Cutting an older Stallion

[Kathy2m]

I'm posting this for a friend. This past week-end we went to the Southern Ride and Drive, for those of you who missed it it was great fun what a beautiful place 400 ac. to drive on and GREAT clinicians (I'll post about that later).

My friend has just gotten into driving she has a 15 yr. old stallion. He was a breeding stallion, she has owned him for 3 years.

She bought him with the intention of breeding him but her circumstances have changed and cant do that now.

I took my mare and of course she had to come in season while we were there. Her stallion is well behaved but he became very agitated of course and stayed dropped most of the time, screaming a lot too.

She has no interest in showing, but would like to do recreational drives and we have discussed cutting him so she can have a more relaxing drive. She is going to talk with her vet. From what she has been told so far, is due to his age, he may take longer to recuperate and it may not change his behavior that much. She doesn't want to sell him so that's not an option. And of course if she decides on this she will have to wait until the fall the flies are out here now.

Anyone have any experience with cutting one so old.

Thanks, Kathy

 

[Bess Kelly]

I'd say he'll recuperate fine BUT...... his behavior will probably not be as dramatic.

Much has been developed over years of use and subject to "memories", which won't be as altered with the surgery

It is, of course, individual with each horse so she'll probably see some improvement, not totally gone.

I have a gelding who was in tact until he was 5, never bred him, he still wants to mount an in season mare and it's been several yrs since he was cut. However, he isn't a screamer and will work very well when on a task.

 

[Manyspots]

We had a rescue here, I think if I am remembering right he was 13 years old, used for breeding only in a pasture setting. He was just plain nasty and unhappy since he couldn't breed while here. We did have him gelded and it made a world of difference in him. It takes a good month for every year of age to get some of the "attitude" out of their system. (according to our vet and pretty much our experience) He went to a home where he was worked with daily and learned to stand, etc. for showing. Last fall the end of their first year with him he went to a huge Fun Show and was named Champion of Champions! This year he will be doing AMHR credited shows, he has turned out to be a wonderful and happy horse.

I wonder if it varies from horse to horse, I wish I could guarantee that your friends horse would turn out the same. I guess my thought it is worth a try! Tell her good luck! Lavonne

 

[Riverdance]

I have to disagree that his behavior will not change much.

I had a 14 year old show/driviing stallion who was a pain in the A--. He would rape a mare. No sweet talking, just slam, bam, thank you mam. (not sure he even said thank you)

He would call to the girls whenever he was out driviing, was really nasty to other geldings or other stallions. At shows I had to temporarly castrate him to get him to behave.

Finially, I decided I wanted him out of my barn. I could not sell him to a pet home as a stallion, not many people want to buy a 14 year old stallion, so I had him gelded. Of course the first few months there was no change, but soon I was able to put him with other geldings, and with mares too. He would still fence run and challenge another stallion, so I just kept him away from the other boys.

He calmed down so much, that I was able to sell him to a pet home as a driving horse. He now runs with 2 other geldings and gets along with them just fine. They enjoy driiving him, he no longer calls out to girls, nor acts like an idiot. Best thing I ever did, for both me and him.

 

[Annabellarose]

I have an American Paint Horse gelding that I bred and raised myself and I used him as a breeding stallion for four years before I finally had him gelded; he covered several mares a year. I had him gelded late in life and you would never know that he was a stallion and you certainly would never know that he was used as a breeding stallion. He was a well-mannered stallion because he had a proper foundation (training), but he still had a drastic change in personality (for the better), especially when around other horses. I recommend it and I have found the recovery time to be no worse for the older or aged stallion. I know a family in Tennessee that gelded a 28 year old Arabian stallion because he was having trouble mounting mares due to arthritis in his hocks and he did as good as a yearling they had gelded on the same day.

 

[Crabtree Farm]

I just had my first stallion gelded. He is a 10 yr old shetland stallion that was used exclusively for breeding. I took him to a trainer where my stallion thought he was back in a breeding barn and went to screaming, pacing, climbing the walls, charging any horse that came by his stall. He was non stop 24 hours a day. (I was told by the last owner he did this all the time).

I decided it was best and am actually glad I did. It has taken him a couple of weeks to fully recoup and I have been told he only screams out once a day not (I think it is because he must be fed first). I am first to say I am a novice and would not want to try to take him to a show and have him continue the stallion behavior.

I am still curious to see how his personality may change. I enjoyed his "spark" and worried about it going away. I have been told it is coming back and I look forward to seeing him in the next week.

I have a second stallion (9 yr old), I no longer want to breed and plan on gelding, though he has never been a problem with his behavior.

Tina Ferro

 

[Whitewave]

I resuced a stallion at age 13 that was used only for breeding, no human contact....needless to say he was scared to death of humans , could not be cought in a field..Had him gelded and have had no stallion behavior problems , still cant catch him in a field but once caught he is a charm and has been great for my daughter to show and jump..He is now 15 and is turned out daily with my two stallions with no issues at all....

He did take a little longer to heal but never caused a problem after about a month being around mares he is calm and quiet.

I say Geld him and give him some time to understand his new hormones (or lack of) and he'll be great and loads of fun to drive.

Jenn

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

HERE IS ANOTHER IDEA, USE VICKS AND RUB A LITTLE ON HIS NOSE SO HE CAN'T SMELL THE MARES WHILE GOING THRU THE CHANGE. BELIEVE ME IT WORKS.

 

[Kathy2m]

HERE IS ANOTHER IDEA, USE VICKS AND RUB A LITTLE ON HIS NOSE SO HE CAN'T SMELL THE MARES WHILE GOING THRU THE CHANGE. BELIEVE ME IT WORKS.

Oh believe me he HAD Vicks on and still was stupid.

Thanks for all your replys so far, Kathy

 

[Littleum]

It will probably help, but to what degree depends from stallion to stallion.

It depends on lot on how much of his behavior is learned and an ingrained habit, and how much of it is just a result of the horomones. It's usually a mix of the two.

If she's not going to be breeding him, there's no reason not to try.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

My Arabian was gelded at 12 after being a breeding stallion all his life and when I got him as a 15 year old you'd never seen a more gentlemanly horse in your life. He was completely non-hormonal and acted like he'd never known a mare could be more than just a buddy.

Kody got gelded at 4 and stopped screaming at the girls very quickly. He'd never been used for breeding but still takes an interest in the few girls he really likes, he just doesn't push it beyond dropping a little and sniffing them all over with a dreamy expression in his eye.

Leia

 

[AppyLover2]

If he isn't going to be used for breeding and is currently a PITA because of his behavior why not geld him. His owner has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Go for it!

 

[ruffian]

I've gelded 3 senior stallions. One was 9, one was 5, and the last one (2 days ago) is 6.

The 9 year old settled down the best so far. He never challenged other stallions and was good with the mares.

The 5 year was done last year ( about 12 months ago) and he's much better, but will still challenge other stallions, especially when hubby leaves the gate open, and the whole herd of mares and gelding runs over to the other barn where the boys live. But he isn't as manic about it, and he's fine at shows. Really improved his temperament, focus, and attitude.

Don't know on the last one, but he does seem a little calmer each day.

 

[wildoak]

I knew an older QH stallion who was gelded late in his teens, after being a western pleasure champion and then a notable sire for some years. He settled down and became just one of the boys.

I know Vick's doesn't do it when you have a major attitude like that one, but fyi there is something on the market called Acclimate that I think is over and above what Vicks can do. I've used it to integrate a mare into the herd if there's a bully picking on her, as well as on stallions.

Jan

 

[Royal Crescent]

Riverdance said

I had a 14 year old show/driviing stallion who was a pain in the A--. He would rape a mare. No sweet talking, just slam, bam, thank you mam. (not sure he even said thank you)
He would call to the girls whenever he was out driviing, was really nasty to other geldings or other stallions. At shows I had to temporarly castrate him to get him to behave.

Finially, I decided I wanted him out of my barn. I could not sell him to a pet home as a stallion, not many people want to buy a 14 year old stallion, so I had him gelded. Of course the first few months there was no change, but soon I was able to put him with other geldings, and with mares too. He would still fence run and challenge another stallion, so I just kept him away from the other boys.

He calmed down so much, that I was able to sell him to a pet home as a driving horse. He now runs with 2 other geldings and gets along with them just fine. They enjoy driiving him, he no longer calls out to girls, nor acts like an idiot. Best thing I ever did, for both me and him.

I have to agree with Sue. I know the stallion she speaks of, and he is so much more pleasant to be round now. Not every stallion will react the same way exactly, but Flash was a great example of an obnoxious stallion made into a pleasure to be around. I think it would be worth doing with her boy.

Barb