Colts and gelding

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Dancing_Diva

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I've just acquired a little colt foal, his meant to be about 10 months old, his got no signs of dropping so obvs cannot be gelded yet! As we are now into spring and the fly season is coming shortly, if he doesn't drop for a month or two he won't be able to be gelded until the colder weather will he?

I know each is different but what age would he likely drop?


His the first colt I've had, before anyone says anything I do have my own yard and he can go out in a field with one of my geldings and be treated as a normal horse until his gelded. I've delt with and handled colts/stallions before just never owned!

So yeah, am I correct in thinking that I'm going to have to leave him as a colt until October sort of time now?
 
It's definitely easier if they can be done when there aren't any flies around, as keeping them stabled after gelding is not the best thing, they need to move around.
So if there aren't any mares around, and you can cope with him potentially being a brat when he discovers the joys of hormones in a couple of months, then waiting till autumn shouldn't be a problem.
 
I have a gelding, a yearling colt, and two three year old colts in with my stallion. The stallion keeps order and the youngsters are very well behaved, certainly not brats. So long as the stallion does not see the younger males as rivals, there is no reason why peace and tranquility shouldn't be the order of the day, but horses do vary. The colts will be gelded next month, but then I am in the North of Scotland.
 
I do have a couple of mares (Shetlands) but way my fields are laid out he can go out with my gelding and not be near the mares at all.

He has good ground manners already and as long as he has manners and respects me on the ground he won't be a problem, even when he starts feeling the hormones and has moments! I'm used to difficult horses and handling stallions, not much bothers me.

So I'd be best waiting till October time like I mention to geld him then yes? I'll chat with my vet on the 14th but like said above he needs to be out once gelded to walk around to reduce swelling and stuff and with flys about he risks infection if done in warmer weather!!
 
I would recommend waiting. You sound more than capable of dealing with him and keeping him safe so no need to rush into it and risk more problems than you need to. You are right that there is a much higher risk of infection when done in warm weather - more flies, the heat causes more bleeding, they don't move around as much, etc.

Is he a Shetland? (just out of curiosity!)
 
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