Colt Foals - when do testicles show

Pinkwellies2

Pinkwellies2

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As it say really, colt foal born at our yard early hours of this morning, to my unexperienced eye it looked he already had external testicles, mares owner thought the same, but was going to check with vet. Unfortunatley I won't see her now until early next week so was curious if anyone knew of this happening. I thought it took a few months before anything showed.
 
Troy was born with his both down and very proud
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Fionn's have been going up and down for about the last 3 months, (He's almost a yearling)
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; they have currently disappeared - I think that he wants to stay a baby for ever, and not become a big bad stallion!
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I had one that we had to castrate at 4 months as he was pulling all the other foals to the floor and trying to cover his mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I have another one that is 20 months and they still keep going up and down!!!!!!!!

No hard and fast rules really, I have noticed that the bigger horses, who are late maturers tend to be late when it comes to dropping their testicles, but again they are all different.
 
cruiseline, that would fit with Fionn - he's 11 months and already 15hh and growing! So I'm rather hoping that when the hormones do eventually kick in we won't end up with a 17hh rampant stallion!!!
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Wow rufusbluemoon, 11 months and 15hh he is going to be one big chappy!!!!!!!!

I really do think that the bigger horses mature later, most pony colts have their testicles well and truly dropped by the time they are 16 months, but my bigger gangly warmbloods seem to hang on to their youth. The 5 year old stallion in my avatar has shot up in the past month and is easily an inch bigger at the croup than the withers at the moment, so he hasn't reached his final adult height yet.

I also think that the later they do develope the better they are to handle, as the discipline can be put into them without having to cope with the hormones as well.

The youngster that had to be gelded at 4 months was expected to reach an adult height of around 15hh.

This is only my observation and there are always exceptions to the rule, just work with horses and they will show you!!!!!!!!
 
Input from our lovely vet who was up at the yard today - "We used to endlessly agonise about cutting earlier or later,and whether cutting earlier would mean that a colt wouldn't develop the muscle and topline that they might if left entire for longer .... But now I just tell people to cut when they start to be a pain in the backside!" (Technical veterinary term ....
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) so he's really just confirming exactly what you're saying - that every horse is different, and every owner has a different tolerance level!
 
I hate to correct you RFB but Fionn is actually nearly 15.2 at the croups and 15hh in front so he is going to be a REALLY big chappy!!!!!!!
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I'm just glad I won't be the one using the step ladder to get up there the first time!!!!!

Just to assure people though Fionn is this big naturally! Whilst he IS being fed the correct balancers, etc. everyone is being especially careful as he is soooo tall not to feed him up...he is just a leggy beanstalk at the moment!!!!!
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