Earliest you have gelded?

[LostandFound]

What's the youngest you have ever gelded a colt? Do you think he got taller as a result of early gelding? Reasearch in larger horses shows that gelding early makes them end up taller than those that were kept a stallion, and miniature is a height registry. I do intend to ask the vet about the logistics, but I think I'm going to try at 2 months.

 

[chandab]

Earliest I've done is yearling; but if they are down they can be gelded. Minis are notorious for being late droppers, so some can not be (easily) gelded until they are a bit older, three years is quite common.

 

[Kelly]

I have heard that too, that if you geld young they end up taller, but how young is young? IDK I think 2 months is definitely young, but is a year old colt still considered ”young”?

My vet likes to geld at about a year so that is what I go with.

I gelded Breezy at a year and he grew like a weed between 2 and 2 & a half. It seemed like every time I looked at him he had another growth spurt and I look at them a lot every day.

Stormy was a year when I gelded him and I really didn’t notice any growth spurts with him, not like I did with Breezy.

Bentley was a year and a half or so, maybe even closer to 2yo. I haven’t noticed any growth spurts yet with him. I’ll keep you posted.

 

[Standards Equine]

I like to geld my colts at 3 months, or the day before weaning if at all possible. If they're dropped, they're out! I don't mess around with that. But we breed warmbloods, not minis.

 

[LostandFound]

Glad to hear someone else does it young. Most of the studies I've seen consider young 18 months or less so 2 or 3 months is definitely young. I haven't checked for beanbags yet but based on his behavior I'm hopeful. He definitely can't wait until he is a year old unless he gets weaned around 2 months. I think I'd rather give him extra time with his momma than with his beanbags.

 

[chandab]

Glad to hear someone else does it young. Most of the studies I've seen consider young 18 months or less so 2 or 3 months is definitely young. I haven't checked for beanbags yet but based on his behavior I'm hopeful. He definitely can't wait until he is a year old unless he gets weaned around 2 months. I think I'd rather give him extra time with his momma than with his beanbags.

Horses aren't fertile until at least 9 months old, so normal 4-6 months of age for weaning should be just fine, even if not gelded early. Definitely separate the cheeky ones from mares by 9 months of age.

 

[LostandFound]

He may not be able to impregnate her, but he can give her an infection. Which can cause her to lose a foal, or just be a pain to deal with. My vet said no gelding until they are 5 months old though so it looks like he will be getting weaned early.

 

[LostandFound]

Or maybe talking to a different vet. Although I didn't feel any bean bags yet anyway.

 

[Standards Equine]

Glad to hear someone else does it young. Most of the studies I've seen consider young 18 months or less so 2 or 3 months is definitely young. I haven't checked for beanbags yet but based on his behavior I'm hopeful. He definitely can't wait until he is a year old unless he gets weaned around 2 months. I think I'd rather give him extra time with his momma than with his beanbags.

That's my thinking too. My recent colt that I gelded at 1 day past 3 months NEEDED to be gelded. I did not like him at all. He was born with both testicles dropped. The first clinic I phoned didn't want to do the castration before 6 months, preferably not until 1 year. I think I would have hit this colt with a shovel well before then! The second clinic felt it was a little early but agreed to geld him because both were down. A week after castration, he went from pushy and headstrong, to attentive and respectful. I've kept him, he'll be a year old on the 11th. He's gigantic, but his mom is 16.3 so... And he's so much fun now! He's confident and curious but isn't disrespectful. Just the way I like them!

My second colt from last year didn't get gelded until after 6 month because one wouldn't drop down out of the body cavity. It finally did, but his behavior was much more benign. It didn't bother me to leave him longer. Might have done him good because he became a bit more confident to play with his gigantic penmate.

 

[LostandFound]

The shovel idea is pretty good...now I've got a picture in my mind of whacking him with a little plastic beach shovel. He's actually not too bad to handle. Just the breeding behavior is a little too much, and momma is tolerating it if she is distracted by hay. And of course he is trying to challenge my stallion.

 

[Standards Equine]

Oooo @LostandFound He's a spicy little dude! In my own herd, that would be gelded as soon as possible. My stallion remained a stallion because he is so very respectful and safe. He also got raised with cranky geldings and cold mares. He learned to be polite. Best wishes with him and the situation!

 

[chandab]

That's my thinking too. My recent colt that I gelded at 1 day past 3 months NEEDED to be gelded. I did not like him at all. He was born with both testicles dropped. The first clinic I phoned didn't want to do the castration before 6 months, preferably not until 1 year. I think I would have hit this colt with a shovel well before then! The second clinic felt it was a little early but agreed to geld him because both were down. A week after castration, he went from pushy and headstrong, to attentive and respectful. I've kept him, he'll be a year old on the 11th. He's gigantic, but his mom is 16.3 so... And he's so much fun now! He's confident and curious but isn't disrespectful. Just the way I like them!

Horses are supposed to be dropped at birth, then many hold them up high for their first year or so (not back through the ring, just not dropped fully into the scrotum.

 

[Standards Equine]

Yes, exactly what I'd experienced with my second colt last year @chandab I could feel the second "beanbag" just above the scrotum on the verge of the abdominal wall, but the vet wasn't confident in taking them out until they were both properly dropped. I understand there's a chance that they can migrate deeper into the abdomen when they're rolled on their backs for the procedure otherwise... Anatomy...