TESTICLES !!!!!

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sjward

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This may be a silly question but here goes.............. I live in France and have just saved a 5yr old Mini Shetland mare and her approximately 8mth old colt from the meat man. So, very relaxed laid back colt is laying on his back legs in the air having a full on belly massage when I notice something is missing.. The Crown Jewels !!! I have never had a colt before so maybe its me thats missing something but there is absolutely nothing there, no sack for any testicles to descend into even if they wanted to. He really looks like he has already been gelded. I contacted the rescue centre and asked if they had noticed that he had been gelded and they said they had never got that close to him but they seriously doubted he had been gelded. My friend who has 10 Mini Shetlands in the UK says there should at least be a sack/bag to hold the boys once they drop. I'm baffled, just wondered what peoples thoughts were as he just looks like a mini version of my gelded pony!! Vet is coming out to give inoculations etc., in a week but just wondered what peoples thoughts are.
I know it may be crazy but in all my years I have never been near an entire horse/pony and felt sure on checking to see if testicles had descended that there would be something to get my hands on :-) Thanks
 
If you can get close enough to him, you would be able to have a good rummage up in there and feel little lumps. They tend to hide for a good few months when theyre little around weaning age, my yearlings have only really just blown up in the past month or so, but i was always able to feel them if i had a good grope. If they are very up in the abdomen, he would need an op to get them out, so best to know and don't let the vet fob you off either by saying they don't feel any. Id still watch for colt like behavior with mum and seperate if you notice him getting too frisky.
 
My six month old colt has no sack but the boys are there just not where they should be, if you can get a good feel around up there then you will feel them.

My boys left testicle is being shy and hasn’t fully descended but as soon as it has they are coming off before he realises what they are :)
 
Get your vet to look - and if he can't feel them -I wouldn't be too worried until he was 18 months old (assuming he isn't bonking every mare he gets near.) At 8 months - or even MUCH younger - you will see colt foals jumping on their friends or their dams - but it's playing. You're unlikely to see a proper bonk at this age. By the time he's 18 months, if there's still no sign of testicles and he's NOT trying to bonk, get your vet to test for testosterone. He certainly might have been castrated before he fell on hard times - many colts can be gelded as young as 4-5 months (cheaper and easier too.)
 
Thank you all so much for your replies. While he was standing I've had a real good feel around and can't find anything, he is such a sweet loving boy he doesn't object at all and quite happy to be poked and prodded. I've only had them 2wks but definitely not witnessed anything remotely frisky. No way of knowing what has happened in these two's lives but certainly I think she/they must of been at a good home at some point as the mare has been imported to France from Holland her passport is all in Dutch. Quite often horses here are in a good home and then an owner gets ill or dies and the family immediately send the animals to the meat man. Its shocking!
 
Its possible. At 8 months and in winter i would not expect too much frisky behaviour anyway esp to mum, so don't get too confident in that lol
 
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