Castrating an older stallion???

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scottyboy34

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Thanks in advance for any useful advice given. We have a 19yo stallion which we're considering having gelded. He has been used at stud in the past but now we want him to enjoy his retirement out at grass. At the moment his turnout is limited to a couple of hours now and then due to livery horses. Our vet doesn't think it'll make much difference and thinks he'll still behave like a stallion. Anyone had any experience of gelding an older horse?
 
No experience at that age, sorry, but with dogs I believe you can give them a drug to suppress testosterone and trial what would happen if they were castrated. (I met an Irish setter on it once :) ) Any chance your vet could do something like that first before you put him through it and spend all that money?
 
I think it is a big op to put him through unless you really need to but I am sure it has been done on boys at this age in the past. Personally, although it would probably depend on his behaviour, I think I would be tempted to try and find somewhere that will treat him like a horse rather than a scary beast that cannot be turned out full time because of other horses. We have 3 stallions that live out together all year round, they live alongside another large mixed herd and we occasionally have a mare and yearling filly alongside the top of their paddock. We don't have any problems with behaviour at all. Does he turn out with geldings in winter or has he always been kept alone? I doubt that gelding him will make an awful lot of difference regards other horses although I could be wrong.
 
He has always been turned out alone. His only interaction with other horses has been when covering mares. He doesn't actually belong to me but his owner is now struggling and relying on other people to turn him out and bring him in etc. Some of the other liveries aren't too happy about a stallion being left out unattended for long periods of time either.
 
Maybe ask in Breeding! The problem I could see is that it won't change his 'natural' behaviour if he suddenly encounters other horses, mares or geldings, my worry would be that he would be aggressive with them unless a mare was in season. If this was the case then he would have had a major (and expensive) op for nothing and nothing is going to change for him. I have never dealt with one at that age so I could be completely wrong but the 5 year old that we had done, that had only ever run with 'his' mare was incredibly aggressive with other for a very long time - he was only 12hh but took on a 15hh+ stallion and ran it into the ground when it got in his field. He also took on OH's 16.3 boy when we first put the herds together and that was several years after gelding and is the only one who still has a go at one of our stallions if he gets the chance. Our boys can go in with the rest of our herd and run happily with them (even when the mares are with them as has had to be done in the past) other than this one gelding and it is only one of the stallions he hates. If this stallion is a big lad he could potentially do damage to a livery horse, when they attack they are frightening. As I said, try in Breeding, someone in there will know what they are talking about rather than my guessing, but I think I would be looking for somewhere that could manage him properly in his retirement.
 
A friend had his Welsh D gelded when he was in his mid/late teens. It was all fine, he is turned out with a mare and there are no problems.
They will, to a certain extent, retain some stallion traits, rounding up the mares but some geldings done early do that anyway.
 
My friend had her Arab stallion done at 18. He too had lived alone but was able to join the gelding herd & be happy & sociable. He had been used for covering.
 
Not that old but bought an unbroken 5 year old stallion for a daughter's first pony. Gelded him and he was always absolutely fine. He had covered at least three mares. He was PTS last year at the age of 35
 
Dolcé;11120597 said:
I thought it got more serious the older they were, my mistake (and I am sure that THEY would consider it major:) )
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I think you are right that they think its major, but no, whatever the age they still just whip 'em off.

The vet I use does the older stallions on the lorry if they come to the surgery, he always says that getting them off the lorry stirs them up, so owners have to come in a clean lorry (no bedding), he castrates a lot of older and unruly ones cos he does all the gypsy horses in the area and they are all done standing.

If someone can get a headcollar on them he will do them-had one woman phone up once she wanted her 8yr old welsh D castrated and as I asked the question about bringing him in to be done or doing him in the field she said 'oh noone has ever touched him as we can get near him' she thought the vet could somehow perform the surgery from a distance!
 
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