Critique please, Thinking about gelding

[mshasta88]

I’m thinking about gelding my stallion but I wanted to see what people thought of him first. I would hate to geld a true dun like him but the market isn’t that great and I don’t think I will show him sense he is 12. I bought him last year and he has only been used a handful of times to breed. I think he has settled 2 of my mares for 2013 foals which I have plans to show.

He is a little overweight in these pictures but please give me your honest opinion.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I would geld. He's cute but not stallion material, IMHO. I don't know if it's the pic, but boy, do his legs look short. Back looks long for his build, too. Pretty head, though!

 

[Jill]

No one else can tell you what you should do. He's your horse and you have to be the one happy with the choice.

How do you think he stacks up to horses who are winning in halter, or to those siring champion foals?

For my horses, I don't want to have a stallion who hasn't done very well (and I mean championships and National level wins) in halter. There are just too many very nice stallions out there for me to want to use one that isn't my definition of high caliber.

 

[mshasta88]

Yes, his legs really are that short and I think he is a little long. I bred him to my two mares that I think can fix this but I don't think he can stand against my other stallion who has shown and done well or even stand against anyone else’s stallions. I believe I will be calling the vet out soon to end his career as a stallion.

 

[minimomNC]

If the thought even remotely crossed your mind, do it. I am firm believer there is no stallion to good to geld. The horse in my avatar is a prime example(he is a yearling), most everyone that has seen him thinks he would have been a wonderful stallion, but I am much happier with having a Grand Champion Gelding instead and I didn't need a stallion. He already has 3 of his Grands toward his HOF and I am loving having an awesome horse out showing that I don't have to decide to bring home and breed. So gelding all the way.

 

[muffntuf]

Right now, tough choices, but gelding is an option. Most good stallions make great geldings, that's what I am told anyways.

 

[targetsmom]

Maybe because I come from several decades of big horses, but I feel that unless a colt (or stallion) is in the top 5% of his peers, or can produce foals in that top 5%, he should be gelded. Sorry, but I don't think your stallion would be included in that select group. We are actually looking forward to gelding our stallion in a few years and he has sired foals that I feel ARE in that 5%. (Judges agreed on one case, pending on the others). Good stallions make GREAT geldings!

 

[mshasta88]

I agree! I know he has produced some nice foals however those foals haven't been shown either. I have other very nice horses so I don't need to be using this stallion any more. I will only have 2 foals from him and would be taking a major lose on him but I don't know anyone right now that isn't take a major lose on their horses.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I'm the other way around, unless a stallion shows me he doesn't deserve to keep his testicles, I'll let them keep them. My boys are very happy, social, and well mannered.

 

[Hayley~Diaz]

I'm the other way around, unless a stallion shows me he doesn't deserve to keep his testicles, I'll let them keep them. My boys are very happy, social, and well mannered.

I have to kind of disagree. If I had a colt that was complete non-stallion material, even if he was the best behaved little guy, I would still geld him. I believe in the persuit of 'perfecting' the breed and its a lot harder for the main reason that if you sold a stallion/colt to an inexperienced owner, chances are they will breed the unsuitable colt which is not ideal for the miniature horse breed gene pool overall.

I don't mean to offend you, it's just my two cents worth

 

[Hayley~Diaz]

I think he's a cool little guy and as people have already stated, he is a bit long and short in the leg. If he was mine, I'd definitely highly consider gelding. I think he will make a fab gelding

 

[Marty]

I think its reaching when people think a stallion's attributes can "fix" problems on a mare.

He's cute but I'd be gelding him.

 

[Wings]

You say you'd hate to geld a true dun, but if he was a solid bay would you be gelding him for sure?

If the answer is yes then you should geld, colour is never a reason not to geld IMHO.

 

[LindaL]

I say GELD...

I am gelding my National Futurity Champion stallion tomorrow!!! Why?? Because we aren't breeding and we will both be much happier with him as a gelding!