clear to them when they are on training time and when they are on breeding time. You want to give the horse as many clear clues as possible as to what the upcoming job will be. Here we have a primary stallion handler. If I pull them out, they know they’re not going to breed. If someone is sick, our head trainer may occasionally take them to the breeding shed, but when they’re at a show they don’t associate him with breeding. Stallions learn quickly. Fortunately, we don’t have to trailer
out to collect but I know people that do sometimes use dif- ferent trailers, different halters or different handlers depending on the des- tination. I don’t want them think- ing they are go- ing to breed when they’re going to a show.
Drew: I learned from Jean Brinkman when I worked at Valhalla Farm (2003- 2009) that breeding and showing for a stallion is a normal way of life. She would say that the best thing you can do for them is breed and then saddle them up and put them to work. Make breeding part of their day. That’s why we set up a breeding lab at our place, so we don’t have to haul to the vet clinic. They never get on the trailer wondering what they’re doing. It’s all about how you manage the
horse. I’ve heard about people us- ing a special halter for breeding only. I wear a helmet when I collect, so when I walk in with a halter and chain with my helmet on, the stallions kind of know. But when I’m planning to ride, they also know. With a specific stallion handler, the stallion might make stronger associations with that person. I work with the stallions a lot on
Top: Drew Palmer of
Royal Palm Farm, here at the jog at Bromont with Tatendrang. Bottom: Drew competing event
Trakehner stallion Taten- drang at Chattanooga Hills last July.
the ground so we have a way of com- municating. They have respect for me because of the interac- tions. I won’t let just anyone on them, and I won’t hand them off to just anyone for breeding.
WT: What are some other issues with collecting? Natalie: Body soreness from jumping the phantom. When they’re in a heavy collection schedule, you don’t want to ramp up their training work. You might bring in some mas- sage or chiropractic work to give them comfort.
Drew: They know when we go to a certain area of the farm that they will breed. When they’re on their way to that area, they start talking. I try not to suppress their excitement when they are going to breed. We have them a safe environment so that if they get excited and break away, they won’t get hurt. You can’t be too strong or you suppress the libido and they won’t get the job done. I probably discipline them more when I’m riding than when I’m handling them for breeding. You want to keep things flowing. Don’t spend a lot of time teasing them. Get the job done.
WT: Do you have a protocol you recommend for breeding a com- petition stallion? Barb: I think our protocol is the same whether they are strictly a breeding stallion or both (breeding and competing)—man- ners. Stallions need to be well-behaved. That isn’t to say that they have never acted up at a competition! They are stallions and when they are young, I think hormones sometimes get the best of them.
WT: How do you deal with the focus problems out- side the breeding shed? Natalie: Stallions have a strong sense of what’s fair. Consistency is im- portant in training them. When they are in the ring or the wash stalls, their focus should be on the work. You can do that through their routine.
DREW: It comes down to managing the horse. I had one that was over
stimulated in the presence of any horse. He had trouble fo- cusing and doing the performance job. We had to slowly move him into society. We put a stallion next to him in the barn and at shows who didn’t care that he got excited. I rode him with a horse that didn’t care. So you provide stimulation without fueling the problem.
WT: Do you have your facilities set up to accommodate separa- tion of mares and stallions? Natalie: Our broodmares and babies are really separated from the stallions. They have their own barn and turnout so that the stallions don’t see them on a regular basis. We do have mares in the training barn, but not in the same section as the stallions. We have separate turnouts and don’t put a mare in the turnout next to a stallion. But they stand in the crossties across from each other and work in the arena together, shar- ing the work environment. Also, we don’t trailer stallions with mares. Even if a stallion can do it, is it fair to ask him to?
Warmbloods Today 39
Liz Crawley Photography
Patricia Mallet
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