What can I do with my colt?

[Sizzlea89]

I have a rising 2 colt (not gelded yet) he's a section A welsh mountain pony.
i was wondering if anyone had any advice for me. All iv been doing with him at the moment is working on his manners. Backing up, standing still, lifting legs, grooming and getting used to someone coming into his stable routinely.
he favours rearing while leading and takes a tantrum when you don't walk where he wants to walk. I want to show him but I can't when he's this worked up and frustrating. Even when he's been out in the field all day he still has all this energy and excitement. He is bomb proof. I have been working a lot with bomb proofing him over the last couple of months because I thought at first he was spooking but nope he's just showing off and being cheeky. I have been told gelding him will settle him down and that is a work in progress as I am looking for a local vet with a reasonable price.

 

[AmyMay]

Geld him. You're running out of time to do it this year.

 

[Sizzlea89]

How long would you say I have left?

 

[AmyMay]

Possibly till the end of April. You'll be looking at October/November then.

 

[Sizzlea89]

I can't wait that long. I'll just get him castrated as soon as possible then. Thank you

 

[Jnhuk]

Yup need to do it before the flies start!

 

[Sizzlea89]

The flies are murder when they start. Iv been phoning round vets but no luck as of yet.

 

[AmyMay]

The flies are murder when they start. Iv been phoning round vets but no luck as of yet.

What, you can't find a vet to castrate? Why won't your own vet do it?

 

[Sizzlea89]

My own vets quoted me £800-£1000 to castrate him and I simply can't afford to pay that much.

 

[Sizzlea89]

I now have the issue of my partner deciding he is against castrating my colt. It needs to be done for him to stay on the yard but the yard owner isn't too fussed about it and said as long as there aren't any mares at the yard then it's fine.

 

[Capriole]

Why is it so much? Are there complications like a retained testicle or something? Otherwise that is WAY over what I would be expecting to pay for a straightforward gelding op.

As for your partner, does he part own the colt? Otherwise, none of his business, tbh.

 

[Sizzlea89]

He paid for initial purchase of him but it's my name on his passport. I pay for all care aspects as he was a gift to me. I was told that he is too small to do a standing gelding procedure by my vet but other vets have said he is suitable to do a standing procedure. Just need to find the right vet.

 

[Capriole]

Last gelding OP I paid for is about 4 or 5 years ago now, for a 2 yr old, at home but not standing, and it was £180. Stick a bit more on for price rises in the meantime, and there will be regional differences, and it still wouldn't get me to £800-£1k.

(Oh, and this horse was also a present from my OH, and my OH didn't like the thought of me gelding him but my horse, my decision).

 

[Sizzlea89]

Yeah my vet wanted to take him away from home to their clinic and to do it while he was under anesthetiser which to me seems a bit extreme for something simple. I'm going to contact the local vet school and see if they can give me a better idea and also help out the students.

 

[AmyMay]

I now have the issue of my partner deciding he is against castrating my colt. It needs to be done for him to stay on the yard but the yard owner isn't too fussed about it and said as long as there aren't any mares at the yard then it's fine.

It's nothing to do with your partner.

What part of the country are you in?

 

[Sizzlea89]

Haha I agree but my ears can't handle the male moaning haha

 

[Buddy'sMum]

Yeah my vet wanted to take him away from home to their clinic and to do it while he was under anesthetiser which to me seems a bit extreme for something simple. I'm going to contact the local vet school and see if they can give me a better idea and also help out the students.

I had a colt gelded years ago by the Glasgow Uni practice (at Lanark) they insisted on doing it under anaesthetic - what a faff and the poor lad got a whopping infection afterwards so it was an all round miserable experience and cost a fortune.

I had a colt gelded 2 years ago - standing, under sedation, at home - all done in about 20 mins, no infection or any other problems and cost just under £250. And £50 of that was the call out.

So I know which method I'd prefer to use in future.

 

[Zero00000]

I had my 4yo done 1st August last year, I took him into them due to his age, he bled a little more than they would have liked but standing procedure, with vacc, passport and micro chip I paid a little over £300

 

[Sizzlea89]

Iv been quoted £120 plus £45 call out charge. So that's the one I'm going for but I still don't know what I can do with him afterwords. How long does it take for hormones to wear off?

 

[madlady]

Wow OP that is a whopping price you've been quoted.

We have just had our 5yo done - he had to go in due to having a more established blood supply and they did him under GA - £450

 

[Buddy'sMum]

How long does it take for hormones to wear off?

A few weeks - my youngster was nippy and that stopped almost immediately after gelding - but some of your lad's bad behaviour might be established so be prepared for that, he'll need firm and consistent handling, like any youngster.

 

[Sizzlea89]

I would have fainted at that price but the blood supply is crucial to avoid and they do need to make sure they don't accidentally slice into the veins. I had a full conversation with the vet about his testicles and to be honest not something iv ever had to describe before haha.

 

[Sizzlea89]

A few weeks - my youngster was nippy and that stopped almost immediately after gelding - but some of your lad's bad behaviour might be established so be prepared for that, he'll need firm and consistent handling, like any youngster.

He only started being nippy last week. Nips the backs of my legs and arms. He got me a sore one on my back when I was cleaning his hooves the other day. Plus his friend that recently moved off the yard was a biter and I had to get 12 stitches on my backside a few months ago because he decided to take a chunk of skin. That was a not so fun hospital trip!

 

[Buddy'sMum]

OMG, painful! I was at my wits end with my lad's nipping, tried every trick in the book but he'd still have a go if he got half a chance. But it did stop very soon after gelding and I actually quite like him these days!

 

[Sizzlea89]

OMG, painful! I was at my wits end with my lad's nipping, tried every trick in the book but he'd still have a go if he got half a chance. But it did stop very soon after gelding and I actually quite like him these days!

I'm glad he's stopped nipping and your getting along a lot better I'm hoping pirate goes the same way. If like to find out who bred him though because he is a gorgeous little colt!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Wow OP that is a whopping price you've been quoted.

We have just had our 5yo done - he had to go in due to having a more established blood supply and they did him under GA - £450

I don't know about "more established blood supply" we did a 6 year old TB racehorse [full grown horse] on site,, there were complications but the vet was back within 20 minutes of the emergency callout, he was being checked every 10 minutes, and was fine, just needed some calcium , I think.

 

[buddylove]

I have had my sec a boys done already this year. They are rising 2, were done standing under sedation and cost about £200 each.

 

[coreteam1]

A few years ago I bought a NF x TB colt, he was 6 months old for the first few months he was fine and then he turned into a demon. He would rear when walked and handled and even reared and bit the back of my mums neck on landing!! He was also awful in the stable and pinned me in the corner when I was doing his water buckets, he just kept biting me and my sister had to rescue me with a stick!!
He was probably all of 14hh at the time!!
We had to tie him one side of the fence and do his rugs from the other! We used a brush handle to get his straps under his belly!! It all sounds funny now writing this but he was dreadful.
HOWEVER...once gelded he did calm down, he stopped the biting and the rearing became less and less. He's well in his teens now and loves everyone.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I have a rising 2 colt (not gelded yet) he's a section A welsh mountain pony.
i was wondering if anyone had any advice for me. All iv been doing with him at the moment is working on his manners. Backing up, standing still, lifting legs, grooming and getting used to someone coming into his stable routinely.
he favours rearing while leading and takes a tantrum when you don't walk where he wants to walk. I want to show him but I can't when he's this worked up and frustrating. Even when he's been out in the field all day he still has all this energy and excitement. He is bomb proof. I have been working a lot with bomb proofing him over the last couple of months because I thought at first he was spooking but nope he's just showing off and being cheeky. I have been told gelding him will settle him down and that is a work in progress as I am looking for a local vet with a reasonable price.

I was going to keep my boy as a colt to breed from him. As he neared two years he started rearing and bitting when leading him out, started to mount the 10hh animal in his paddock which was not a pony, and basically too much to handle as he is 15.1. After the animal came in with sores on her back and I saw him mount her and she dropped to her knees, I decided gelding was only option and all my plans were gone. Seems your now in that position even though smaller, I suggest gelding him. It will only get worse, my boys dad a well know stallion was as calm as a kitten generally, my boy was not so gelding was the only way to calm things down.