New horse - no testicles but very obvious stallion behavior!

S

showaddy1

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 August 2011
Messages
499
Visit site
A horse came up advertised cheap (ish), nicely marked.. 6 year old.
Horses are kept on mixed herd turnout.
He's been in there for four weeks now, the mares have been in season continously. The boys are all squabbling for the 'boss' title, the horse in question squeals, strikes out, does all the courting, but doesn't actually mount. He nickers, curls his lip, and generally is a little 'odd'
He's passported a gelding, he def has nothing to feel..
Anyone have and experience of this?!
 
You don't need testacles to want attention! It's possible he was cut late and remembers, but he may just be very pleased with his new girly friend.

You should have seen the squealing, striking out and 'courting' between two of my stallions who'd been separated for a week or so recently. They're best friends, and were overjoyed to see each other.
 
yes, my friends Arab is like this, he got castrated late, goes into hyper drive if there are mares around, very aroused but doesn't mount, one of mine is very stallion like too and i can tell by his conformation and breed that he was castrated late too, sounds like you might have a bit of a rig?
 
I've just rung vet re blood test, just to check testosterone levels, they'll ring me back with price.
I'm not lucky enough to have my own land, and it's only a matter of time till someone complains. He's only 6 now, and passports dated four yrs ago as a gelding, so couldn't be that late being cut?
 
Lots of geldings will do this in spring and if they meet new mares. Nothing unusual. Just remember that the testes are not the only producers of testosterone in the body - the adrenal glands also produce testosterone. A gelding is still a male horse, with a male brain - all he's missing are testes. The small amount of testosterone produced will be enough to act on a male brain to drive a whole range of male behaviours up to and including erections, it's often the case that the only "behaviour" missing in a gelding is ejaculation.
Once the novelty has worn off (on both sides - since the mares are usually the ones who spend a lot of time trying to persuade the geldings), everything will settle down just fine.
 
showaddy1 said:
I've just rung vet re blood test, just to check testosterone levels, they'll ring me back with price.
I'm not lucky enough to have my own land, and it's only a matter of time till someone complains. He's only 6 now, and passports dated four yrs ago as a gelding, so couldn't be that late being cut?
Click to expand...
good idea ref the vet, only he will know, could be a sneaky testicle hiding away but it could also be the spring grass , his age and wanting to be boss of his herd if he is easy to handle in all other regards, out of interest was he suspiciously cheap?
 
Thanks for the reassurance.. not suspiciously cheap, but kept alone!! He's not bothering the mares, they are flirting around him, it's just the constant nickering when away from them. He holds himself extremely proud, hasn't been ridden yet, he was poor when came to us so wanted to get worms, teeth and a bit of dr green in him!
 
This is completely normal. According to some study stats, 25% of geldings retain stallion behaviour - and it doesn't matter what age they are cut. Modifying stallion behaviour is more to do with what experiences they've already had and how much you put into training after you've got the testosterone under control.
 
Mine was gelded at 4 (quite possible he covered in Ireland, seeinf as he was cut quite late). He is very selective - most in-season mares get bitten if they try and seduce him, but he loved our old girl to bits, and would happily hop on board if she fancied a bit (which she often did - the trollop)
He also makes stalliony noises and leaps around out hacking if he sees other horses approaching. He's like a 5 legged Oliver Reed!
 
Mine was cut late. He has a constant erection around mares and becomes very attached. I could never put him in the same field.
 
Lots of geldings do this, especially at this time of year and when introduced to new girlies. My old chap used to regularly go the whole hog with some of his favourite ladies - he was very popular! Definitely a gelding, 'though.
 
I have two young Highlands (3yo's) in what I call the foaling field with two younger colts. The gate is rather low because it doesn't take much to keep mares with foals in. The 3yo's were castrated about two weeks ago. This morning, one hopped the gate and was off courting the girls through the fence. No harm done but I did wonder about his behaviour. Neither have had any experience of connubial bliss. From the above, I shall not worry that the vet was 'on' something he shouldn't have been and that he did his job professionally!
 
Dry Rot said:
I have two young Highlands (3yo's) in what I call the foaling field with two younger colts. The gate is rather low because it doesn't take much to keep mares with foals in. The 3yo's were castrated about two weeks ago. This morning, one hopped the gate and was off courting the girls through the fence. No harm done but I did wonder about his behaviour. Neither have had any experience of connubial bliss. From the above, I shall not worry that the vet was 'on' something he shouldn't have been and that he did his job professionally!
Click to expand...

Not to worry you, but it does take several weeks for the testosterone to die down (and there could still be a few sperm....) .
 
My lad is now 9 he was a serving stallion till 5 1/2 cut and turned away for a year but never turned out with other horses, so sadly he has no equine social skills what so ever current yards has small her dof 2 mares and 1 gelding and sadly he can't be turned out with them. The ladies through themselves at him and he hasn't the heart to say no and as he has nil social skills he doesn't understand gentle grooming so when the gelding grooms him he thinks hes been bitten and gets all defensive and nippy wars break out and he gets evicted from the field. Thank fully he is very good alone but it is a shame as he would love a little friend and I have discovered the smaller the friend the less threatened he is as best buddies with cats and dogs and briefly a little welsh a foal!
Always worth a blood test to see if a rig or a undescended testicle but sadly some boys will always be randy especially when theres some tarty ladies available
 
I had a gelding that acted like a stallion, all the mares loved him, but he preferred to mount another gelding. Especially when said gelding was wearing a rug with a red bordered tail flap....mmmmm.
 
My boy (rising 8) is definitely a gelding and until recently has never shown any stallion like tendencies... been turned out with placid mares, no problem. Then we turned two new mares out with him (bringing his harem up to 3) who were in full blown season at the time and incredibly flirtatious. needless to say, he showed them some attention (never mounting them, just inquisitive). So yes, completely normal and very much dependent on the horses in question. Love it how its the boys that get the finger pointed at them though - typical!
 
Can't help but think that if he was kept alone (poor boy) that he's just thrilled and excited to be in company. THB I don't like mixed herds because of this sort of behaviour but he'll probably settle given a bit of time and introducing any horse into an established herd always causes a bit of a fuss at first.
showaddy1 said:
Thanks for the reassurance.. not suspiciously cheap, but kept alone!! He's not bothering the mares, they are flirting around him, it's just the constant nickering when away from them. He holds himself extremely proud, hasn't been ridden yet, he was poor when came to us so wanted to get worms, teeth and a bit of dr green in him!
Click to expand...
 
Yes oldie, that's what I'm hoping - and that he will settle when the girls get bored and stop waving their wares in his face! He's a strange little soul, will now come to call - but the second he's finished his feed, will spin and tank off to the others at full speed.
 
Proper rig test is pricey, I had it done on mine to find out 'if he was a tw*t for a reason or just a tw*t', turned out he had no reason, he was cut at 3 years old but acted like a stallion. The mixed herd situation will do you no favours if he is a little fruity, I personally wouldn't risk it, especially with a horse shod all round if any of them are. I am sure many will come on and say theirs are fine but I have seen both ends of that argument!
 
My girl is a flirty mate- poor boys when she is in season as she wants nothing but a snog & then when she's not she can tolerate them! But she isn't a social horse & quite dominant; which I think works with her mix heard. She's kept on chaste berry all year round which helps a lot!
 
I had a very late cut gelding on loan for a while and he could not have been less interested in the ladies. That is untill we one day happened upon a field with donkeys in. I then saw his full stallion act, tail flat on back grew 2 hands and willy alert! It was hilarious as he was a gorgeous arab and the donkeys were 11h n tip toes, really old girls. He was turned out with mares (horses) full time in the herd and never showed any interest spring included, he was cut at 7.

It takes all sorts and I think yours is just pleased to have company im Sure he'll settle.
 
I bet he's just excited about the company. Our gelding was kept in his own (apart from briefly sharing with a mare) until we bought him at 15. He was so happy to be turned out with others (geldings only). He has been kept in a mixed herd on and off since and despite being kept on his own for about ten years prior to us having him, he abhors being left alone. He's 37 now and acts like a baby if his mare leaves the field! Horses need company and he's probably making up for lost time!
 
I had to have my gelding rig tested after he mounted a new mare, to be fair, he cut her up badly with his shoes, this after living with our mare for two years, he isn't a rig, for some reason he reacted to this particular mare and yes I did pay her vet bill
 
Cortez said:
Not to worry you, but it does take several weeks for the testosterone to die down (and there could still be a few sperm....) .
Click to expand...

Not worried as I knew that already and the vet also reminded me! The boys are allowed no nearer the ladies than the stallion is as they were, until recently, in an all male herd, usually with at least a field between them and the females. As I said, this recently gelded colt had hopped a gate and was showing off to the mares over the fence with no physical contact.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top