Age to geld

[seeingdouble]

After a conversation on the yard yesterday i thought i would ask the opinion of experienced breeders.

At what age would you geld your colts, IF you had the facilities whereby you could run them on if you so desired? (ignoring the fact that they may or may not have stallion potential)

What are the myths and what are the facts?
~ such as gelding later gives them more presence
~ gelding later often means they dont grown quite as tall etc?

Thoughts on a postcard please

 

[Witchy]

Yes I'd be interested to know too. I heard that the earlier you geld the more their bodies concentrate on getting taller.....?

 

[gingerfilly]

I personally would geld around 18 months old at the youngest, but it depends on temperment really.
Some colts need to gelded around 6 months, I know alot of people that geld while they are still on their dams as they feel that it is less stressful. I show so I perfer to leave mine until about 2 then geld them. I currently have a 2 yr old colt that I will leave untill he is 3 until I decide what to do with him, either keep him entire or cut him.
I have my own land so its not so difficult to keep a colt but I know many yards that wont take colts over 1yr old.

 

[vicijp]

Geld at approx 6 months, whilst still on the mare.
Some people believe that to leave them longer builds muscle, I believe it makes them fat inside.

 

[BigRed]

I had two shetland pony colt foals. I had them cut at 9 months when I caught them talking dirty to my 16.2 mare. She was loving it of course.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Im very interested in this too and have been doing a bit of research/opinion hunting and so far I've found that its very mixed.....
Some say leave them late as possible
Some say as sson as they're there whip them off.
I need to get my boy done in order to wean without having to move yards etc etc.... so I asked the vet when he was about 4 months and she said wait until a year as MAY affect growth and presence (he was a liitle thing back then).
She came back to do vaccs a couple of weeks ago and I asked again as he's starting to become a bit too much trouble for my liking and need him off his increasingly annoyed mum and vet said that there would indeed be no problem in gelding him now (BUT THEY HAVENT BOTH QUITE DROPPED YET - ANNOYING!!) as he is developing very well, However the yard I'm at is a big EC with an on site vet, a choice of 4 schools and mud free fields for him to go out in and stables so little risk of infection. As one reason the don't do until the spring/autumn is that alot are field kept with little in the way of facilities and need to be mud free etc etc but before flies.

So overall, as with anything it depends on the horse!

 

[Spring Feather]

I have my colts castrated when I feel they should be done. I treat my colts very individually so I don't have any set times. Some I have had gelded at 5 months old and others I have had done at 4 or 5 years old.

 

[KarynK]

Currently waiting for suitable weather to have mine done who is very nearly 10 months. He was booked in today but it rained hard and we are now back to mud in the gateways, no good for a wound!. He is very well behaved and has grown really well after weaning, he is now back in with mum. He's off to his new home soon so it's the right time for him and me.

 

[GinnieRedwings]

I think the traditional thinking has always been that gelding too early stunts growth, but it is now thought that horses will always make the size which is in their genetic make up, sooner or later (unless they are severely starved or ill) - so a colt that was gelded very young might take longer to make his eventual size than if he had been gelded later, but he will eventually make the same adult size anyway.

My thinking is probably somewhere in between - I can't quite get my head around testosterone not making any difference to growth... That's just me. So I would chose to look at each colt individually & provided he behaves himself (which should mean that hormones are not flying around too much yet), then wait until both testicles are in a place where the vet can do the deed at home, when he is standing up and lightly sedated.