False Rig?

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Grey Haven

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My rising 8 year old gelding (NF x WB) has never really been settled.

He was gelded at 2 but was Cryptorchid and had to have surgery to remove the "hidden" testicle. The university hospital where he was done were confident they got it all, but I'm now beginning to wonder. He's had a blood test and his testosterone level was normal. However he does display the following:

Quite a cresty, chunky neck but not overweight
Poos all around the perimeter of his field
Very vocal, squeals a lot while ridden and in hand
Quite opinionated but no nasty
Mare in the next paddock has come into season and he's very interested
no calmer seems to work on him!

I've just started him on agnus castus to see if that helps at all but I've heard really good things about Global Herbs Rig Calm??
 
I had my boy on Rig Calm and it seemed to really help him when he was turned out near mares. He was gelded at 5 and for a number of years he liked to think he was a stallion! Hes 18 now and seems to finally understand he is now a gelding!!!
 
Grey Haven said:
My rising 8 year old gelding (NF x WB) has never really been settled.

He was gelded at 2 but was Cryptorchid and had to have surgery to remove the "hidden" testicle. The university hospital where he was done were confident they got it all, but I'm now beginning to wonder. He's had a blood test and his testosterone level was normal. However he does display the following:

Quite a cresty, chunky neck but not overweight
Poos all around the perimeter of his field
Very vocal, squeals a lot while ridden and in hand
Quite opinionated but no nasty
Mare in the next paddock has come into season and he's very interested
no calmer seems to work on him!

I've just started him on agnus castus to see if that helps at all but I've heard really good things about Global Herbs Rig Calm??
Click to expand...

No help I'm afraid but my 5 year old is very similar in his behaviours. He had a complicated castration where the vets only got one testicle out on the first go, then the other some weeks later (long story), and I wonder if some tissue was left in there. I can manage him easily myself but he can be quite stallion like! I have always wondered whether to get him tested.
 
My 25yr old 'services' the mares, herds, protects and is very opinionated in his herd environment. I don't have the issues you have under saddle he is vey mannerly despite being opinionated lol. He displays all behaviours but definitely isn't a rig or entire. Some geldings are just more highly sexed than others I think.

I would agree rigcalm is just Agnus Castus so better and cheaper buying raw ingredients and mixing them yourself.
 
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I am of the opinion that 'riggy' horses shouldn't be turned out with mares. IME, geldings should run in a herd and so should mares. Mine is much happier with this routine - as are all of the geldings on my yard. Personally with mine, I would never look to turn him out with mares. He is fine hacking with them but not being out with them. We went down the whole rigcalm issue, but what has settled him is gelding only turnout and not being next to mares.
 
I feel letting them run in mixed herds is more natural than separating them and causes more problems when the mates start to come into season as they get frustrated and talent out on each other. I've seen some nasty fights break out in mate only fields that I can say wouldn't have happened in a mixed herd.

My gelding is the boss, another gelding was introduced to the field and once he realised mine as in charge life went in as normal. He isn't as highly sexed as mine and the mares try to tease but he just doesn't get it.
 
There's nothing natural about a mixed herd. In the wild there are two types of herd.

Breeding: 1 breeding male. 1 dominant female + lots of mares and foals under 2yo. Breeding stallion will fight any male rival, attempt to steal mares from others, drive away older colts etc.

Bachelor: Lots of non-breeding stallions, youngsters kicked out of breeding herd + ex-breeding stallions now past it. In this environment, the other males are just security and company, not rivals. They display no 'stallion' behaviour at all, except perhaps some rough play between the young colts - who are quickly taught manners by the older horses.
 
Grey Haven said:
My rising 8 year old gelding (NF x WB) has never really been settled.

He was gelded at 2 but was Cryptorchid and had to have surgery to remove the "hidden" testicle. The university hospital where he was done were confident they got it all, but I'm now beginning to wonder. He's had a blood test and his testosterone level was normal. However he does display the following:

Quite a cresty, chunky neck but not overweight
Poos all around the perimeter of his field
Very vocal, squeals a lot while ridden and in hand
Quite opinionated but no nasty
Mare in the next paddock has come into season and he's very interested
no calmer seems to work on him!

I've just started him on agnus castus to see if that helps at all but I've heard really good things about Global Herbs Rig Calm??
Click to expand...

Good lord I could have written this myself down to the breed... Rigcalm doesn't seem to be working with mine though :S
 
pennyturner said:
There's nothing natural about a mixed herd. In the wild there are two types of herd.

Breeding: 1 breeding male. 1 dominant female + lots of mares and foals under 2yo. Breeding stallion will fight any male rival, attempt to steal mares from others, drive away older colts etc.

Bachelor: Lots of non-breeding stallions, youngsters kicked out of breeding herd + ex-breeding stallions now past it. In this environment, the other males are just security and company, not rivals. They display no 'stallion' behaviour at all, except perhaps some rough play between the young colts - who are quickly taught manners by the older horses.
Click to expand...

Actually sounds like my boys herd, he is the dominant make he has his alpha mate and 3/5 others only one being a gelding who is at the bottom of the pecking order. Seems pretty natural to me, we haven't had a proper field fight in over two years despite mates coming and going and the new gelding entering the herd.

I've always heat in mixed herds with a larger number of Mares than geldings and never had an issue and I've been around horses for 27+ years now, so either I'm very very lucky as was my dad and the various livery years owners were also or there is something in it.

I would never stable my horse where he couldn't have contact with mares.
 
Black Beastie said:
My 25yr old 'services' the mares, herds, protects and is very opinionated in his herd environment. I don't have the issues you have under saddle he is vey mannerly despite being opinionated lol. He displays all behaviours but definitely isn't a rig or entire. Some geldings are just more highly sexed than others I think.
.
Click to expand...

I have one of these horses, although he is 16 not 26. I found he is happiest when turned out with mares. He has been in a mixed herd before, but that causes altercations with geldings. Best set up for him is just mares, he is a happy chap and the mares seem to like it too! When in a male only herd on a mixed yard his behaviour became unmanageable, he almost broke a stable door down trying to get into a mare's stable who was in season. I had him blood tested and definitely not a rig, just cut late and highly sexed!
 
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