZ
6. DON FREDERICO
7. SIR DONNERHALL I
8. STEDINGER
9. FLORESTAN I
10. DON SCHUFRO

In racing, the Le Trot association has also ranked stallions by wins and earnings from their production for the first half of 2017 (January to July). Ready Cash, the 2005-born French Trotter with more than four million in winnings, takes the top spot. This is due to the excellent results of one of his sons, the very famous Bold Eagle. Ready Cash leads the ranking in terms of the number of wins and the amount of money earned.

The complete ranking of the trotting stallions:

1. READY CASH
2. LOVE YOU
3. PRODIGIOUS
4. GANYMEDE
5. COCKTAIL JET
6. JAG DE BELLOUET
7. LOOK DE STAR
8. SAXO DE VANDEL
9. ORLANDO VICI
10. GAZOUILLIS

For optimal nutrition, discover B-150, the complementary flaked forage and/or grass feed for stallions.