Modifying Unruly Breeding Behavior in Stallions

Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, Regina M. Turner, VMD Nancy Kate Diehl, MS, VMD

• Most stallions can be trained and handled to behave in an orderly, safe manner for in-hand breeding.
• Unruly stallions are those that are overly aggressive in the breeding shed or that exhibit specific behaviors that make in-hand breeding inefficient or unsafe.
• Simple behavior modification can be effective in retraining unruly stallions; pharmacologic aids are rarely required.
• Truly savage stallions should be distinguished from simply unruly stallions: attempting to retrain savage stallions is not recommended.
• Successful behavior modification involves eliminating undesirable habits without suppressing normal sexual behavior.

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