Gelding older ridden stallions - thoughts and experiences?

[measles]

We have been offered the chance to buy a super little 12.2hh jumping pony that I very much like having seen him jump and be handled by children. The catch is that he is entire and being a very well bred welsh pony has covered mares.

It wouldn't be practical or possible to keep him entire with us and if we were to buy him he would need to be gelded. Has anyone any experience of having this done to an older horse or pony (he's 9yo) and how did it affect their temperament, general outlook and ridden work? Also, how long were they off work and was the procedure without complication both at the time and post op? I must admit the prospect of having him cut does concern me at his age but perhaps that is misplaced....?

Many thanks for an thoughts.

 

[StormyGale]

hi measles i have had a rescue pony gelded late it was presumed he was 12 or over at the time i got him he was gelded with no problem and was fine within a couple of weeks to be ridden again i don't know how.well he jumped before but this didn't hinder him afterwards. he was in a herd when i rescued him anf he too also covered. it took him a little while to realise his bits were gone but was never nasty with it and he is turned out now with mares and geldings. i suppose with any gelding comes risk however i was told by vet it wasn't drastically higher than normal its the sedation stage they just have to be careful with . recovery time with him as i say was very straight forward and about 2 weeks or just over in total where we just hacked him for a bit until we knew he wad definitely comfy.

 

[Baggybreeches]

When I worked in a show jumping yard we had mostly stallions, with a couple of geldings in one barn and 1 mare and youngstock in another. The stallions were only gelded when they were tried and not proven good enough in competition. Some were gelded at 5, some weren't gelded until 11 or 12. It didn't make any difference as they were mannerly and well handled anyway (I have encountered far more obnoxious horses in livery yards). The only physical difference is that you will get a small pouch left behind (from the obvious cause!) but it never caused us any problems.
How old are we talking?

 

[measles]

Thanks, both. Very interesting and reassuring responses. He is rising 9yo.

 

[foxy1]

I've had 2 older stallions gelded, aged 10 and 11. Both had covered mares, took a couple of weeks off work to recover and turned out happily with mares and geldings after, but I did leave it about 3 months before turning out with mares. Both horses were mannerly well bought up stallions though.

 

[1t34]

We have two showjumping bred geldings that were cut late, one was cut at 7 the other rising 6. As baggybreeches says not a problem. Both had covered and one had progeny on the ground.

The only behavior difference with the later cut one is that we are careful who he is turned out with as he still does stalliony things, poos on top of others poos will defend his fence line and is a little defensive of his field mate. He isn't ever turned out with mares just one other gelding.

 

[EstherYoung]

The only behavior difference with the later cut one is that we are careful who he is turned out with as he still does stalliony things, poos on top of others poos will defend his fence line and is a little defensive of his field mate.

Spud was cut at 7 and he still does this at 16. We caught him wandering in repeated circles round the hay bale yesterday pooing on top of his own poo in a stalliony way every time he came across it. He is all talk and no knickers though - he gives it the big I am but if a horse stands up to him he deflates like a paper bag and doesn't know what to do. He was fine out with my old pony mare as she wouldn't stand for his nonsense.

When we first introduced him to being turned out with others we put him out with the herd boss initially who quickly taught him how to behave in polite society....

 

[TarrSteps]

I rode a Connemara who was gelded at 11 after his foals didn't really cut it, so to speak, and his owners imported a new stallion. He was perfect to ride, stayed away etc. He did go out in a group and was okay but the breeder ran their stallions in herds anyway so he had good social skills. He did behave like a stallion but not in any way that upset other horses.

One friend had her tit of a jumping stallion cut at about 9 as he wasn't going to do well enough competing to be worth keeping entire. He was, um, well equipped and was referred to the vet school in case he had problems with bleeding. He was still a tit after he was done but certainly had no negative physical affects.

I would say, on average, the older stallions I've seen done did tend to bleed a bit more and take longer to heal than immature colts but that stands to reason. Otherwise, if everything is normal it should not be a big problem. One vet did ultra sound before he would operate but I suspect he was just being paranoid.

It's common practice if a horse is being imported to North America and not going to be used to breed, to have it cut as part of the sale agreement. This is obviously because of then drastically more complicated import regulations for stallions, but also so the sellers bear the risk.

 

[Baggybreeches]

The only behavior difference with the later cut one is that we are careful who he is turned out with as he still does stalliony things, poos on top of others poos will defend his fence line and is a little defensive of his field mate. He isn't ever turned out with mares just one other gelding.

I have had geldings who were cut at 2 do this too, I think it depends on the horse's personality in general. But if the pony was worth having, I would have it anyway!
In fact just remembered that my step daughters pony of a lifetime was a stallion when he first came to us to sell on (he was 12) we couldn't sell him because people were put off by him being entire so he was cut, I ended up buying him anyway and he was/is the most generous amazing pony you could imagine. The only thing he does do is boss his field mate around a little bit, and he is quite fussy about men if he doesn't like them he never will!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

My lad was relatively young at 4 but he had covered several mares prior. He is fine in a mixed herd, with mares or geldings. He's an absolute gentleman.
The only thing I've noticed is that he feels protective in certain circumstances for my mares. If he is led across the yard with his mares and a stallion is coming through, I would be wary that he would take on the stallion. Without the mares, he'd be fine.
He's happy for his 'family' mares to have boyfriends, but if he disapproves, for a valid reason to a horse, he would grab the offender by the neck and pin him down.
This horse's temperament is the kindest, most non confrontational lad in the field, stable and under saddle I've ever known, but he does seem to have some stallion in him when he feels his guardian role is needed.

 

[TarrSteps]

My lad was relatively young at 4 but he had covered several mares prior. He is fine in a mixed herd, with mares or geldings. He's an absolute gentleman.
The only thing I've noticed is that he feels protective in certain circumstances for my mares. If he is led across the yard with his mares and a stallion is coming through, I would be wary that he would take on the stallion. Without the mares, he'd be fine.
He's happy for his 'family' mares to have boyfriends, but if he disapproves, for a valid reason to a horse, he would grab the offender by the neck and pin him down.
This horse's temperament is the kindest, most non confrontational lad in the field, stable and under saddle I've ever known, but he does seem to have some stallion in him when he feels his guardian role is needed.

The Connemara I mentioned was like this. He was very calm and confident, although he did not take **** from people or horses. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with having been a stallion, except perhaps that people had been careful with his training and that he had been left entire initially because he was an excellent individual. He could also jump!

 

[measles]

Thanks, all. As this is a 12.2hh pony for a child the issue of safety and how the op might impact on the pony is absolutely crucial. You have reassured me to a great extent.

Now, any advice on how to persuade OH we need another pony..???

 

[Mince Pie]

The only 2 geldings I know of who were gelded late were both gits to be honest! One wouldn't shut up and had to be turned out alone where he constantly fence walked, and the other had to go out in the stallion pen (working stud). However apparently they were bargy and rude as stallions so assume they haven't really changed much and was a sod to handle. If the pony was OK to ride/handle then I would have thought that he would be fine if you treat him like a stally for the first few months whilst you assess his behaviour.

 

[TarrSteps]

Is the pony currently being ridden by a child? Has he competed? The one I had had been competed by a professional but had also been ridden at home by her daughter. He had also lived on a big competition yard, been stabled at shows and had also lived on his owner's family farm, so he was a known quantity even before he was cut.

 

[measles]

The pony has been ridden and handled by children off and on but not consistently. He's never been in a professional yard or routine in the way we would have it but friends have known him all his life and say he is a child's pony.

 

[Baggybreeches]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1584642.-2207520000.1357170270&type=3&theater
This is him with the little girl we sold him to, I think she would be 9 or 10 in this picture? He had been a driving pony and had been handled mainly by adults but we just liked him so we started riding him (assuming he was broken to ride!) and he was perfect from day one, he was stabled next to mares and never once did he ever make me think he wasn't a perfect child's pony.

 

[Babs1983]

My horse was gelded aged 8 just before i bought him, after covering several mares. When i bought him he had fresh stitches. He can be turned out in a mixed herd with no issues, i ride him in mixed company and he behaves very well at shows and outings. His nature is impeccable and he is really easy to work with in all ways.

 

[Polotash]

I had one who was cut at 9. He was perfect to handle, in fact he formed a very close bond with me and was def a one person horse (fine to be handled by others but was never affectionate with them). However he was stalliony out in the field and we only turned him out our bossiest gelding, after we turned him out with another gelding of mine and he grabbed him by the throat and damaged him badly!

Other than that we had no issues and he happily travelled, stabled with and hacked out with mares.

 

[QueenOfCadence]

My boy's sire was 14.2hh of pure muscely stallion-ness and competed with a long line of young children for over 18 years (retired in the year he turned 33). So unless its really a horrid stallion, I can't think that behaviourally he'll pose a threat to your children once he's cut