Horse Training Tips – Stallion Advice
Dear Friend and Horseman,
Welcome to another Horse Training Tips Newsletter.
In this issue, I answer
several questions that were sent to me by my subscribers.
Unfortunately, one of my answers is going to offend some of my readers
and I'll
have to pay the price for speaking my mind.
Please remember, if you are one of the people who's upset with me, you
must
first DO the prescribed experiment before sending me the nasty
email.
Deal?
Okay, let's get started.
Horse Training Questions & Answers Plus Stallion Advice
Here's
the first question…
QUESTION
Hello Larry,
I have been checking out your website and am interested in talking to
you about
starting my colt. My colt, is only twenty months now, when would you
think a
good time to start is?
I have never messed with reining but would really like to try it with
this horse.
I should also mention that my colt is cow hocked. Is that much of a
problem?
What do ya think?
Trish
ANSWER
Hi Trish,
Just in case your colt is extra talented, you want to get him started
early
enough to be ready for a futurity. I'd start him sometime between
February and April.
You could actually start doing some preparatory ground work right now.
Handle him enough so he's not afraid of people. You could also teach him
to
lunge but don't work him too hard. Maybe only 15 minutes a session.
Now, if the futurities aren't important to you, I'd wait until April,
May or June
to start the colt.
I'd suggest you make arrangements with me about two months ahead of
time to make sure I have an opening for the colt.
Be aware, cow hocks can be a big problem for a reining horse.
It kind of depends on how cow hocked he is.
If it's mild, I wouldn't worry about it. If it's pronounced, he'll splay
way out
during the stops and get sore. Cow hocks are also usually weak hocks.
For reining, having a structurally sound horse is the way to go. I
wouldn't
spend too much money on a horse that wasn't built right.
It might be a good idea to let me see some photos or a video of the colt
before hauling him to me.
If he's not built good enough to send him to me, you might consider training this colt yourself.
The videos
in my Foundation Training Package will show you exactly how to get
started.
Take care,
Larry Trocha
Larry Trocha Training Stable
www.HorseTrainingVideos.com
www.HorseTrainingTack.com
QUESTION
Hi Larry,
I always wait in anticipation for your next email and I am never
disappointed,
even when they are a re-run. It gives me a chance to remember all the
valuable info you have.
One thing I have always wanted to ask a well known trainer (such as
yourself),
I am a woman and have been riding horses all of my life (literally) I am
now a
trainer and coach and have been so for about 12 years.
I have always ridden or owned at least one stallion, weather it be a
customer's
horse or my own personal mount and I have never had any real problems.
My question to you is?
What would you say to a person if they told you a woman should not be
handling stallions?
I have heard a lot of reasons some such as: women are not strong enough.
And the chemicals in a woman's body at certain times of the month can
trigger a stallion to go nuts.
I am not a power house by any means but in most cases I do get my point
across. I am a woman and I have never had a stallion act nutty while I
was
having my menstrual cycle.
So what's up? Am I missing something or have I been lucky not to have
run
across one of the bad ones?????
Looking forward to your reply.
An avid reader and very happy customer.
Ann
ANSWER
Hi Ann,
Good to hear from you.
I know many women horse trainers. And without a doubt, when it comes to
training horses, most women can do anything a man can.
Everyone knows women aren't as strong as men but strength is seldom
an issue.
Yes, stallions can sense a woman's menstrual cycle. Some studs react to
it,
others don't. As long as the stallion knows who the boss is, there
usually
isn't a problem.
Whenever somebody tells you a woman shouldn't be handling stallions,
mention Lindy Burch, Cathy Dawn and Sandy Bonelli. All three have
won more than a million dollars in the cutting horse arena. And some of
the time, they are showing stallions.
Now, after having said that, I also want to say there are definitely TWO
KINDS
of stallions.
There are the GOOD MINDED ones that are EASY to train and be around and
there are also the AGGRESSIVE, high testosterone terrors that are
DANGEROUS no matter who is handling them.
Take care,
Larry Trocha
Larry Trocha Training Stable
www.HorseTrainingVideos.com
www.HorseTrainingTack.com
QUESTION
Hi Larry,
Thank you for these training tips about stallions. I handle a stallion
for a friend
3 to 4 times a week and sometimes he gets that "I'm going to get you"
look in
his eye… thanks for bringing this to my attention.
This stallion has a history of being violent but I'm hoping he will mind
his
manners while I am handling him.
Knowing this, I am a little hesitant but there is no one else to handle
him and I
am afraid if he stays in his stall he will just get worse.
Please Pray for me and this situation. Thanks.
Richest Blessings,
Jackie
ANSWER
Hi Jackie,
I'm glad you like the training tips.
I sure wish you could leave handling this AGGRESSIVE stallion to someone
with a LOT of experience.
If you absolutely MUST do it, I'll give you some advice that I learned
"the hard way".
However, not knowing you personally, I'm a little hesitant to share this
information
with you. It could be very DANGEROUS.
If the stallion is giving you that "I'm going to attack you look", it's
time to put
something on his head that gives you a lot of control.
I've used a bosal made of ½" iron with a fiador throat-latch that works
great.
You might try something like this on your stallion.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Some stallions have learned to attack BEFORE you can get anything on
their head.
They will stand there giving you threatening looks and if you approach,
they're on
you in the blink of an eye.
If this is the case with your stallion, you need to think about your
physical safety.
Is working with this aggressive stallion worth risking your life?
I'd
say, definitely NOT.
Now, if this stallion isn't too bad yet, I'd proceed as follows:
Take the time necessary to get this stud to really RESPECT you.
Put the iron bosal on him (or a stud chain) and do some groundwork.
Teach him to lunge well. Get control of his body parts.
Teach him to move his hindquarters and shoulders away from pressure. Get
him
to back up and go forward without a hassle.
If he threatens you at all, make him pay SEVERELY with that bosal or
chain.
Jerk it abruptly and hard from side to side.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
When a stallion decides to attack you, his body language will usually
telegraph
his intention.
However, you will only have a split second to react before he's on you.
You MUST be ALERT and AWARE at all times, when handling an
aggressive stallion like this.
VERY, VERY IMPORTANT:
When you discipline an AGGRESSIVE stallion, you've got to go about it
the right
way or risk suffering the consequences (like your ear being ripped off
your head,
your face caved in from being struck or your bicep muscle bitten in two
and ripped
off the bone. You know, stuff like that).
The correction (discipline) must be IMMEDIATE, SEVERE and over with
QUICKLY.
The correction must be immediate so the stud associates his bad behavior
with
the discipline.
The correction must be severe to make the stallion think you can hurt
"HIM" more
than he can hurt "YOU". If you correct him in a half-hearted way, your
actions will
only make him mad and he'll jump on you and do serious damage.
The discipline must be over with QUICKLY (within a few seconds) or
again, you'll
only make him mad and he'll attack you.
You see, physically, you aren't capable of really hurting a big, mature
stallion.
When you discipline him severely, initially he'll be surprised and
shocked by
your aggressiveness.
However, if the discipline lasts longer than a few seconds, he'll
realize you really
AREN'T hurting him that bad and the fact that you are "trying" to
discipline him
will tee him off big-time.
You've now shown him how physically weak you really are and he'll make
you
pay the price.
You MUST END the discipline while the stallion is still in the initial
"shocked" phase.
If you don't, you could find yourself on the ground with one of your
arms torn off.
SIDE NOTE:
Teaching a stallion to accept the hobbles and side-line is another good
way to get his respect. Actually, most horse would benefit greatly if
taught to stand hobbled. I show how
to do it in my video titled, "Colt Starting
Magic".
IF POSSIBLE, GIVE THIS STALLION A JOB
If there is any way to get this stallion tired, do it. Give him a JOB to
do.
It would help this stallion's mind a bunch if he had something to do
instead of
standing around bored all day. If there is any way to get him ridden
several
hours a day, it would certainly help his outlook on life.
Hell, it would help EVERY horse. There is nothing better for a horse's
WELL BEING (or a person's for that matter) than a good days work.
If you keep a stallion in a stall all the time, he'll come out just
looking for trouble.
Please be very, very careful.
Larry Trocha
Larry Trocha Training Stable
www.HorseTrainingVideos.com
www.HorseTrainingTack.com
A SPECIAL NOTE FOR MY "COOKIE TREAT" READERS WHO ARE OFFENDED
BY WHAT I WROTE ABOVE
I already know some of my readers are going to go absolutely insane
after
reading the advice I gave the lady above.
They are going to say, "This kind of treatment is cruel and inhumane.
The only thing an aggressive stallion needs is to win his trust with
loving kindness".
Well, if you are offended, then so be it.
The lady above, is going to put herself in a situation that has the
potential to be very,
very dangerous. Her life and limbs could literally be at stake here.
I'm NOT going to give her some nicey-nice, double-talk BULLSHIT!
I'm going to tell her the TRUTH.
If you do not like what I write, then simply don't read it.
The "UNSUBSCRIBE" link is at the bottom of this page.
Undoubtedly though, I'm still going to catch hell and receive a bunch of
nasty emails over this.
However, before you write to tell me how crude I am, I'd like you to do
a little experiment.
Go to your local STUD FARM and ask to see the RANKEST breeding
stallion they have on the place.
When you approach the stall and that stallion charges the door with
his ears flat back and his mouth wide open, let's see if you are brave
enough to stick your hand out and offer him a cookie.
If you are successful and he takes the cookie without also taking
your arm, I'll tip my hat to you and publicly apologize.
If you are NOT successful, I'll give you the phone number of a
physical therapist who can teach you to type with one hand.
Fair enough?
OKAY, ONE LAST QUESTION
Hi Larry:
I noticed in all your Foundation Training Video's you don't use any kind
of
martingale. Along with the video's I purchased the German Martingale.
At what point in my training would I use it?
Thanks for all your help.
Tania
ANSWER
Hi Tania,
It depends on the horse and how the training is going.
Some horses will never need it. Many will though.
If a horse isn't dropping off the bit vertically or giving his head
laterally as good
as he should, I'll start using the German martingale beginning with the
second
month of riding.
Some horses I'll start using it sooner and some later. Bottom line, if
the head
position isn't right or if the horse isn't giving lightly to my hands, I
use the
martingale until it gets right.
In my opinion, the German martingale is the best and most practical
training aid
there is. And you were smart to get it because at some point in your
horse's
training, it'll help a bunch.
However, to get really good results, it's important that you use it
RIGHT.
And have it adjusted properly for your particular horse.
I urge you to get my video titled, "Horse Training Aids". It'll show you
everything
you need to know about using your German martingale (and other training
aids too).
The video is FREE. All you have to do is pay for the shipping.
Well, this wraps it up for this newsletter. I hope you liked it.
Until next time, have fun training your horse.

Larry Trocha
www.HorseTrainingVideos.com
www.HorseTrainingTack.com
I have read your newsletters for a long time now. I just did a Google search on stallion behavior, and found your site (again)!
I have a young Thoroughbred stallion that I'm working with. He came to me as a minimally handled long yearling. I've used a combination of simple "natural horsemanship," clicker training, and just common sense in communicating with him. He's a lot of fun, and certainly a challenge.
He's also an exceptionally fast learner, remembers his lessons very well, and seems able to relate "this" information to "that" situation. So far, he's been respectful and aware of who his boss is. As long as he stays in that mind-set, he'll stay a stallion.
I really appreciate your honesty and way of communicating with people. Stallions have lots of presence and personality, but they are NOT lap dogs. It's so good to see someone actually use "real" language to describe the potential outcome of being careless, even for a second, with these powerful, beautiful, yet hormonally driven horses!
We "cut" our 13yo stallion in April and just introduced him to the herd (8 months waiting. He had been taken to the regular barn from time to time and when the other horses were in their stalls. Ridden with no problems, handled great on the ground, and knew my "ac-k-k-k" meant that's the limit and stop whatever. Now that he is in the pasture with 9 other horses (mares and 2 geldings) they are slowly working things out. Put the alpha mare with him in his pasture before moving him so they could come to terms. He is doing well with the herd, not totally accepted but close. He is not an aggressive horse BUT, he has begun showing aggression toward the people. I have had horses all my 57 years, trained, read the body language, given the body language and know to stay calm and relaxed but always alert and ready to respond within that 3 second time rule.
Now, he bit a horseman that was holding him while my husband got meds to treat a cut on his face (have been cleaning it for a week and he had no problem with it), he has not shown any aggression toward people unless they tried to approach him when he was eating hay (we did not bother him when he was eating in the stallion pasture.) Now he has decided to put his ears back and go for your arm when you try to halter him to take him out. Never a problem before, it is not worth having someone hurt and I have dealt with many a rank horse but this is a sudden, awful and dangerous situation. I need to get him under control asap and know enough to not let him get away with this. I am going to just open the stall door and let him out (he had not been stalled and will tear the walls down if I try to leave him in) until I know how to best deal with this. Otherwise, the more times he gets away with intimidating someone, the more set the behavior will be. Please give me some good advise on getting that halter back on his head. He knows when he has the halter on he is mine, although he did not do too well with the guys holding him and that was a first. Don't want to loose anymore ground with what was a super stallion and now a pushing the buttons gelding.
The cookie treaters have never been part of or have witnessed a stallion attack. It is all theory and no materiel. I agree with you.
Hi, I agree with all you said. I managed a stable with 28 (yup.. that's right) 28 arabian stallions and I am a woman. This was 6 years ago and I am in my 50's now. Arabian stallions are hard to handle at the best of times but there were 4 in that barn that challenged me constantly. One stallion would attact the girl who worked there before me and grab her by the breast everytime she opened his door. He tried it with me and we had a couple of "SESSIONS". Loud NO!!! and a good slap up side the head and he had respect for me. The other stallion was the top stallion in the barn and he would go for me everytime I went to feed him. I filed a nail down and when I knew when he was going to go for me, I turned my back and (PUN INTENDED) NAILED him. We had a tentative agreement after that and he would respect me. Anyhow, I could tell you stories but my point being…..if you are a woman..yup ..we are weaker and if a stallion decides to go for you ..you had better be prepared and know what you are working with. I watch your video all the time and have applied your lessons to my horses. I just halter broke a horse that is coming 3 and couldn't even get a halter on her until we put her in a chute and got it on. I did your method of making that horse come to the end of the rope and pulling it to you just to get it to lead. I just wanted to say, also, I loved your comment on the natural horsemanship attitude. You said it perfect and I refer to you when I get in a dispute. Keep on KEEPING ON!!
Hi Larry
Always a joy to read your newsletters, I won't missing anymore.
Working with a stallion is no romantic relationship. I know what it means to almost be beatened by a stallion. I was lucky then. Thanks to my fast reaction.
Horse language is body language, uncompromisely and fast. Forget your human behaviors and become a stallion yourself. Otherwise ride wooden horses in the living room.
Completely agree with what you've said. If a stallion was pissing off a boss mare, she would not try to correct his behavior with kindness. No, she'd clean his clock then move on. By far the best thing that can be done is to make sure they're trained to be gentlemen from the start, and be willing to geld if he doesn't mind his manners. Most importantly — and completely agree with you — give them a job other than reproduction. I'm fortunate enough to ride a wonderful stallion who's a complete sweetheart. He's a lesson horse for an 8 yr old (of course with adult supervision) and is used in a therapeutic riding program. He's calmer and more docile than a few geldings I know. He knows when it's time to work and time when he gets to be with his girls, and the two don't cross.
I have handled several stallions over the years; starting colts and/or grooming and exercising for a breeder. I think anyone that has worked with and around stallions would be nuts to disagree with a single thing you said.
In one of John Lyon's older books (I admit I love some of his older printed material) he stated that when a horse shows signs of aggression you have 3 seconds to make that horse think he/she is about to die. After that 3 seconds you back off and get back to work. This is one thing that has always stuck with me, and has proven to be right-on over and over again.
I do think that handling stallions really should be left to the professionals though. There is no margin for error, and the average horse rider makes plenty of errors. Including myself!
I am some where in between the "give them love & understanding" and "kill the bastard". Having said that I have a sure fire cure for aggressive stallions: it starts with about 15 seconds to kill the bastard and then geld the bastard. If a stallion has a nasty temperment then there is NO reason to breed him – and I don't care how good his pedigree is or how talented he is. That goes for mares too! I've bred working horses for about 30 years and this is a good recipe for producing good minded, good tempered horses who are more inclined to work with you than against you.
btw….thanks Larry for being real!!!
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