Stallion Raising: Getting Started

By Kimmy Risser, Hickory Manor

For those of you looking into raising or acquiring your first stallion, or for others who are just curious about how it all works, Kimmy has been there/done that, and is willing to share a few of her hard lessons learned. Enjoy taking this moment to step into Kimmy’s shoes, and feel free to respond or inquire below!

If someone had told me ten years ago when I first started breeding that I would be standing three exceptional warmblood stallions, I’d be having a good laugh. Alas, here we are and here I am “living the dream.”

For many breeders, producing an approved stallion is one of the pinnacle goals we all hope to achieve. But the one thing I have learned in that quest, above all else, is that actually CREATING (breeding for) an approved stallion is far easier than PRODUCING (raising, training, campaigning) a stallion. For me, and mostly for my guy, Bandelero JSF (Banderas x Columbus x Condino, bred by Jump Start Farm), aka Rowan, the trials and tribulations to get me to the place that I am now was emotional and costly. When Rowan was turning 2 years old, I had the realization that the performance world I had grown up in had not prepared me at all for owning a growing colt. I knew what I wanted the end product to be, and the knowledge gained from the performance world has been invaluable as far as knowing what was needed and expected. But to get there? I was clueless, and on top of that I was still an amateur.

So I started “adding tools to my toolbox” (if you know me, I use this phrase a lot). I began working with a natural horsemanship guy….no, I don’t mean Parelli! I mean, natural communication and how the horse learns and understands. The things I learned in two years with him have completely built the foundation of my program and how I work with my horses. I may not know how to do everything, but I know how to communicate with my horses in a way that they understand and respect. Your skills need to go beyond knowing what to do, and instead you need to learn how to handle a situation when you don’t know what to do.

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With that knowledge, I raised my own stallion. And I continued to learn by trial and tribulation (lots of tribulation). And I began to truly love the mind of a stallion, and the emotional connection they require from you, especially the checks and balances, and the way they can make you a better horseman. So when I moved to Kentucky four years ago, one of the services I started offering was colt raising. This is a hard sought service in the US, a majority of young horse farms do not have the facilities or knowledge to raise warmblood colts. It is a process I enjoy immensely and even having foals from the stallions I’ve raised is an experience like none other.

But even with colt raising, it never crossed my mind that I would ever stand outside stallions. I know the boys that I raised; we developed a respect and understanding from babies and it carries over to their adult years. But then I started advising and assisting owners of performance stallions to help find a balance between breeding and performing. Once again, my experience in the performance world was helping me well in knowing the needs of both breeders and riders. And then one day, I was approached to stand Jac’Potes (Caretino x Corrado I x Lord), a 19-year-old retiring 1.60m international jumper. I won’t lie, I said “no” for weeks…not because I didn’t want the opportunity, but because I was thinking to myself “Can you really manage an accomplished stallion?” But over time, I accepted that I was able to provide a trustworthy, hands-on program for a wonderful owner that wanted nothing more than for her stallion to be happy and looked after. I’m so happy I made that decision. A year later, another owner (and friend!) came to me asking for the exact same thing…small program, hands-on, trustworthy. This time, I didn’t hesitate. And now we have Obi Wan B (Nabab de Reve x Jus de Pomme), one of the best young jumpers in the country.

All of this personal history is to point out the journey I took to get here; it takes many years of learning to truly be in a place to accept the responsibility of standing stallions. I don’t have a full staff, but I do have an absolutely amazing manager who is the only person I know, besides myself, that can handle any situation. Your team behind you (whether that is one person or fifteen) is the most important thing. Stallions are sensitive, and so very smart. You cannot make the same mistake twice with them. Your facilities must be top notch and safe. You also need to know your limitations. I would hesitate to take on a stallion that does not respect fencing, or is difficult to handle. 

Marketing is also a huge part of managing stallions. The stallion market in North America is quite big and continually growing. It is very easy for a stallion to get lost among all the options. Growing up in a business-oriented family, I understood the importance early on of building a brand and that has served me well. I definitely cater my marketing to be very personality-oriented; people can see performance videos all day long, but I want them to know these boys. A stallion that has been allowed to reach the point of procreating should be contributing many things to future generations, so I always encourage people to really show off their personalities and their temperament. Especially for the US market, where the majority of riders are amateurs, the temperament is so important! 

Respect is one of the most important aspects to raising and handling stallions. In the wild, the leader in the herd is actually a mare and not a stallion! So I make sure that my boys know I am the “herd leader.” This concept is important for any horse you’re raising or handling, but especially with the stallions because their natural behavior and herd dynamic are going to be stronger than a gelding’s. It doesn’t require any harshness, I promise! But fairness, consistency, and quick, fair correction is what they will understand and respond to. If you haven’t before, just spend a few hours watching your horses in the field together and see how the leader responds. Herd watching is one of my favorite things, and I learn something new every time. And each of my boys requires a different tactic, a different approach. Some are more sensitive than others, some maybe haven’t had the most fair handling, so it takes a lot of time to gain their trust. But it is the most rewarding experience to have the trust and respect from a stallion.

Now, all of this important information will help keep you safe and successful. But, a sense of humor is paramount! As breeders, we tend to be a bit raunchy in our sense of humor anyway. But having stallions? Goodness, it is on a whole new level. When the young colts start acting like stallions, I call it having the “tinglies.” Pretty sure it makes everyone around me uncomfortable but I get a good laugh from it. Honestly, handling young stallions is like controlling a 14-year-old boy in a strip club (I mean, I haven’t ever had to do that, but I suspect I’m pretty close to the truth on that comparison). At the end of the day, they’re going to go through a stage (it sometimes feels like a LONG stage) of growth and learning how to control their feelings, and as their person you have to make sure you provide a safe and educational environment for them. You have to be their advocate. 

Managing and raising stallions has lifted my level of horsemanship; it requires you to be better than you were before. It has improved my patience level, helped me better communicate with all of my horses, and makes me a better breeder. I encourage everyone to take advantage of “putting tools in their toolbox” to improve their skill level, no matter what gender you’re raising. But if you’re looking to bring along a young stallion, my biggest piece of advice is to be ready before you need to be ready. Use the expertise around you; there is an amazing group of stallion owners willing to answer any questions and help you out. And above all else, embrace the emotional connection you’ll make.