She has looses her concentration and forgets her manners completely. Ironically, the stallion is much much better behaved than she is, at least when under a saddle and behind a big fence.
Once or twice, we have had some fun and games with him too. He is a man on a mission. We have had our sturdy fences tested and forget it with a halter without a chain.
Considering my alternatives. Castrating the stud horse would be a great shame. His hormones are no problem for riding or handling correctly: He is so well behaved under saddle and gentle to care for, even my 5 yr old can groom him and stroke him in his stable or field safely.
Also, horses are a bit like old men. You can geld them but if they have had good sex in their younger more virile days.......well they still think they want it even if the hormones are running low. In other words, it does not change behaviors all that much. At least not predictably and not for all of them. It is in the mind.
Short of breeding the mare.....my best options are some sort of birth control to stop the cycling and keep her docile so she can be ridden safely by my 5yr old and used. Right now she is not fit for purpose half the time.
Friends have recommended a marble inserted into the uterus - trouble is it only works some of the time and not for that long. Others use hormones, trouble with that is that it is not really safe to handle progesterone powder as it is so easily absorbed through human skin. Now wondering if an injectable pellet might be the answer. It is really a cow medicine but apparently used off-label for horses?