What's the Difference Between Geldings and Mares?

Mares are female horses, and geldings are castrated male horses.

Are geldings better than mares?

Indeed, it has been the general rule that geldings are preferred over mares in most situations – they don't come into heat, they don't have those “stallion qualities”, and they tend to be more laid back in general.

Are mares harder to train than geldings?

In other words, you might think mares aren't fit for some disciplines—such as dressage and eventing, for example—or that they are less reliable under saddle. But according to results of a new study involving more than 1,200 riders and their horses, mares don't behave any differently under saddle than geldings.