6month old colt living with 18month old filly over the winter?

Kallibear

Kallibear

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Yey? Nay? Most defintinly Nay?

It's all very much undecided yet but potentially we may have a 2010 colt coming to live with our little herd, which includes an 18month old filly, temporarily.

Not worried about the geldings behaviour but we'd prefere no unexpected baby horses next year :o

Colt would be coming late novermber (so 6months old) and will be moved out to a live with geldings as soon as the weather improves a little in the spring (so early March probably). He'll be gelded asap after that.

Not really up on my breeding and young horses, so would we get away with it over the winter when (in theory) the filly shouldn't be in season anyways?

Otherwise I'm going to have to do some serious grovelling and making things awkwards to try and find a group he can live in with no mares.

On a side note - what the earliest he could be gelded? I know it's mostly timed by the weather/flies but I could arrange a field with no mud for a couple of weeks over the winter........
 
At my old yard they had a year old colt in with their mares and fillies, one of the mares was his mum. There wasn't any unexpected pregnancies.
He's now 18 months and he's still in with them..........I would be concerned at this age!
But 6 months, I've not heard of a 6 month old getting a mare pregnant, also your filly is unlikely to at her age also.
I'd personally chance it.

As for gelding, I've never had a colt gelded but I have been told that its hard to put an age on it, that you have to wait for their balls to drop and that varies with age.......I dont actually know if this is true, but it did come from breeders lol
I'll be interested in an answer from someone who really knows x
 
I posted a day or two ago about a similar problem. A 5 month old colt and his Section A mum (mum rescued, foal = BOGOF) came to my yard a few weeks ago. My 16 year old Shetland mare decided he was the man of her dreams and immediately came into season. She tries to seduce him 100 times a day, little tart! But he was quite happy to give it a go so I had to ring my vet for guidance on whether a 5 month old colt can put a mare in foal. My vets tell me 99.999% NO. But just in case, I am considering having the abortion-inducing injection for her. Colt being gelded today. Vets advise that a colt of about 9 or 10 months might very well get a mare in foal so I wouldn't chance it with your two. Why not geld the colt now, when he can safely be turned out (no flies) to keep any swelling down? Just a note, we worked out that the mother of the colt on my yard could only have been about 18 months old when she was covered. She's been a brilliant mother but she's only a baby herself. The filly you mention is too young really to be in foal. Off with the family jewels!!!!
 
I wouldn't worry - I know of many colts thay have been happily over wintered with fillies at that age with no problems whatsoever - plus, as you say, the fillies, even if fertile, are unlikely to be in season during this time anyway.
 
I suppose it depends if you are happy to "chance it" or if you want what is best for the filly. If you do not want her to be a mum at her young age, then don't put her at risk - as whatever the odds (unless guaranteed 0%) then there is a risk.
 
Very definate no no unless you intend to produce a foal. I have known of several cases where foals have resulted from just this situation. Colts can still remain quiet and uncolt like and be fertile. If both testicles are down why not geld him now. I have just had a 4 month old colt cut, whilst still on the mare, becouse he is to spend the winter with a yearling filly.
 
We kept a colt & filly together, they were stabled side by side & turned out together, things were fine over the winter but come the spring he thought he was a really ladies man, so we promptly had his dangly bits removed. Alot of it will depend on the colt in question though, my arab colt was gelded at 18 months & had no interest in the opposite sex at all, as did our section B who was 2 when we gelded him.
 
I'd definitely say no as well it's tempting fate really and a potential ton of vet bills - far more than the cost of getting him gelded!!! They can be fertile at this age and should always be considered fertile, fillies can cycle over winter sometimes without showing much at all, they start cycling at around 8 months old so technically yes they can get in foal which you definitely don't want!! I have heard of it happening - rarely with a good outcome - owner loosing both or ending up bottle feeding the resultant foal and a stunted mother.

Also if your little colt does start getting randy he could injure his joints or get a nasty kick trying to continuously hump the little filly. I'd geld him now then he'll be fine to winter with the filly after 6 weeks and you won't be constantly worrying or having to fork out for scans or jabs to stop her taking.
 
Somone let my current horse run with her brood mares when he was a similar age.

He covered 7 of them, sadly they lost 6 of the foals and 3 of the mares. I wouldn't risk it.
 
Thanks.

Hum. It's such a mixed opinions (esp on the other thread (in breeding)).

Foal is unhandled so hard to tell if both have dropped - hard to get a good look, never mind a feel! Look like at least ones there but no idea if both.

Leads onto my next question them:

If they have both dropped, would you geld whilst stabled? He will be spending a couple of weeks in a stable to handle him - he's far too wild to ever catch again if he goes out! and it's worked well with the others before.
 
I would suggest asking the vet who would do the deed. Our boys were done in the field and were then allowed to wander around the field once they were a bit more with it. The filly was still turned out with them.
 
mmmmm........your vet is wrong! It is more than possible for a 6 month old to cover and be fertile, not a nice thought about a little baby getting up to 'that' but it is possible. As for your your filly not seasoning, you could be wrong there too, her seasons won't be sorted yet (if they have started) and could be all over the place when she does have them, and we have had recent winters where our mares haven't stopped at all. It is a risk to take if you don't want a foal.
 
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