I got that with both AQHA colts I had gelded here at home, both as yearlings. Either could have been stallion material, or at the very least better than most AQHA stallions in a tri-county area, but I had no desire to deal with hormones and both were slated for gelding as soon as I got them (one purchased as a weanling, one born here).My Gypsy vanner colt will have his turn in a few months, in the meantime I just get tired of hearing "why don't you wait and breed him to your mare once" .
I have no idea. As a weanling, I imagine his will grow, but... The stallion I gelded last year at 7 years old, had tiny ones and was thus infertile, vet had no problems finding htem both and gelding him. [His were like almond size (in the shell), maybe a tad bigger. He always held them up high]Well, I might not be gelding Clyde next week after all. My vet is concerned that his testicles aren't "big enough". I guess I thought as long as they were descended they were good to "go". Anyone ever hear of this argument?? He thinks maybe they will grow in another 2 months and he can do it then. Clyde does not have behavior issues (yet) but he is HUGE so I really don't want to take any chances. He is already at least 2 inches taller than his dad and weighs about the same.
Not with horses, I haven't read as much into them as dogs, because until I got Spanky (and found out how awesome minis were) I didn't think I would have horses for quite a while. But with dogs spaying/neutering young makes the animal more prone to hip dysplasia. Also in females it increases the odds of incontinence. In my opinion, spay/neutering is done only for the owners convenience (which is fine, I just don't like it done so young). It is not hard to keep 2 closed doors between an intact male and a female in heat. The risks from going under anesthesia alone are not worth the "benefit" if you are willing to do what it takes to prevent unwanted litters. None of my future dogs will be fixed. With other animals, however, it is a bit of a different story. Female cats and ferrets (the only two I can think of at the moment) will both stay in heat till they are bred, which can cause the animal to become dehydrated/anemic and die. It also causes them to be more susceptible to diseases like pyometra. I like to wait till cats are about a year. Ferrets are the only species that I feel comfortable spaying/neutering at a VERY young age, because once they start going downhill it happens very fast because of their size.Michelle, I'm not arguing with that, but curious as to whether there is any science behind it. I've always waited too but have decided this year to geld early. Is it personal preference on your part, or have you read/seen anything that convinced you?
Jan
I hear you, trust me. I think the general population should have fixed animals. However, I think at the very least wait until right before they reach sexual maturity. All these stories about dogs and cats fixed at 8 weeks and stallions gelded at weaning makes me cringe.I will whole heartedly encourage each and every new horse or new mini colt owner to geld, geld, geld. In the end, I think it is in the animals best interest and well worth the risks.
I'd like to see some proof of this, because I highly disagree.The risks of altering an animal, no matter the age, far outweigh any benefits of leaving them intact.
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