Year old stallion

[WinchesterGirl30]

Hey not sure if I should ask this here or on the mare stares page lol. So I have a little stallion who will be a yer old March 18, he is my first colt foal so I'm alittle in the dark here. He lives with my 4 mares. So my question is when do most people geld? I know you have ti wait for the testicles to decend but as I said he's just shy of a year and I think I'm just hardly feeling one now lol. Is he gonna be able to successfully breed before he has trm fully decended? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Yes he can breed the mares even though his testicles have not dropped. I have a colt that will be a year next month. He has not dropped. He is out with mares during the day for now. Once we move, he will be put in a pen separate from girls. I don't have plans of gelding him at this time.

 

[Jill]

He can breed your mares right now, regardless of whether or not he's dropped. Also,if you are not used to "feeling for them", they may really be down but held up close to his body and small (... tell him I mean no offense!). Best of luck, but unless you want four mares in foal to him, he should be gelded or removed from the mare herd pronto.

 

[bullockcorner]

What Jill said!

 

DITTO!!

 

[Margot]

Also I believe you cannot register off spring of a stallion that is less than two years old.

 

[WinchesterGirl30]

Thanks ladies! My girls aren't registered so that's no issue! But I'd rather he didn't breed his mom and sister lol I'm also not ready for any more babies! So even if they haven't really dropped he cam be gelded then eh?

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

They may just be small. They grow with the horse.

I would not have him with the mares at the moment to be honest.

 

[Jill]

They can be gelded even if truly not dropped or retained, but it is more invasive and expensive. Your vet, if familiar with gelding minis, should be able to tell if his testicles are really down. I've had a time when I thought one was retained, but my vet bcorrectly determined it wasn't, and the horse was gelded that same visit.. My favorite mini still, our golden palomino BTU son, "Bacardi"

 

[WinchesterGirl30]

SeparaING in my pen is hard to do but I might have to till I can get a vet. Hopefully both are down, it's going to be expensive enough lol. Thanks everyone!

 

[Jean_B]

There is a big difference between "not dropped" and "retained up inside the ring". I always check my boys when they are born because if the testicles are through the ring, then you do not have to do the invasive major surgery to geld. As newborns, they usually let them drop and you can tell if thru the ring, and then later some of them sort of suck them up where you can't find the little things, but they are through the ring. If they are NOT through the ring....that's a totally different story. Some colts will drop just one (called a cryptorchid) and again this requires major surgery.

 

[Mona]

If you can feel them at all, they are good to go. They don;t have to be "hanging". I have had colts as young as 5 and a half and 7 and a half WEEKS of age gelded! That was the absolute BEST way.

 

[WinchesterGirl30]

No I knew that if you can feel them it's good lol problem was only being able to feel one. He was gelded almost three weeks ago now, took even the vet a few minutes to say yes both were down! Both incisions are closed up and looking good! So now to wait and hopefully he didn't cover any of my mares! Lol Thanks guys!

 

[Jill]

Great news and way to go!