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  Discussion on Do I geld him and keep him or not?
Author Message
Member:
tamarag

Posted on Sunday, Feb 1, 2009 - 8:03 pm:

I have read all the threads about gelding. The pro's and the con's. Here is my problem and question.

I have a 7 yr old Shetland pony stallion. He is a wonderful boy. He runs with his mares and foals.

I recently have decided because of all the homeless horses in our area to quit breeding. I wanted to start riding again.

I got two new full size horses a mare and gelding. Well you can imagine things are not fun at our farm.

I have the two new horses in a large dry lot area. My stallion wants to eat the gelding.

We have gone back and forth on keeping our stallion and gelding him or gelding him and selling him. I hate the idea of selling him.

I have only read where some still like the women folk...but after gelding, do they still hate the geldings as much? That is our problem. He wants to do bodily harm to any gelding that comes near his mares. In fact he was pretty good with the new members. Would hang out at the fence. But when I put the two together (mare and gelding) he went totally nuts. Dug his way under a powder river gate and got into the lot. I can honestly say we had our hands full, I thought one of us was going to walk away injured. He was so hot by the time we got in there. I could not get his attention at all...not like him at all.

I am hoping you will tell me of course that he will be a happy go lucky horse and love everyone...but probably not the case....
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Feb 2, 2009 - 7:50 am:

Hello Tami,
That type aggression is part of being a stallion also so responds in the same way. For more on this see the "Gelding Behavior" section of the article if you have not read it yet.
DrO
Member:
hollyw

Posted on Monday, Feb 2, 2009 - 9:20 am:

Tami, my vote is to geld him, and I agree with your reasoning behind the question.
Member:
tamarag

Posted on Monday, Feb 2, 2009 - 12:33 pm:

He will be gelded for sure. Just can't decide if I want to geld him and sell him or keep him after gelding. I would love for him to be gelded and get to stay with his mares until he passes on.

But my fear is his hate for geldings on change and then I worry about him out with our daughter and her gelding. It is impossible when he is out running in the pastures to take the gelding out. I don't want anyone hurt....
Member:
ekaufman

Posted on Monday, Feb 2, 2009 - 2:22 pm:

Hi Tami,

Can you take some time to decide whether to keep him? I just gelded a 6 year-old breeding stallion, and his behavior changed almost overnight, but that isn't typical. Many horses will take a while to settle into their new selves, and the degree of change varies quite a bit among individuals. Can you geld him and then wait a few months to see how he goes?

- elk
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