Can you tell me your experiences with gelding?

[wingnut]

My new colt, Topper (White Tail Hynoptic Showstopper) is doing fabulously. Very relaxed, settled right in, eating and eliminating with no signs of anxiety or stress. The transition has been excellent for both of us as of today, Day 5.

From the start, my goal is to have him gelded. I *do not* have any desire to breed. I wanted a well bred, nice conformation boy to give me the opportunity to show in another sex class and to show on that "next level." Topper fits the bill in both cases.

My hope was to have him gelded next week. When my farrier was out on Sunday, he could only find the right testicle. I called my vet on Monday and asked if she would come out to check him because if she couldn't find the other testicle, we obviously would not be able to move forward with the gelding procedure next week.

She came and examined him. She concurred with what my farrier said on Sunday. This vet has a fairly decent amount of miniature experience. Her opinion is that he *might* drop the other testicle in the next 6 months (he was born in May 2012). And that if he does not, abdominal surgery would be required to perform the gelding.

I'm concerned about this on several levels. I have adequate means of keeping him separated from my girls. He is not acting in any way "stud-ish"...no dropping at the site or smell of the girls. I can manage another 6 months of separating them and playing the "switcheroo" game to keep them separated. What I'm concerned about is potential $1K surgical procedure that she gave me as a rough estimate (her exact words were $800-1200).

What I'm looking for is your experiences in when a colt has fully dropped and what you've experienced with colts who are fully dropped at his current age of 18 months.

I'm in very close contact with Marlene and Holly regarding this and they are fully aware of my concerns. Their experience is that it can take up to 2 and 2.5 years for some colts to fully dropped. That in the case of shows, it's only once they reach the age of 3 are stallions checked for fully desecended testicles.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and offering your recommendations.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I don't really have any experience in 'late bloomers' personally but it is not uncommon for minis to have only one easily seen testicle for the first couple of years. IMO it is too early for the vet to assume it will be a cryptorcid surgery and in fact is probably just giving you worst case scenario so you will be forwarned if the worst does happen. My vet will often do that, she says then when the results are better, which they are 99% of the time, her client is thrilled with the good outcome instead of horrified at an unexpected expense.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I had one that was 18 months before the vet could geld. They were tiny to feel. But lo and behold when he removed them, they were normal sized. Vet came out at first when he was a yearling, and could only feel one, so we waited 6 months. It's hard juggling the genders, but don't give up hope they will both drop.

 

[Minimor]

I had one drop his second one when he was a full two years old; another I waited until he was three and finally there is was. Had one that had to have crypt surgery for the missing one, that cost me $500. Having had that surgery fine once I will say that I definitely prefer to wait it out as opposed to doing the crypt surgery early on, just because one is still missing and I want it done now.

The rule book does say that stallions three and older are to be penalized in the showering if they don't have both dropped--but, I have had an AMHR judge check under a yearling colt to see if he had two (he did). As soon as one judge checked a second one followed suit.

It would be good if breeders did not use late dropping stallions for breeding--because late dropping stallions often sire late dropping colts (or they sire fillies who will later produce late dropping colts)

 

[madmax]

Was the second one able to be felt even tho it had not dropped? If so, it is possible that it will drop as time goes on and the development of increase in size will make it force itself through. I had a colt I purchased drop the second (it had been felt by the vet) at 4 years! It might have been there earlier, I would check him every so often, and I had not looked in a while, and on a whim took a look and there it was. After that I did breed him, he went on to sire 2 colts that had both in the proper place at birth, so the retention was not passed on. I believe that if they are there at birth there should be no problem. If you are not in a hurry you could give him time and save yourself the expense and trauma to him.

 

[romewhip]

Along with being a late dropper some colts have 'shy balls' lol. Some when they are being handled suck them up, and look as if there is only one. I'd wait as long as you possibly can before gelding if he isn't doing anything, and also try to catch a peek when he's relaxed. Get him used to having his parts touched, and check periodically when he's quiet, warm, and relaxed.

 

[user 3234]

We have a boy called, Smokey’s Little Surprise. We got him supposedly as a 2yo gelding out of an extremely bad situation. Tell the truth I did not even know if he would live a week. But he did, healed up and went on to be one of our best driving horses and always acted like a gelding and did not show interest in Mares beyond what a gelding normally would.

First surprise: Around 3 yo my husband was out with the minis and with a grin on his face told me something was wrong with him. What was wrong is he dropped a testicle. Okay immediately separated from everyone until the other one came down and we could have him gelded. 6 months later no 2nd one.

Second surprise: He is Crypt. So, over $1,000 vet bill later to do surgery to geld him and the vet confirmed the 2nd testicle would have never fallen. Thus the name, Smokey’s Little Surprise.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

ALL of our colts (so far anyways) have been dropped before their actual 1st birthday. Just had a few weanlings and a yearling gelded this week. Only issue we have ever had was one that didnt have the "ring" closed all the way. Havent dealt with a crypt or any late bloomers yet. I have passed on a few though that I have looked at purchasing that were not dropped yet and the owners admitted all from that line are late bloomers. I was shopping for a stallion prospect though....I would just wait him out and see if the other one comes down.

 

[Carolyn R]

I would first confirm whether both had been palpated for and felt prior to your purchase. Second, sometimes these guys are really good, I mean really good at sucking them up. Inquire about the first question, give him a little time to relax, and what I have found to be the most effective way on boys like this is don't try to palpated, but lift their hind leg like you would clean their hoof, but a bit higher, then pull out to the side a little bit, look at the tightly tarped skin from the base of the sheath into the curvature of the leg/under side of his rump,this will usually expose a small marble under the stretched skin just to the offset of the center line. Repeat on the other side to verify if you can see a testicle there also. This method has never failed me no matter how young or un-endowed the young colt may be.

 

[minimomNC]

Did your vet sedate to check for the second testicle? As several have said, they can hide them easily. I would have the vet sedate and check again, I also learned the check first lesson with a very expensive and "well bred" stallion from a very prestigious sale. Lost my shirt on him when he had to be gelded. The vet confirmed that the second testicle would never have dropped. Just as an FYI to anyone buying a colt for any reason, get a guarantee that both testicles are dropped. Of course for a stallion prospect but even if you want a gelding, it better to make sure you have a plan B should it become a surgery instead of routine. Its kind of hard to show a jr gelding if your colt doesn't drop until he is 3 or 4.

 

[madmax]

Just want to mention has your vet said whether he could feel that the ring was still open. In my case the ring was open and he could feel the second testicle with his finger, it was close not high up, just kind of hovering there (!).

 

[rabbitsfizz]

MM is right, you really need to have him sedated to really see if it is there or not- or ultrasound, that is not 100% but it can be useful and could save you $

 

[Riverrose28]

I've had this happen to me a couple of times, but patience did win out. We bought a colt to geld from a very well known farm, only he was five months old. Needless to say he didn't get shown as a junior, we were promoting out own colts and stallions. He didn't drop till he was almost three. Then I had one born here, that didn't have the proper atitude to remain a stallion, he didn't drop till he was two and a half.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I'm always gobsmacked when this issue comes up. Hand on heart, in 45 years of breeding all shapes and sizes I have never had a colt born without two fully descended testicles, and have only rarely had the testicles do the "Indian rope trick" at weaning. Even my Dobe puppies had them there- the Vet was amazed, I, never having bred puppies before, did not realise it was unusual!

 

[Debby - LB]

I never had one born without them there either and even though afterwards they will/may go up close to the body, both would always be easily palpable. I would not buy a colt (planned to be used for breeding) with testicles that could not be felt.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

....or one you want to geld before it is three

 

[shorthorsemom]

A mini I used to own that I gelded here had one testicle that was slow in coming down. I did not want to wait until he dropped the other testicle to geld him. He was very young and chances were that he would probably drop with no issue, but I did not want to wait. I had him ultrasounded. Other testicle was not all that deep, we opted to just operating rather than wait for it to drop.. Because the other testicle was not that deep they did him right here at the farm and it was not a big deal at all. He healed fast, the operation was not all that invasive because testicles that have not dropped are often very small in size. I would go with the ultrasound look see first before you decide anything. It is not expensive and will tell you what you have going on. My vets barely charged any different for my one boy that had one "hiding" as the other stud boy that had two fully descended. The vet said that minis heal so fast and are so tough, they don't require that they come into the clinic for the big bucks surgery. Heavier larger horses are more of a problem to do this procedure according to my vet. best wishes. Geldings are awesome.

 

[wingnut]

Thanks for all the input everyone. It's been very helpful!

 

[Annabellarose]

If I had a colt or a stallion that I was concerned about I would go ahead and schedule the gelding procedure and have the vet sedate him (as if they were preparing to do the procedure) and then have the vet look at him again; the sedation can "relax" them so much that they "pop" out or maybe sometimes the "fall" to the ground forces them out. It has been my experience (I geld everything...eventually) that the sooner (the horse's age) I have a horse gelded, the quicker and easier its recovery. I had 4 colts and stallions gelded on October the 4th and they have each suffered least to most and been recovering quickest to slowest in the exact order of their age, youngest to oldest (a yearling, a two year old, a three year old, and a seven year old former breeding stallion). Good luck! Gelding is wonderful and can make a significant difference in their personality and trainability (even if you don't think you/they are having any issues).

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

We had a full sized colt that only had 1 and a half. We sedated him, laid him down, and the half of one disappeared! The vet found it though, after MUCH digging. Poor guy was pretty sore when he woke up, but it wouldn't have dropped anymore. It was deformed, and super small. It took like 2 hours, but we got both off intact!

We gelded right in the middle of summer (we had a mare and no way to seperate). No issues. Kept him clean, bedded with straw, got a fly deterrent meant to spray on wounds, cold hose 2x a day for his comfort, and gave him a bit of aspirin the first day or two (due to the pain from the "digging.") even being "non routine," it really wasnt a big deal at all.