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[GoGaited]

Hi, I'm a new member in a quandary.  I love TWH's, have had two in the past.  But they are hard to find and very expensive where I live now.  I have always preferred mares, the only experience I had with a colt was when I bought a grade Appy mare that turned out to be pregnant.  The colt was a crypt.  He was mean, sneaky and totally untrustworthy.  Even after we spent a lot of money getting him properly gelded.     Now I've found a TWH colt for sale near me, at a pretty reasonable cost, and I'm nervous about his gender!  Can someone reassure me that it will be ok?  LOL.  I so want another TWH, rather than a QH that are a dime a dozen here.  Not to mention the numerous genetic diseases QH's have and not many doing testing here yet. 

[stablemind]

Fillies can be equally mean, sneaky and untrustworthy if they're not trained appropriately. Also, not every horse was bred for or inherited the best of temperaments, and that goes for mares as well. I'd even venture there are more reports of "pissy" mares than snarky geldings, but whatever the sex of the horse, there are multiple reasons for them being less than nice.

Are you looking for a foal or is it the sex of an adult horse that concerns you?

[GoGaited]

I want a foal.  I like to raise my own and have never had any trouble, except for the crazy crypt colt.  I have never had a pissy mare.  Yes, it was probably the colts unknown breeding that was more the problem, than his gender.  But sheath cleaning, yuck.   

[PAWalker]

I have been paying for my own horses 55 of my 67 years.

I've owned two mares in all that time --- loved them both to pieces, they were perfect but that was years ago.

Blessed are the geldings for they are always even tempered, unless they are sick---------- or cryptorchids.

[stablemind]

In that case, I wouldn't hesitate to get a colt or filly, either one. If you have a preference for adult mares or geldings, make your choice that way. I have raised 6 colts and only one was more difficult than any of the 5 fillies we raised. (We had all our youngsters for at least a year, and raised most to adulthood.) The "tricky one" is the one we kept a stallion for 8 years. He's a very sensitive horse and very, very smart and that does make for an "interesting" stallion.

If I was you, I'd be looking for a nice foal with excellent conformation and a quiet, trusting temperament. The conformation will give you good gait and the temperament makes them fun to be around. And no cryptorchid for sure!

[gallatingal]

Haha.. Eldorado was an absolute terrorist when he was a baby.. bite bite bite.. He had his "brain surgery" at 4 months, it was either that or get out the gun and kill myself. He is and has always been very playful with a huge sense of humor, but has grown into the most wonderful, kind and willing to please geldings I have ever known.  He is a TWH by the way. At the same time we raised a palomino TWH filly who was calm, but pushy. I sold her as a weanling and she grew up to be a very pissy mare.. I am glad I have the gelding instead. But it really depends on the individual. I have raised some very nice sweet fillies in the past.

[meely3]

So wait.....how do you know if he was horrible because he was a colt, or if it was because he was an appy? Or if it was because he was crypt? I've had a couple of appaloosas. They tend to think a little too much. Sometimes that's good, sometimes it isn't.

[GoGaited]

So wait.....how do you know if he was horrible because he was a colt, or if it was because he was an appy? Or if it was because he was crypt? I've had a couple of appaloosas. They tend to think a little too much. Sometimes that's good, sometimes it isn't.

Well, I have had a couple of Appy mares, including this colts dam and they were fine.  Maybe his sire was an insane jerk and passed it along.  Maybe it was because being a crypt caused him pain and drove him nuts.  I don't know.  I just know my one and only experience with a colt was a nightmare, hence my being leery.  I'm pretty sure this TWH colt will be fine, his sire and dam have great temperaments and he seems calm right now.  He's only two months old. 

[Ozhorse]

I was going to say that his temperament is likely to be what both his parents are but i see that you think that they are both good and he is calm already.  If he is calm now he is likely to be that way when older and a gelding.

Have you actually met both parents? Can the breeders show them both to you? If you can meet them and they are both quiet and calm and nice horses chances are your colt will be nice.

It should be another 3 months before you can take him home if he is only two months old now.  It is not a bad time to see what their conformation will be like also.

Also - where are the pictures???

[Walkin45]

Wouldn't have a colt or gelding, UNLESS it was a show horse and always at trainers.  Give me a mare any day!!  Good luck with your decision.

[gallatingal]

I think it is because he was a crypt.

[2gaits]

Well I don't have a ton of experience but I have loved the two mares I've had over the geldings. Maybe I have just been lucky but the mares have been just awesome. Brave, less spooky and seem to bond with me well. I don't know that I wouldn't buy a colt though if I liked his parents and everything about him. What area are you located in? I feel your pain as I too live in quarter horse country.

[GoGaited]

I live in Nebraska.  I didn't know we could post pictures of horses that aren't ours. 

[KysaSD]

You can post any photo except copywrited ones.

[Kellie in OR]

I've had a nice mare, and met quite a few other nice mares. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a mare I knew. I would hesitate to buy a filly over a colt. If a colt has a nice temperament, it is only going to get better with gelding and good training. A filly can have a good temperament, have good training and still end up a tail wringing, urine spewing, psychotic, hormonal witch later in life. JME~You don't land on the receiving end of being simultaneously kicked and pee'd on without holding a grudge for the hormones & gender that caused it.