Gelding

[Dee]

I have heard that it isn't a good idea to geld a stallion at an later age. What are the health probelms that could arise? What is the latest age to possiable geld? Does it just depend on the horse or will they aways act like a stud after?

Thanks!

Dee

 

[Flyin G Farm]

I gelded a 15 year old stallion in December....it took him a few months but I definitely saw a difference in his disposition and attitude. He does still think about breeding occassionally....but he kind of stops and looks at me like he doesn't know why or what he's supposed to do any more

I hadn't been able to turn him out with any other horses other than mares to be bred prior to gelding him....he's now out with 2 geldings and a yearling colt... and is a very happy boy

We also did have to stitch him up afterwards...but we had no issues whatsoever. My vet did put him on antibiotics just in case...and we made sure he got lots of exercise.

Tracy

 

[Miniv]

We also had a 15 year old stallion gelded earlier this year (did it before fly season). He did just fine with healing and although he's a bit bossy with his other gelding companion at meal time, he has not shown any interest in any mares that he happens to see occasionally.

MA

 

[Relic]

No big gelding expert here for sure but we sold to a youth home a 3 year old who was done July 28 and he had no swelling or any thing else we were worried about and we were plenty worried as he was the first we took in to ever have done. He did take about 2 hours to come out of his wobbly stage after the shot he had and we didn't know if he had to much or he was just reacting bad but once he was awake he was fine he never had any swelling and he was over with the track horses for a few days inside the air conditioned barn because the flies were bad around here and went to his new home from there. He was a pussycat to begin with so don't know what he becomes now that he's gelded.

 

[Sue_C.]

I had my nine year old stallion gelded a few years ago, and he never had a problem. The Vet cautioned me about older horses and the possibility of more swelling, pain etc... Weird thing, the four year old that was gelded at the same time, was the poor beggar that had the toughest time.

As for attitude, both of them were already "geldings with testicles" anyways; both of them being the weaning's "baby-sitters" already.

 

[Dee]

Thanks for the help guys!

I guess I just worry because I am looking at a 4-year-old. I don't have the set up for a stallion so he would have to have a little trip to see the vet

!

I also only have 2 fields that are right beside each other with 3 mares, 1 filly and 3 geldings. I always just have the gate open so they can go back and forth between the 2 pens. I would have him gelded before he came to my property, but I worry he will just harass my mares and be aggressive towards my geldings.

I am not for sure getting this stallion yet; I am still in the very early stages of thinking about it all.

I would hate to get him here and have big problems. I have only seen him from photo. He seems to be a really easy to work with and has even been rode by kids may times, but I guess that doesn't mean he is a gentlemen around other horses.

THANKS!

Dee

 

[debbiesshelties]

Hello,

I bought my first mini as a stallion and had him gelded. He was just a couple weeks away from being 5. We had no problems with the procedure and he has become a real love bug. He wasn't wild to start with just real hard to keep out of the neighbors pasture with 5 full size mares!

 

[Laura]

We recently bought back the first stallion we ever owned...and had him gelded at 17 years old. It was a bit rougher than gelding a young horse, but he will eventually be a MUCH happier, more easily placed companion horse. Our vet sutures everything, so there is a greatly reduced risk of rupture or prolapse. She is VERY careful what type of pressure she uses and tries to reduce trauma as much as possible. We do keep them out where they will free exercise, with as little dust as we can manage.

 

[virginia]

I had an 18 yr old stallion gelded after he was brought to CMHR. He was blind but still interested in the girls and was used as a stallion right up till we got him. After gelding he did just fine, no problems at all.

Ginny StP

 

[justaboutgeese]

The problem with gelding an older stallionhas more to do with disposition. As a general rule the older the stallion the higher the chance they might tend to retain more stallion traits. We have had animals gelded as old as twelve with no negative happenings. I know other people with seven and eight year old stallions that never got over being obnoxious.

 

[Mona]

I just had my 7 year old stallion gelded earlier this summer. All was OK. He seemed to show more pain than the youngsters, but he did well.

 

[bevann]

I have had several older stallions done-as old as 14-all made out fine.I do castrate according to the signs(check out the Farmer's Almanac for best times to castrate) and take them to a vet clinci for an overnight stay.No problems ever.I plan to have another done in Oct or Nov after the fly season.He will then become a driving horse and one to play with.

 

[Joyce]

I gelded a breeding stallion at 9 years old and it took him 18 months to calm down, not think about breeding, and be a gelding in every sense. A couple of years ago I read in a horse magazine that when you geld an older stallion that has been breeding, it will take apprx. 2 months for every year old he was when done to calm down. So 2 x 9 = 18 months which it took mine. I don't know if this would be true with every horse but it worked out for mine. I still have him with me today and he is in a lot with 8 mares.

Joyce

 

[Sanny]

We have a horse that was gelded shortly before we bought him at the age of nine and though he had been used for breeding and produced very nice foals, he was very sweet and gentle and well behaved as a stallion and is even more so as a gelding. He is much more interested in human interaction than with other horses and he gets along with all other the other horses - mares, fillies, colts, geldings. I think a lot of it is the personality of the horse with or without the berries.

We have another gelding that is 6 years old now and was gelded as a baby and he acts very studly and is obnoxious and misbehaves a lot no matter how much we work with him on enforcing good manners. He has a couple of "buddies" that he CAN be turned out with and other horses NO WAY because he will chase them around and want to play rough.