Geldings - They've Been Difficult to Find

[DunPainted]

We all know Miss Cindy isn't the high-end mini person. Don't know enough to step foot in that arena.

That said, I've had the opportunity to cross the path of minis needing a good home and restore trust in humans. Well, some nice folks outside the state (even Neil Diamond's manager) have purchased minis.

Our wonderful transporter, Phyllis Alexander, stops every night and puts up her charges in a horsey hotel for the night. Well, folks go nuts over the minis, as it's the first time seeing one.

Well, Phyllis gives them our number. Immediately, they call, wanting a pet-quality gelding at a "reasonable" price. We all know when the word "price" comes into the picture, a jaunticed eye immediately develops. Of course, I tell them unrealistically low "prices" will only get them what they pay for.

There's plenty of stud colts and stallions, but it seems folks in the mini industry have "intact" males, no matter the age. Of course, I don't know much about the mini world, but it seems many colts should be gelded, due to genetic flaws the breed doesn't deserve.

Can someone educate me......admittedly, I'm not the brightest with regard to ANY equine?

Many thanks for your time.

 

[mountain_waif]

....

 

[Anne]

We have a yearling gelding for sale but haven't had any inquiries, it doesn't bother me he's a really nice little guy and easy to keep here. I won't sell him "locally" at least not to anyone I've met here so far since we moved. The market here isn'tt good someone is selling the colts for less than $200.

I had 7 people stop here in two months wanting to sell me there little stud colts they purchased as pets and put in a field "to look at" and have now discovered after a year or so that they are difficult ill behaved little stallions. They won't put out the money to geld and for some reason expected the "kids" to "train them. Some of the kids were 7 and under.

I can try to talk to them about how to dels with the situation but they don't really want to "learn".

I just won't sell in the area now, unless some one "exceptional" comes along.

We did "Wild West Days" last weekend had horses in the parade, and a petting area. Including this little gelding, people loved him but they say "they just want a "pet" to look at" and that phrase now worries me.

Hopefully we did a bit of educating, we sure talked to an awful lot of people. And answered a lot of questions.

Edited to add that I did find that the folks who haven't ever had a horse and were looking for their first "cheap" mini wanted a mare or stallion or both so they could "have a foal or too" later.

It was a bit scary and I sure hoped I changed their minds to a nice little gelding for their first and especially for their kids.

 

[Songcatcher]

No geldings to be found???? Simple solution. Buy a colt and have him gelded. There are lots to choose from.

 

[Cathy_H]

We are getting ready to geld the black & white two year old AMHR/ASPC in our avatar. He has won several grands & is a reserve National Champion. He's won $$$ intact & will continue winning in the gelding incentive classes.

We've gelded several colts since we started in the mini's in 1986. Lee would show them for awhile then we would sell them. We just sold two colts to show families. They are going to be gelded & will make top notch show geldings. We don't advertise except on the Lil Beginnings sale board. If we know we aren't going to show the horse as a gelding we reduce the price to allow the new owners to do so.

 

[DunPainted]

It's interesting, folks want a nice, gentle, tiny GELDING.....at a pet price. They "wont" pay to geld them.

Like many of you, I've learned when folks say "pet".....I get worried.

Sooo, I ask a million LEADING, OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS: What type of accommodations do the have for the horse, lifestyle, are kids involved - a passing whim/fancy, do folks know horses need a companion, are they aware minis should not mix with big horses (my personal opinion).

Horses cannot speak for themselves, and my conscience will haunt me if uncomfortable with a home.

 

[SkipsMom]

Kudos to the folks inquiring about purchasing mini's wanting a gelding, shows some smarts on their part. :bgrin

I suspect one reason a lot of mini's stay stallions is because they can be managed, size wise, by most people even if they become difficult little studs. That is quite different than a full size horse which remains a stallion. Harder to keep them in a pasture or pen and the sheer size of an onrey 15 hand or larger stallion makes it harder to find handlers. Does this make sense? For example, a onrey mini stud can be handled by an experienced youth because they simply can out muscle, out bolt them. That is not going to happen w/ a big stallion.

And yes, price and size seem to go hand in hand- smaller means less $$. With a full size horse that you pay $600 for you might be able to ride it. If someone wants a mini to "just enjoy" they may think dropping $200 is plenty enough cash out of pocket.

 

[sfmini]

For one, it is not cheap to do, can't be reversed, I prefer to sell the colts and let the new owner decide if they want a colt or gelding. I did geld one very young once, been trying to sell him for not a lot of money ever since. He is AMHA futurity nominated, green broke to drive, someone could have finished his training and taken him to the Word show, and probably made some of their investment back. But, he sits here instead with no offers on him, and I am just not dropping his price any lower!

Oh, did I mention he is pinto, double registered, and a son of Flying W Farms Little Wardance, and Cross Country on the bottom? In other words, no slouch.

People pass him over because he is a gelding. Makes me very hesitant to ever do that again.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I for one have no problem buying geldings, selling geldings or gelding colts

However the problem comes for me when people assume becouse they are geldings they should get a pet for 200 bucks. I paid a pretty penny for my geldings and they are worth all that and more. If someone is willing to pay a "fair" price for one it helps them to find one.

 

[kaykay]

im just like lisa. have no trouble buying, selling or gelding colts. Just had jet in my avatar done and it was about 200.00. That is more then i paid in illinois but still cheap in my mind as an investment in a horse that will give us years and years of joy.

I also think a lot of it has to do with how you present your geldings. I have found many sellers come across like "oh and heres this gelding i have that i cant wait to get rid of" If you dont really believe in geldings then how do you convey to a buyer how fabulous a gelding is?? To date I have never had trouble selling a gelding and wish I had more to sell as I had inquiries this week alone. I will admit that sometimes maybe i have just been in the right place at the right time but really it has more to do with attitude. Even if I dont have a horse to sell i always advise first time buyers to buy a gelding.

 

[Jill]

A nice colt or stallion can be turned into a gelding.

I have made some real nice geldings, including horses who have halter championships as stallions and a gorgeous BTU son...

It's pretty inexpensive to have a vet turn a nice stallion into a fabulous gelding

 

[bevann]

I get really annoyed when people come looking for a pet and want to give me $200 because it is little.I tell them that we don't sell them by the pound.I am picky where my horses go&sell almost all horses with a clause in the contract that I have right of first refusal to buy back.I would rather give a horse away&know that it is in a good home than sell to a bad home or take to an auction.These animals are my babies.I am a big advocate of nice gledings.

 

[js1arab]

Well I agree that more colts should be gelded and have an appointment for getting one gelded next month. But it does irritate the devil out of me that people think they should be able to buy one for $100-$200 because they are small and gelded. It will cost me $200 for gelding, close to $120 for vaccines, boosters and dewormer and $50 for hoof trimming (so far). This is all necessary expense and doesn't include the upkeep of the mare to produce that gelding or if I would have had a vet bill for a complicated delivery. Oh and of course don't forget the cost of registration and having to be a member to register ($65 for the R) In other words, I would have $435 in actual cost to sell a healthy well maintained foal. People forget that you may get them cheaper if you buy from someone who skips all this care, but then you may pay a lot more in the end from vet bills on a sick horse or worse yet the headache of having a horse you can't handle or is dangerous because the owner who sold so "cheap" didn't have time to mess with and teach the poor thing. Now don't get me wrong, I love a good deal on a diamond in the rough as much as anyone, but there is a difference between a good deal and "cheap". People are always telling me...."oh, I just found one at a sale for only $100" Well a month or so later the poor thing is being sold or given away because it is usually a rank little stallion with no prior handling and has created all kinds of havoc or has gotten someone hurt. For a few hundred more they could have bought a gelded, registered, showable, easy to handle family friend. OK off my soap box now, just a big pet peeve of mine

:

 

[nootka]

My new policy is to sell all as geldings UNLESS the new owner says otherwise or I am keeping them myself for breeding purposes.

I would say that would make at least 99% of my male foal crops being sold as geldings. My vet charges $65 and I will do it before they leave UNLESS I have a special arrangement w/someone I trust.

I don't "give" them away though. I can't do that. I guess I end up lowering the price for certain homes but again my horses aren't usually tiny either, they can drive and jump, etc. good performance horses in other words as well as nice pets.

Liz M>

 

[DunPainted]

But it does irritate the devil out of me that people think they should be able to buy one for $100-$200 because they are small and gelded. It will cost me $200 for gelding, close to $120 for vaccines, boosters and dewormer and $50 for hoof trimming (so far). This is all necessary expense and doesn't include the upkeep of the mare to produce that gelding or if I would have had a vet bill for a complicated delivery. Oh and of course don't forget the cost of registration and having to be a member to register ($65 for the R) In other words, I would have $435 in actual cost to sell a healthy well maintained foal.

:

I HEAR YA..... on all points.

I offered to GIVE our neighbor, The Barn Nazi, a yearling jack.

She had the audacity to say, "You'll have to geld him first"!

:

"Sorry, did you ever hear the saying, Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.".....IT APPLIES TO DONKIES!

 

[twister]

:bgrin I love my two geldings and wouldn't swap them for anything. I show them in halter, obstacle and jumper and if I ever get good enough as a driver I will show them in Country Pleasure. Not only that they are both so sweet and have great manners in the barn, what's not to love? I love my stallion and mares too but my geldings have a special place in my heart

:

Yvonne

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Cindy, part of the problem was ..when you called me, and asked me if I knew of any, you were looking for geldings in the $200-300 price range, after you figure in the cost of gelding, shots and worming,and farrier work, for the year you have more then that invested, then when I asked you how you could buy one on a Saturday or Sunday and have your shipper leave with the horse on a Monday, the coggins and HC wouldnt be back on it...you said she coggins them in another state where they only have a 3 hour turn over. I have NEVER heard of this. I understand you wanting to buy cheap since you resell them to Arizonia and California, but I dont understand about the coggins and health cert. I have never heard of a shipper doing this (?????) Whenever I sell, out of state all my paper work HAS to be in order before the shipper will even load the horse. There was a reason your neighbor wanted your donkey gelded first, :bgrin but I do think she should of offered to pay for it. :bgrin Geldings are great little pals! Corinne

 

[justjinx]

Cindy, we also have alot of geldings, but by the time you pay to geld them and feed them awhile you just cannot take $200-$300 for them, as others have said. we have some going into driving training this fall and will hope to sell them as trained geldings at some point. but until we PROMOTE our geldings, people will expect to pay next to nothing for them. jennifer :saludando:

 

[disneyhorse]

Most lower-priced horses such as pets, geldings, or lower-end breeding horses are probably going to be advertised and sold more locally (I have particularly found that to be the case here) because MOST buyers aren't going to want to pay more for the shipping than the horse! I think the higher-end show geldings might be advertised more aggressively, but local auctions, sales, and feed store bulletin boards as well as local breeder word-of-mouth might help you find one faster. I also agree with the "Make Your Own" philosophy. Some breeders might give a discount on a colt if they know it will be gelded.

Good luck, and enjoy shopping!

Andrea

 

[Samm S]

i would love to have a chance to geld a perty stallion.. if you did not wish to breed then a gorgeous gelding would do IMO..