Gelding vs. Stallion???

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clpclop

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I'm having my 2 yr old stallion gelded next week and would appreciate some feedback on what your experiences have been. My guy is a love-bug when he wants to be, and nasty (biting) when he wants to be. He can be very aggressive with me at times and I definately don't take him on walks alone since he's attacked me once by rearing up and biting me. I've tried everything under the sun to correct the biting issue and I'm just wondering if this behavior will mellow after he's gelded?
 
His behavior will definately change. May take months, but he'll realize that testosterone isn't there anymore. If you're not using him for breeding, no reason to have him a stallion. They are so unpredictable and aggressive. And especially if he's attacking you. I would suggest gelding him.
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Geldings are amazing! They are calm and you can trust them with anyone. Good luck with him. Its a great decision on your part to geld him.
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When I had my Buddy gelded, it was the best thing that could have ever been done to him. He turned right around from being a semi miserable attacking biting machine to a nice quiet, loving little horse. I recommend gelding in a big way
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Well I am just THRILLED at your responses! This gives me so much hope because now I know he can be a really extraordinary little guy when he's gelded! Can't wait until next Friday!!!!
 
I had a stallion that would literally lunge out of the stall and try to bite anyone or anything that went by. He also had problems with driving because he would never focus on the lessons and would always be distracted. Now he is a perfect gentleman and doesn't bit at all and has been doing a lot better with driving.

It took him about 2 months to totally become a different horse but turned out for the best.
 
I'm having my 2 yr old stallion gelded next week and would appreciate some feedback on what your experiences have been. My guy is a love-bug when he wants to be, and nasty (biting) when he wants to be. He can be very aggressive with me at times and I definately don't take him on walks alone since he's attacked me once by rearing up and biting me. I've tried everything under the sun to correct the biting issue and I'm just wondering if this behavior will mellow after he's gelded?

Yeah, he'll be a lot calmer. I hope when he attacked you you gave him a good "reprimanding" though. Stallions need to be disciplined, sometimes "harshly". I worked with 6 Hanoverian and Dutch stallions on a breeding farm; they were all very well behaved. BUT...always testing you! If one person let them get away with ANYTHING, you could definitely tell the next day. They are always looking for weakness. Small or large, stallions should only be handled by people who know how to handle them properly...for their sake and the the owner's/handler's. Hope you have a sweet boy after the gelding
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I also have a question regarding this same topic. I have an almost 3 year old colt who is still very sweet and not hard at all to handle. I have been working with him since he was 6 months old so he knows me and I know him well. He only acts like a stallion when we go to a show or he meets a new horse. Even then it is just squealing and some pawing. So far it hasn't been anything too difficult to handle. My question is, has anyone had a stallion suddenly become more agressive after three or would he already be exibiting these traits by now? One thing that may be prohibiting these tendensies is that he only has one decended testicle and the other one is no where to be found. I will eventually get him gelded, but I am in no hurry. The vet says there is no danger leaving him a stallion and he is nowhere near any mares so he won't be breeding. I know that keeps me from showing him so I do plan to geld him as soon as I can get the money together, but as he is right now he is the sweetest baby.

Laura
 
I also have a question regarding this same topic. I have an almost 3 year old colt who is still very sweet and not hard at all to handle. I have been working with him since he was 6 months old so he knows me and I know him well. He only acts like a stallion when we go to a show or he meets a new horse. Even then it is just squealing and some pawing. So far it hasn't been anything too difficult to handle. My question is, has anyone had a stallion suddenly become more agressive after three or would he already be exibiting these traits by now? One thing that may be prohibiting these tendensies is that he only has one decended testicle and the other one is no where to be found. I will eventually get him gelded, but I am in no hurry. The vet says there is no danger leaving him a stallion and he is nowhere near any mares so he won't be breeding. I know that keeps me from showing him so I do plan to geld him as soon as I can get the money together, but as he is right now he is the sweetest baby.

Laura
Laura,

We have a Sr. Stallion who was just the sweetest baby doll as a Jr. Stallion but it seemed as soon as that 3 year old year hit he was completely different. It really just a maturing stage and I think that all Stallions are different. He is used for breeding so he stayed a Stallion but if I were you I'd just wait it out and see. Expect some change but he may be a naturally nice Stallion, every horse is different, and if that is the case than there is really no need to geld him! If he gets out of control or aggressive than go ahead and geld him. Each Stallion is different. I have worked with Sr. Stallions who have been sweet as can be and I have worked with some that would turn on you in an instant. It sounds like your little boy will be a darling one but you never know so go ahead and start saving for the procedure. HA, if it turns out that he doesnt need it than you have some shopping money
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Good luck!

Macy
 
As you have already gathered, each stallion has his own personality. Some are sweet and some are not! most will "try you" between 3 and 5 years.

Our favorite show gelding was bought as a stallion and as a 2 yo would rear, bite, and breed anything that was still! Now, as a 5yo gelding he is HOF driving, any kid can handle him (including the neighbors 2yo boy!)

We have gelded National Top 5 stallions and made awesome geldings :)

We even bought the amha reserve grand champion jr stallion 2 yrs ago just so we could have a great gelding!
 
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I have to agree that at 3 years of age a young stallion is 'feeling his oats'. I tend to think of it as the terrible two's in horses. My ex stallion made me cry, cringe, and doubt why I owned him until he was gelded.

I've also owned stallions who have acted like perfect gentlemen until natures instinct took over. I still agree that the best thing I ever did for Buddy was get rid of his boy berries though
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. He's such a ham now--a true friend also.

:Kim
 
Right now I am dealing with a badly pulled shoulder because of a client that has a 2 year old warmblood stallion that needs some discipline. If you are not going to breed it or its not stallion material it should be gelded. Stallions like any other horse need ground rules that need to be enforced. It takes someone who knows just the right mix. There are some very good stallions out there but there are some that are bad due to the fact they need someone who knows just how to handle them. I had a full size two year old that was fine on the property but once you took him off the property he became an idiot. He was immediately gelded because it just wasn't worth the chance someone could get hurt. He had great bloodlines but I couldn't take the chance that someone else handling him might get hurt and I wasn't goiing to breed him anyway. I have gelded quite a few horses here and the only two I haven't are father and son and they BOTH behave quite well and know their place because the other option is "brain surgery". Linda
 
My colt was very well behaved but still had his rowdy moments. Pretty much only when the vet showed up, or when he thought we had spent too much time trimming his feet. He was also lippy even though he never actually bit. He would also TRY to get really light and bouncy in the front end. It was like he was always trying to control his evil urges, lol.

After he'd been gelded, almost immediately actually, he was just as sweet and well behaved as ever but without that "edge". I'm tickled pink with the changes. He wasn't hard to handle before but now he is just SOOO easy. And training him is a lot easier too... because he is a lot more focused on ME instead of.... everything else. I was afraid i would miss that "spark" once I had him gelded but he still has personality to spare only now it is manageable.
 
Gelding will not correct behavioral problems, so if you allow (by that I mean not correcting immediately) bad behavior whether kicking, biting or whatever - don't expect gelding to change things.

That said, if you have no intention on breeding taking the testosterone out of equation makes for a generally much easier to handle horse. Stallions if properly trained to respect you should never be an issue at home or at a show, but again if you don't need a stallion, geld him!

Personally, I think mares are worse in the hormonal department than either geldings or stallions!!!!
 
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Ditto on the mares! I won't own a riding horse that is a mare! Eek! Hormones!!!
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I gelded my 4 year old stallion in December. He was biting, kicking and just generally being a pain!! He immediently turned mellow and super loving!! Biting and kicking stopped and after 2 weeks you could never tell he had been a stud. Now all his attention is on me and I love it and him!!!
 
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I gelded my stallion, he was the sweetest well behaved stallion at age 5, and hes the sweetest well behaved gelding I have. He was also the 2005 National champion amt jr stallion and went reserve in open. So definately stallion quality but wow, what a gelding!!!! Have enjoy thats what I plan on doing with mine.
 
Not sure if this is right or wrong, it just IS. If one of my horses (gelding, mare or stallion) attacked me, it would just about think I had killed it by the time I was done.

Gelding will reduce agression, but it will not "train" him out of bad behavior. Just from saying he has actually attacked you, I'm thinking he needs to be handled extremely firmly at least until he gets the point that people are the boss, and that you are the head boss of all.
 
Again, I thank you all for your thoughts and opinions. Regarding the biting issue, this little guy was biting from birth and being reprimanded at all times, hence my frustrations. I started out pinching his lip, and as he got older, I have to admit there are times when I've wanted to beat the heck out of him because it really hurts! I totally agree that biting is not acceptable and on occasion, I have smacked his nose pretty hard, then he runs away and then comes back to me with his head hanging low seeming to say "mom, I just can't help myself!". He follows me everywhere and sometimes nips at my ankles which tells me he's treating me as another equine and wants to play. He does treat me differently than he does anyone else and I suppose he is like a teenager...always testing the parents.
 

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