title: Patterns of stallion sexual behaviour in the absence of mares.
abstract: In the first experiment the response of 93 adult stallions to stimulated and natural sexual stimuli was observed just before and 2 weeks after the breeding season (December and July respectively). About 72% of the stallions reacted the same before and after the breeding season (P less than 0.01) while 9% behaved similarly and 19% differently. Also, 72% of the stallions reacted with sexual arousal (mounting) to one of 3 successive simulated sexual stimuli; 25% to a dummy, an additional 44% to a gentle stallion and another 3% to a dummy smeared with mucus and urine from a mare in oestrus. In another experiment, the sexual behaviour of 4 young stallions and 3 older stallions was observed while they were in the stable. Erection was observed an average of 7.4 times in 24 h, a full erection 3.8 times and attempts to masturbate 4.1 times. Complete masturbation with ejaculation was only sporadically noted. The total time of erection averaged 38 min/24 h. The peak of erection time occurred in the morning and the low point during the night and at 05:00-08:00 h. No significant differences were found between the young and older stallions; differences occurred only between individual stallions.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008418:Masturbation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal