Would you buy a cryptorchid colt?

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pennyturner

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My perfect horse, ticks every box, but has an undescended testicle, hence affordable!

I have a pony stallions and colts, who run together with geldings. They are home-broken and totally quiet (ridden by children). But, this is a 16.2 horse, not a pony.

Could be my horse of a lifetime - advice?
 
Find out how much the operation costs to remove the undecended testicle then you can make your decision. If he cant be operated on then dont-touch-with-a -barge-pole.
 
I'd try to locate the missing testicle before making a decision. If it is just above the inguinal ring it will be a relatively minor op but it could be right next to a kidney and that would involve quite major surgery and expense. I don't think leaving the missing testicle in situ is an option.

It could be, of course,that the colt has only one testicle but this is very rare, the second is usually hiding somewhere. Hopefully a US scan would be enough to locate it.
 
My pony stallion (12yo) is also cryp. Was given to me as a youngster, and I didn't notice he had anything missing! He is an angel, but only after lots of work with him as a bolshy colt.

Has anyone else had this experience?
 
I have a cryptorchid colt, didnt know this when i bought him, only realized when he went to have them cut and only one was there. He's 2 this year and already getting a handful esp when the 2 mares come into season, he has to be kept seperate from them (not fair on him really as hes kept alone) hoping to have the op ASAP, i feel leaving him till spring is too long as he's getting bolshier all the time and will be worse in the spring.
I have been quoted up to £800 depending on where it is located.
Would have i bought him knowing he was a cryptorchid??



Probably not.
 
How old is he?

His testicle may still make an appearance.

I don't think it's a risk I would take though. If you left him entire, even if he was very pleasant, if your circumstances changed and you needed to sell him you would not find many buyers.
 
pennyturner said:
My pony stallion (12yo) is also cryp. Was given to me as a youngster, and I didn't notice he had anything missing! He is an angel, but only after lots of work with him as a bolshy colt.

Has anyone else had this experience?
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My friend had one, a fairly bolshy, 'riggy' pony although with an experienced handler/rider and turned out only with geldings was fine. Up until the retained testicle had turned cancerous and then wrapped itself around his gut necessitating emergency colic surgery.. This is not uncommon and would put me off buying a monorchid or cryptorchid.
 
He's 3, so I doubt it will make an appearance, although could be inguinal I suppose. I'm certainly going to go see him and have a good rummage (temperament permitting!)

Rhino, that sounds aweful. I had heard about a possible cancer risk, but thought it was a problem when partially gelded, not when left alone.
 
pennyturner said:
He's 3, so I doubt it will make an appearance, although could be inguinal I suppose. I'm certainly going to go see him and have a good rummage (temperament permitting!)
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Presumably you can afford the surgery to have the retained testes removed - so providing he's everything you want in a horse, go for it and book him in for the surgery...
 
pennyturner said:
Rhino, that sounds aweful. I had heard about a possible cancer risk, but thought it was a problem when partially gelded, not when left alone.
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No, testicular cells are 'designed' to be kept at at temperature lower than body temperature (hence their location ;) ). It is believed that the increased incidence of testicular tumours in monorchids or cryptorchids is due in part to the temperature difference. It also affects sperm motility/health but that's not so important here.

It was actually very 'lucky' that the testicle caused a torsion in my friend's pony as the tumour was found and removed during the colic op - if it had been left much longer the prognosis for the pony wouldn't have been so good (5+ years on now and he's healthy and in full work)
 
Personally, I would be very careful. If you can afford the op then it may be worth a go. Pharaoh was one and we didn't know until the mares at the yard had foals, the vets said it was unlikely he was one but they were wrong! We had it operated on (cost about £3000 a few years ago, plus after care) but the op went wrong so he had to be put down in 2010. Good luck if you do decide to go ahead though :)
 
We had one last year, I kept waiting and hoping it would drop but nothing. He was 22 months old when he went in, it was pretty straight forward with him and my bill was about £600.
 
Swift, I'm very sorry to hear about Pharoah. I suppose this is the flip side of the cancer risk when deciding whether to operate.

Part of me is thinking that I can offer a permenant home to a one-balled stallion (I have a no mare policy), so isn't he better off with me than being passed around as a 'problem'.
 
We paid £700 for a Shetland:eek: to have the surgery and it wasn't overy difficult to find the missing one, can be very very costly surgery, like others have said you shouldn't just leave them with one ball as the one inside the body is at the wrong temperature and can go cancerous, just like in dogs..... you should NEVER just remove the visible testicle XX Buttttt if you can afford surgery then go for it.
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
We paid £700 for a Shetland:eek: to have the surgery and it wasn't overy difficult to find the missing one, can be very very costly surgery, like others have said you shouldn't just leave them with one ball as the one inside the body is at the wrong temperature and can go cancerous, just like in dogs..... you should NEVER just remove the visible testicle XX Buttttt if you can afford surgery then go for it.
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Sorry but your typo made me laugh :eek: :D
 
My friend bought a cryptorchid a few years ago, he was operated on successfully as a nearly 3 year old. The retained testicle already showed pre-cancerous changes. Op was around £800 -he was a big horse tho!
 
I had one done in the spring, a section A and it was £450. I bought him for not a lot and I had factored it in. I would do some shopping around on prices and try a vetinary school as they may do it cheaper
 
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