Managing Breeding Stallions

Dr. Nancy Diehl offers advice on keeping stallions happy and safe during routine handling and breeding.
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Managing Breeding Stallions
Stallions present challenges and risks that we don't generally see with mares and geldings, but they should still be trained and handled with an expectation for good behavior, just like any other horse. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

Q: What tips do you have for managing stallions so that they don’t develop behavior issues?

A: Stallion behavior and management is so interesting! There’s lots of great literature out there if you really want to get into it. But here are a few principles I think are really important.

The best general management practices for stallions can vary greatly. Feed, exercise, and turnout should all be provided appropriate to the individual. Avoid obesity, especially for an older stallion who might also have musculoskeletal pain, which can turn him into a slow breeder

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Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Nancy Diehl completed a master’s degree in animal science while studying stallion sexual behavior. Later, she completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center and worked in equine practices in Missouri and Pennsylvania. Diehl also spent six years on faculty at Penn State, where she taught equine science and behavior courses and advised graduate students completing equine behavior research. Additionally, Diehl has co-authored scientific papers on stallion behavior, early intensive handling of foals, and feral horse contraception. Currently she is a practicing veterinarian in central Pennsylvania.

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