Older stallions being put out to pasture

[countryrose]

I have inherited a 24 year old stallion. 29 inches tall and has arthritis in his back legs. He is such a sweety and so well mannered. He was with my 2 year old colt I bought and needed a home so here he is.

I don't have a lot of room for extra horses here. But he does make a great babysitter for babies. The colts are 2 and 3 now so are a little rough for him to be with.

Just wondering what is happening to all those older stallions out there. The ones that were being used as stallions but did not really make the grade and went to sales, pets or whatever.

It is just too difficult to be gelding them at this age. So sad that the end of his life he has to be isolated.

I do make sure he is next to others as he does not eat without a companion in sight.

 

[mountain_waif]

...

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

One of my stallions, Dees Johnny Cash, is also 24 this year and has arthritis. I retired him (leased) to a friend's house as a companion to his son. He's got companionship, care and they just love him. I think he deserves to be well taken care of in his old age. I have a soft spot for the oldies

Tammie

 

[countryrose]

I would love to find Topper a home like that too but would need another small animal as a companion.

Hopefully something like that will come about for him.

My concern is for all those little guys out there that have been shoved off in a corner somewhere and ignored. Definitely another reason for gelding. If the stallion does not meet the standards for us then we should be gelding them and finding good homes instead of shuffling them to another breeding home.

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

Cheryl,,,

[SIZE=12pt] Is this Dell Teras Topper? The one Barb had? Just wondering. [/SIZE]

 

[Whitewave]

I bought an older "stallion " 12 yrs old and he was Gelded in Dec.05 I got him in Jan 06..He is the best thing for my 10 yr' daughter Kasey to Show at Local shows as he really is not "Show Quality" he's onlt 28.5 and is getting over alot of issues but Loves his Kasey Girl...

 

[countryrose]

No, he is Just Topkick.

Been around the Elma area I think in the past. Has Just Brandy and Just Tinkertoy in the background.

He is a little Silver Dapple.

He came to me very underweight. After a year we have a topline. Did a lot of teeth work to help him eat and the Senior feed helps. I just havent felt that his health would let him be gelded safely.

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

[SIZE=14pt]Yes, he is in a lot of "Just" backgrounds! Sad they have to just fade away like that. He should be in a nice retirement horse home sitting on a pillow eating Bon-Bon watching "Price Is Right". Just like all the other retired horses that were breeders! I am glad you have him Cheryl. [/SIZE]

 

[bevann]

I gelded 1 of my older stallions at age 14&a family bought his grandaughter so I loaned him out to them.They broke him to drive&the non-horsey dad won the driving class at our state fair with him.Talk about excited-they love this guy.I just gelded another older stallion in Dec.He is going to his first fun show on Sunday.He likes to do obstacle stuff.I'm not sure how I will do as his handler,but we will try.He will also get broke for driving.

 

[Stacy Score]

I just gelded my 24 year old stallion Debonaire (poor Deb) He is still fiesty and in really great shape. I have had him with my 2 year old stallion Sovereign and they have been totally in love with each other until breeding season took hold - then Deb - all 24 years of him - decided that his partner needed to be trashed! Well, i didn't really think he could do all that much harm, but it was tough to watch him pestering and pestering and chasing Sovereign all over the place - to the point of nearly passing out - soooo, I am hoping that gelding him will let him smooth out and get back to being friends with his buddy and that he and Sovereign can hang out together for several more years - jury is out on that one - but I do believe that it will take the edge off his attitude somewhat and hopefully give him several more years to live out here in retirement.

I will keep you all posted - he is probably the world's oldest "new gelding" ! !

Stacy

 

[nootka]

I'd love to see pics of Just Topkick.

I have a 30 year old mare who sends a wink and mutual scratchies.

I think the oldsters have such a hard row to hoe in many cases. If my "Gramma Pony" could talk (aka Dell Tera's Betty), I am sure she would have a lot of stories to tell.

Thank you for taking good care of the old guy and I hope he has lots of good health for his remaining time.

Liz M.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

We have our first stallion, he's now 21 and will be here until he dies. The mares and stallions that have given service to us deserve a good retirement. I find it appauling to see older horses tossed away, but it seems to be quite common.

Stacey how did you have Debonaire gelded? I talked to UCD about it, and they said they're could be quite a bit more pain and bleeding, as we were considering getting our old guy gelded so he could be out with 'his mares' all the time, instead of staring at them through a fence! Did you have any special precautions taken?

 

[Robin1]

I had a 20 yr old stallion (infertile) that I was placing in a pet home. I spoke to my vet and she wouldn't consider gelding him. There were too many dangers for a horse his age. He went to live with a very nice family and took over the care of a dwarf mare, they were/are best friends and he never showed any interest in breeder her. He did "protect" her from the geldings they owned , so the stallion and dwarf had their own pasture and the geldings the other. Both the stallion and dwarf were used for therapy work. Everything worked out great.

Robin

 

[bevann]

Any of my older stallions to be gelded always go to the vet clinic and stay for several days under watcful vet care.I have not had any trouble until this last 1 in Dec.He had lots of bleeding&became anemic.Had to have shots of vitamin K for clotting.Vitamin K for horses is dirrent type than human stuff(vet advised not to give stuff from health food store to him.He is fine now.I WOULD NOT under any conditions have an older 1 done on the farm.,only at a vet clinic under supervision.

 

[FeatherSFarm]

If there is anyone looking for a great retirement home for an oldster in Texas you might talk to my Daughter . She will be looking for a mini because she misses her little Mare she had to sell when she moved. They have a wonderful horse property and though there are no other Minis there IS a Shetland and a POA that one could keep company with and some Gypsy Drums to visit across the pasture fence with.

 

[Bess Kelly]

We have our first stallion, he's now 21 and will be here until he dies. The mares and stallions that have given service to us deserve a good retirement. I find it appauling to see older horses tossed away, but it seems to be quite common.

I feel the same and have several getting to their late teens/early twenties. When they want to retire it is just fine.....they need not worry about going anywhere! Last Fall I went to Florida and bought back a little stallion I had previously owned for a long time and sold with agreement I'd be first notified. At 22 he's still "all that" with the gals

: but, he's always been a kind, easy going stallion with mares & foals and will be run with at least one pregnant mare each winter, so long as he wants! You know, if the two are compatible, the foal does not have to be one bred by the stallion. So, often times mares are a consideration for companionship....not just geldings. Anyway, I'm a "keeper" of my hard workers and have bought back more than just the one.

Geriatric Acres -- maybe I should reserve the name :lol:

 

[midnight star stables]

Midnight is a 27yr old stallion, and he is my best friend. He lives with Billy, our 23yr old gelding. They have been together for years and years. If/when one of them passes on, I plan to buy another gelding, so I can give the old boy a friend. When the other old boy passes, I plan to put the new gelding in with my other gelding and filly. I love Midnight, he started my love for minis. Each day I thank God for him.

 

[virginia]

I still have Rudolf Van Double Dutch and he's now going on 25 years. I used him on a couple of mares last year and just this week one of my mares had an adorable filly by him. He's still got it. Dutch is pastured with an older (17)mare who looks just like him. When showing people around my farm I have to point out my geriactic paddock. They are just so cute together, like two peas in a pod. I plan on using him on one or two mares till he doesn't show any interest. Right now, the interest is still there.

 

[Stacy Score]

An update - Debonaire is doing just great! Just for the record I had the surgery done by one of the finest vets in the NW and under the careful guidance/assistance of a board certified anesthesiologist - Deb could not have been in better hands. I freely admit it was a very tough decision to geld a stallion at his advance age - BUT after discussing it with my vets and my reasons why we felt that it would be a good option for him.

Debonaire will be here until he passes - he is truly one of the foundations of our breeding program - that said, he also thinks he should be in total control of the whole place and frets, paces and works himself into a complete sweat when he is not with his mares. (He will not tolerate being with pregnant mares if they are not "his" and will run them until they abort)

When we put him out with Sovereign last fall for an experiment we were thrilled to see how well they got along together, Deb was like a 10 year old, and they were inseperable and played and groomed each other all day and would not tolerate being separated at night - that is until breeding season came around and then Deb was working himself into a complete frazzle and chasing Sovereign all over the place - now remember, I mentioned before that I was not worried about Sovereign, he is a robust, healthy 2 year old, but Deb was turning himself inside out and I was very worried about him having a heart attack or stroke - so the decision was made to geld - it is my sincere hope that he can go back to being a buddy to Sovereign, but if not he can then be turned out with my mares and live a life of Guardian Gelding - either way, it will be better for him that what he has been going thru these past few months.

I will keep you posted as to how and if his behavior modifies over the next couple of months.

Stacy