Castrating! What age?

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ColouredFan

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Hi, After some advice please, In your experience what age do you recommend to castrate a colt? I have contacted the breeder of my gelding (same sire as my colt) and she said he had him castrated at 7 months as he was to be turned out with fillys. Would this be a good age? He is well grown and seems a very strong colt, I am planning ahead as he is 6 weeks old at the moment!
 
Basic answer is when his balls have dropped - standing castrations are relatively easy, while rig castrations (when the balls haven't dropped are not. Also at a time of year when there are not too many flies around - spring/autumn are better than the middle of summer, so it tends to depend
 
I asked the same question, a colt i am thinking of buying is just over a week old. I was tried to find out whats the best time to castrat, i was thinking the younger the better before they grow. poor thing
 
I asked the same question, a colt i am thinking of buying is just over a week old. I was tried to find out whats the best time to castrate, i was thinking the younger the better before they grow. poor thing
 
A lot depends on how the foal is socialised as it grows up.
A colt kept alone can get very stroppy and be a handful, whereas those living in a herd situation don't seem to display much interest until almost two.
We look at ours as yearlings and if they appear quiet we leave them until the flies have gone in the autumn but before the frosts start.
Our vet sedates then does standing castrations (he is exceptionally good at this method) and there is little bleeding or swelling.
I think you need to see how the colt behaves, if he is a stroppy so and so get it done as soon as his testicles are there, if he isn't do it later.
 
It really does depend. My friend had to have her 5 week old colt castrated last year
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but if i was choosing i'd go for around 11 months old.
 
Troy was about one month old when his little balls dropped... both are down and correct as far as I can see, and they seem to be growing by the minute
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He is quite coltish in his behaviour but I have done a lot of ground work with him too so he responds well to pressure and release.

I am thinking of having Troy cut when he is 12 months old, however I am not making any firm plans until the time comes. He shows quite a bit of interest in the ladies already though... you should see him strut his stuff when he walks past a mare in season.
 
I think there is not really a clear rule, it much depends on the character of the horse. If he is turned out in a group of colts and socialises, it can take up to 3 years, sometimes longer until they start showing stallion behaviour. Mine just turned 2 and is in a herd with other stallions of a similar age, and he is as good as an angel. I would like to get mine backed so I will not consider castrating him until I have the results.
 
me and my vet (i work there by the way! i dont randomly go with him!) go to castrate the colts and we do them at varying ages. I asked my vet the best age and he said he thinks it is best for the horse to be a year old rather than 6 months cos at a year he has had time to develop properly. However, he said if at 6 months the colt is a nightmare to handle, he needs to be gelded. If they are left until they are 3years and upwards, there is increased chance of complications because the spermatic cord is more developed and thickened (the artery is more developed and so can cause problems with excessive bleeding). It can mean more bleeding from the wound and the cord (which obviously isnt a good thing). My vet will hold the emasculators around the cord for longer (3 mins instead of 2) to help, but its still more risky.
 
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