gelding older stallions

[RobinRTrueJoy]

There are just so many minis for sale, and homeless that I havent bred any of my lovely mares for two years. ( and I have always had a policy that if I couldnt afford to keep, feed and vet the babies that I wouldnt breed).

I have my dream stallion, a 32 inch blue eyed, black homozygous pinto stallion. He is 8 years old. He is correct in all ways. Phantom has always had a lovely disposition, good manners, gentle with the mares, babies and produces really fine foals. He drives and seems to enjoy it. He learns quickly, loves attention and likes to work. He is however very stallion like when a mare is near him in heat. I will never sell him, but it seems a shame to keep him a stallion with the mares nearby.

I have been thinking of gelding him. Am I crazy?

Will gelding him at this age 8 make him a peaceful gelding even if there are mares in heat? He isnt any trouble being a stallion, but I thought that it would be easier taking him to shows etc as a gelding.I would like to take him out on public drives and outings.

Your opinions please???

Thanks,

Robin

 

[MajorClementine]

I gelded my stallion at 12 years old. He now lives with my mare full time. There was never any problem. However, if I throw another gelding in the mix he chases him endlessly.

We also gelded out thoroughbred stallion at 15 years old. He can be put it with geldings IF there are no mares in with them or across the fence. Otherwise he bites the geldings to chase them away from the mares. He can also be put in with a group of mares with no problem.

IMO if he is out with a group of mares it should be fine. In my experience, your troubles come when you throw another gelding in the mix. Good luck!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Very hard choice.

My sister has an 18 year old stallion that is such a gentleman. He has never bred, but it was not an issue to leave him intact since he is so nicely mannered. She did take him to be gelded when he was about 12, but the sedation didn't work, and then she took this as a "sign" to leave him alone.

It was always the plan that I would take him if something happened to her. And I will. BUT I have a retired brood mare now and it would be a royal pain to have her stallion. I'm wishing she had gelded him as now he is so much older it will be harder. If you are going to do it, don't wait much longer. If you ever have to disperse your herd, you might feel more comfortable passing on a gelding instead of a stallion.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I don't consider an 8 yr old stallion 'older' so much but as far as gelding a mature stallion who has been used for breeding, I have a gelding here who was gelded at 5 after being used for a couple of years (not by me) for breeding. He lives with 3 other geldings, one is the same age and was also gelded at 5 and is/was quite dominant as well as 2 mares. The x-breeding stallion has paired off with one mare and sticks pretty darn close to her most of the time (follows her around and eats next to her) and the other has paired off with the other mare but they will also stand and eat next to each other, groom and play together. My group is very peaceful for the most part and I would never hesitate to geld an 8 year old and introduce him to the rest of the herd. I would give him a couple of months to let the hormones fade and you may find he isn't really gelding like until after his first winter but it can be done. That said, each horse is an individual and he may never loose all his stallion tendencies or completely ignore a mare in heat. He will however not be breeding said mare and be easier to house. IMO, go for it, it won't make things worse and will certainly improve his/your life even if it isn't perfect.

 

[little shiloh farm]

I made that difficult choice this year. At about 8 years old and having been used for breeding it was something I thought long and hard about. Thankfully my boy has settled into life as a gelding only acting out when he is in a group turnout that includes pinto horses (apparently he only wants to go out with solid color horses) or when out with my jenny and the only other filly we have, which results in some chasing but nothing to terrible. Am I glad I gelded, on one hand yes, absolutely because I am able to keep him and turn out is so much easier, however, he out produced himself and sired many national champions so not being able to have that opportunity again is rough, but in the end we are both happier with his "brains" removed!!

 

[Miniv]

An 8 year old is NOT old. We gelded a stallion in his teens after many years of being a stud

with NO PROBLEMS. He lived his last years happily being able to pasture with other horses.