What is the youngest you have gelded a colt?

[Candice]

I have a 2 mos old in serious need of gelding. Our regular vet refuses to geld prior to 6 mos of age. Her stand is that if an infection should develop it is too hard to treat the youngsters and its too easy for it to become a life or death issue so therefore their policy is not to geld any horses prior to 6 mos of age.

I understand her concerns and somewhat agree with her but when she was just out here a couple of months ago geldeing a yearling she told me the risk of infection with proper care is minimal.

I have another vet (more modern and up to date, IMO) and he says with the behavior this colt is exhibiting he does in fact need to be gelded and will benefit from having it done and yes the risk of infection is there, but its small and he has no problem gelding our little monster. Happily he will be gelded the last week of April!!!!

I am curious how young the rest of you geld and the outcomes. Any infections in the young ones??? He will be 10 wks old when we kiss his kahunas good bye!!

 

[Sue_C.]

My vet has gelded regular sized colts as early as two weeks. He won't do my minis that early however, because he is worried about the anethstetic (sp?) in one so tiny. The earliest I have had one done, is five months. He would have done him a couple months earlier, though, exept for the fly season.

 

[Songcatcher]

I had one gelded somewhere around 10 weeks of age. By the end of the day, he acted as if nothing had happened.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Three months. He never even missed a thing. No swelling, nothing.

Lucy

 

[Laura]

[SIZE=12pt]Flying A Color's Jamaica Me Crazy (who I hope still has fans out there)

was gelded at 5 weeks old. His full brother, who was gelded as a yearling, was a sweet & wonderful, absolute testosterone filled, TERROR, so we gelded "Sanka" EARLY. [/SIZE]

I have gelded MANY colts under 3 months old. They ride with Mama to the vet's, are gelded (she uses forceps/clamps instead of emasculators on these guys to clamp/crush the cord, nurse when they wake up and have a little nap when they get home and then they are OFF without a look back. We almost never even give them antibiotics. I won't do it when it's excessively dusty or wet though.

 

[Mona]

I have had colts younger than 6 weeks of age gelded with no ill effects, no infections, no problems etc. In fact, they seem to recover VERY well when they are still at their dam's side. I never stalled mine or kept them from the herd. They just carried on as though nothing happened.

 

[Jill]

I am contemplating talking to my vet about making me a show gelding @ about 6wks, but not totally decided yet... Other than this possible upcoming event, the youngest I've done was at 6mos.

 

[Candice]

Thankyou for the replies. I have to admit though that as certain as I was yesterday about gelding him so young I still am worried. At this age will it change his behavior???

 

[Laura]

Thankyou for the replies. I have to admit though that as certain as I was yesterday about gelding him so young I still am worried. At this age will it change his behavior???

[SIZE=12pt]If his turdy-ness is testosterone based, it should change his behavior for the better[/SIZE]