getting him gelded what happens

kylee86

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2012
Messages
262
Visit site
i have just been reading a previous post asking how much it is to geld. my vet is coming out nxt friday to give my boy 2nd vaccinations and to see if he has dropped. now i have just been thinking and was woundering how they are done,how long will it take, and will my colt be depressed after
 
the horse is normally sedated and injected with local anesthetic then

the vet gets these great big things that look like giant "nut crackers" :D
kind of squashes them in it ,then slices them off :D

should only take about 20mins
he'll sulk for weeks how could you do such a thing mam :p

na if all goes well he'll be a little sore for a few days but they recover quite quickly
 
thanks lol this may sound stupid to anybody that knows. but will he be standing or completely out of it on the floore
 
He will be standing if it is done under sedation. My boy bounced back within 48 hours. He was 8 months old and I couldn't have waited much longer as he was very colty. He was escaping all the time and getting bolshy and nipping me. It did still take another 6 months though for him to calm down and turn into a nicer horse!
 
Some vets will geld with them standing, most with a weanling or yearling will have them on the floor.

They are dopey when they come around but as long as they are kept moving over the next few days they are fine.
 
Mine was done standing at a year. Took minutes. Had a tiny little wound maybe five stitches tops. I genuinely think he didn't notice. Went straight out and galloped across the field next day. No selling or anything. Guess he was lucky.
 
mine was done standing at 2 years old

mine didnt get depressed. You still have to keep them away from mares for a few weeks after.

I gave him arnica to help with bruising and pain.
 
He will bleed for a little bit afterwards as well. My vet says as long as you can count the drips there is no need to worry. But if it's a continuous stream then you have to get the vet back.

They may also be a little swollen down there for a couple of days. One friend was convinced that mine was still a colt!

I've also seen a vet do a "slice and rip" job. That was an experience. He just sliced the sack open with a scalpel, grapped hold of a testicle and ripped it out. (It made a oddly satisfying snapping sound and I've memorised the technique to use on hubby - should he get on my nerves!!! :D) Had I been a man it would probably have made my eyes water! It still did the job though. The horse had no problems afterwards.
 
Last edited:
my boy isnt realy coltish he does nip my coat but stops when i tell him no seems more cheeky. he does show hes annoyed when im trying to get back feet up with swishing of the tail the he will kick out. dont no if that would be classed as coltish or just a baby. the only reason im having him done is because there are a few mares in the nxt field most old but still mares so best to be safe than sorry. i would hate for him to jump on to the oldies.
 
With mine the vet came had a feel round for both
Sedated 1st then anaesthetic after couple of mins went down on the floor
Had to hold leg up for vet whilst he opened him up, only a small incision and 'popped' them out
Then clamped for a minute then after a crunch 1st one came off
Then the second
Everything else poked back in and wound left open
He sat up after about 10 mins then stood after 20 n looked miserable for a few days
He was very careful walking round for the next week but otherwise fine
Defineatly no depression as finally allowed out with the mare lol
Hope that gives you an idea of my experience but sorry to be graphic!
N&F
 
We had ours done last Monday, all the others have had done under ga, these are the first 2 done standing, one was all ok, the other has swollen and had to be reopened, which is quite common, you watch them change over a good few weeks, but for the best
 
Most of mine were done on the floor.
Sedation, then stretch back leg back, vet sat behind horse, slit skin on testicle, and popped out the inside bit, then snip!! same with other one, sack NOT stitched as other wise it wouldnt drain.
this was done outside in the field!
held horse until sedation had worn right off, then let him go to get on with it!
Keep an eye that it is draining , and although there will be some swelling, make sure it hasnt sealed up to quickly and is filling with blood, as long as it keeps draining, leave well alone, no need to bathe or mess with it unless it seals up to quickly!
 
Local anaesthetic..pair of clamps whilst following around in stable and then slung them into corner on floor! I remember did feel sorry for itself and I am sure was sore. Walked a bit gaited at the back end after anaesthetic wore off! Such a shame but they soon get over it!
 
I am just going to put up a video in Vet for anyone who is interested.
Very informative with close up views of the operation.
If you want to know what to expect this is excellent.
 
My lad was done at 9mo. He was sedated and twitched and it was done standing. He was fine when he came to but I was quite sad they they were only about 1/2 the size of my thumb!

He was bedded on straw for 2 weeks and jumped out of his field 3 days later (eek!) he was fine but got a bit of a beasting from the ponies whose field it was.

He's still pretty cheeky mind! No long term harm!
 
With mine the vet came had a feel round for both
Sedated 1st then anaesthetic after couple of mins went down on the floor
Had to hold leg up for vet whilst he opened him up, only a small incision and 'popped' them out
Then clamped for a minute then after a crunch 1st one came off
Then the second
Everything else poked back in and wound left open
He sat up after about 10 mins then stood after 20 n looked miserable for a few days
He was very careful walking round for the next week but otherwise fine
Defineatly no depression as finally allowed out with the mare lol
Hope that gives you an idea of my experience but sorry to be graphic!
N&F

Had Shuffles gelded at 2,similar to above but vet had a rope around neck and attached it to the back leg,to hold leg out of the way.Shuffles was out cold on the floor,had to keep him down for a little while when he woke.This was in the 80s,sure things have changed some.
 
Don't let your dogs (or anything else) eat the excised testicles! They are full of anaesthetic and can cause them to be sick, and anaesthetise the tongue and mouth.
 
There are a variety of videos of colt castrates on YouTube. I found it useful to watch one before the colts were done since I've not seen it before.

They were done at 8 months, GA in the field with 2 vets and large gaggle of vet students. Neither were that sorry or sore or lost weight. The only exciting moment was when one of them tried to stand up too quickly after coming round and did the bambi on ice thing but thankfully he did not damage himself.

Just remember to have them on straw not shavings until the wounds close. Gentle turnout will help keep the swelling down.

You will get your instructions from your vet and just watch for anything hanging down from the wounds and bleeding more than drops than you can count.
 
Last edited:
Top