Gelding a older stallion

[DBNKCritterCranny]

Just want to get some thoughts/ideas if it is a good thing to geld a stallion that is around 12 years old? He is sweet and very nice. I just do not use him for breeding.I dont think it is fair to him to have to be alone and never breed. He does pace a lot and is very thin this spring. I got him 3 years ago. Is it hard on them ? Will his personality change for the worse ? Someone told me a while back that if I geld he would get a cresty neck ? Any input and thoughs would be great. If I do this I am wanting to do it soon.

 

[disneyhorse]

Looks like you got some backwards information

It can be physically harder on a mature stallion to be gelded... you will see a lot more blood and swelling as they are more developed down there.

However, in the long run, you will find your stallion to be much sweeter and more mellow, particularly if they are before they are gelded. Also, they may lose a little bit of a cresty neck, as testosterone usually is responsible for those "stud necks."

I generally never think it's a bad idea to geld ANY stallion.

Good luck,

Andrea

 

[Miniv]

I agree with Disney.......it's never a bad idea to geld......or should I say - it is RARELY a bad idea.

We gelded a 15 year old stallion without one bit of a problem..... And from what I've read on here, there are a number of other LB members who have also gelded stallions that were between 12 to 15 and didn't haven any problems either.

Disney also made a good point.......The cresty/thick necks do tend to be caused by the male hormone, so gelding him should reduce that tendency .....unless you feed him way too much and let him get so fat that he gets cresty.

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

I agree. We have a gelding that we did last year at 7 years old. Not real old but it still scared me. He was sore a little longer than the younger ones I have done. But he is so much happier being out with the mean girls! And his neck has gone down a tad if anything. He used to nip once in a while and he hasn't tried that in a while. I certainly would have it done again.

 

[wildoak]

I just gelded an eleven yr old last month. He had much more soreness than the yearling I did the same day, but he didn't have too much swelling and very little bleeding. I try to do it by the almanac days and I think it helps. He was a very dominant stud, and it's going to take awhile for him to find his place in life I think - the screaming at mares went away almost immediately, but he's still too aggressive to put out with my geldings. He kicked down a board and got in with 4 of them, was okay for a few days but he really became aggressive with them and had to be separated again. It so depends on the individual - this one may never do well with them but at least now he can share a fence line. He really needs a job, think he will be fine with something to do in his life.

I'd say go ahead with it, if you aren't going to breed him anyway it improves the quality of their lives.

Jan

 

[horsehug]

I gelded a little 17 year old stallion two years ago and he settled down and stopped pacing and never had a problem with the surgery or recovery at all.

Susan O.

 

[Mona]

I also had my 10 year old stallion recently gelded, for all the same reasons you have stated in your post. He was gelded March 17, and is now enjoying his days in the same pasture as my 2 remaining mares. He is a much happier camper, for sure!

 

[RhineStone]

We cut our stud a couple of years ago. Breeding and foaling isn't as much fun as driving. He is much happier, although he still enjoys his "alone time".

Cut the stud. There are WAY too many Mini studs out there.

 

[Davie]

I've gelded several older boy and they have done extremely well. As long as the stallion is healthy and the vet gives the OK then in my opinion "SNIP, SNIP" and he'll be a happier camper.

 

[minih]

We are gelding a 12 year old on Saturday. I do not plan on using him for breeding anymore and I think he would be a lot happier out in a field with some mares and foals. He loves foals and plays with them a lot when the mares are in with him. He is my special guy and would not do anything I thought would harm him.

 

[Tab]

Perhaps you mean "cresty" from fat. Is that what you mean? Some geldings get thick necks because their interest goes from mares and breeding to food and then the crest grows and then tends to fall. What a life to live, though! No worries except for meal and play

Maybe it's a kind life for a retired stallion! From my experience it is more difficult to keep weight on a mature stallion than to keep it off. Complete opposite for mini geldings

 

[MountainMeadows]

We gelded one of our stallions at age 24 - no problems, he came thru it just fine and now at age 29 he is fat and happy, still kind of bossy at times, but rarely gets into any trouble.

Stacy

 

[georgiegirl]

My gelding was cut last spring, a year ago, at the age of 7. He still carries the very studdy look and he still acts like a stallion. The gelding was done by a vet, so it was not some home job. He was a herd sire for several years and ran his own mares. I dont know whether that accounts for the way he acts.

I tried putting him out with another gelding for companionship (no mares involved) which turned into a BIG wreck.

I am not unhappy with him at all, but just have to kind of watch him at shows and keep him separate at home. No problem to me either way.

 

[osu_barrelracer]

We gelded one of ours last year. He was a ten year old stallion. He is a two time National Champion, National Reserve Champion, and has multipul top tens. We were not planning on breeding him to any more mares (took our breeding program in a different direction), but didn't want to sell him either. He is so much happier now, turned out with the younger mares and geldings. We gave him a several months after the surgery before we put him with other horses. We actually kept him with a Donkey gelding that wouldn't let him boss him around. That really helped the attitude transition. They were the best of buddies. haha.

As far as the actual surgery, he had HUGE testicles. After gelding him, he can walk so much better. I know that sounds funny, but I'm sure he appreciates it! Usually they do not stitch them up after gelding, it helps with drainage, but because of his age, and size of his, our vet opted to. After a couple weeks we took the suture out, and he healed great.

Here is our guy

 

[Connie P]

If you are not using him as a stallion he will definitely be much happier as a gelding! Best of luck to you!

 

[JWC sr.]

Geldings are awesome horses and you will really enjoy him a lot more as one.

I agree with everyone else that as long as you watch for all teh typical things with any gelding process he will be fine. One other note though it takes about 90-180 days after gelding before he will be sterile and cannot breed a mare. So be aware of that. We had a friend that had a gelding of 55 days breed a mare much to her chagrin.

We just got finished gelding a 3 year old stallion we are donating to the Oklahoma/South West Texas clubs youth fund for auction at their show the end of this week and he is doing great with all the new changes in his life.

 

[Mona]

One other note though it takes about 90-180 days after gelding before he will be sterile and cannot breed a mare. So be aware of that. We had a friend that had a gelding of 55 days breed a mare much to her chagrin.

I specifically asked the vet that did the castration about this, and he assured me I was safe to put him in with the mares in a couple of weeks. Not that he wouldn't try (even sucessfully) to breed them, but that he would be sterile. Also, This horse mastrubates daily, so I was not concerned about that either.

 

[JWC sr.]

That is interesting, we have never had it happen. But this lady swears it is so. I would be interested in hearing from some vets. on the matter or maybe Nathan can answer it for us.

 

[chandab]

That is interesting, we have never had it happen. But this lady swears it is so. I would be interested in hearing from some vets. on the matter or maybe Nathan can answer it for us.

Seems to me, Nathan has responded to similar questions in the past, and said that once the testis are gone so is the sperm, so they are sterile within hours (or maybe it was a couple days); but, their attitude and habits take longer to change (as far as trying to mount mares and such). [sperm is manufactured in the testis, once they are removed, sperm production is done, but there is some reserve in I think its the epididymis, so there is a little left for very short term.]

I wonder if these cases of gelded stallions impregnating mares weeks or months after a "gelding", aren't cryptorchid stallions and only one has been removed? Just a thought. Or, another stallion got in with the mare, and was out before he was noticed? So, the new gelding was blamed.

 

[disneyhorse]

Since gelding removes the "parts" there really shouldn't be any sperm left. It wouldn't be like a vasectomy where things can grow back together somehow... I have never heard of a gelding continue to be sterile... but I have heard of them still physically breeding mares for years afterwards...

Andrea