Site Menu:
This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below: |
HorseAdvice.com » Equine Reproduction » Horse Breeding & Artificial Insemination » Breeding Topics Not Covered by the Above » |
Discussion on Cryptorchid colt | |
Author | Message |
Member: Tlcstabl |
Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 12:23 pm: Hi all:Just wondering how long one should wait to determine whether or not testicles will descend on a colt. We just purchased a 10 month old Morgan colt who's testicles have not yet descended. We have no intention of keeping him as a stallion so it didn't matter to us, but he is acting very "studdly" around the mares in heat. We have gotten many varying opinions -- usually from 12 - 24 months. Also, considering this may be a possible problem, what is the ideal age to geld him? Thanking everyone in advance for their help in this matter, Sherry |
Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 2:11 pm: SherryI would like to know also. One of mine is about 9 mo. and has not DrOpped. He is not acting studly tho. My other colt was gelded at 5 months. Colleen |
Member: Liliana |
Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 6:49 pm: I was playing with the idea of having my colt gelded at four months old, however only one DrOpped at that time, he is 13 months old now and both his testicles have DrOpped!As far as I was able to research the testicles DrOp at four months old only to go back up until they are 12months old,( I guess they need more cooking eh) Best regards, Liliana |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Tuesday, Apr 6, 2004 - 8:01 am: It is a misconception that the male foals testicles normally "DrOp" after birth. In the normmal foal the testicles are down at birth remain down. As Liliana notes above some foals do not DrOp until later, we have more information on this at, Care for Horses » Routine Care & Procedures » Castration in Horses.DrO |
Member: Contilli |
Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2004 - 7:22 pm: I have had two colts which only one testicle came down. We sedated one and tried to grab the chord to pull it down. We were unsuccessful. I had to take him to the hospital and have it removed. It was a “high flank”. The other was up beyond the “ring”. They both had to be put under general anesthetics. One was an Arabian at 11 months and the other was a Warmblood at 10 months. As far as I am concerned if you don’t see it right away your chances are slim that it will DrOp. And you don't want to keep them a stallion in this condition. It is not ethic to breed this genetic abnormality. |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2004 - 10:33 pm: My friend just had the vet perform surgery on her colt to find the non DrOpped testicle. They did it right on the farm ground, which I thought was unusual. Anyhow. that nite the horse was in severe pain and she called the vet. He said there was no long acting pain killer for horses. Is that true Dr. O. ?? Apparently the next day the vet told her to get the horse out walking, later in the day, his intestines fell out of the inscision. They returned and this vet said there was nothing they could do, either transport the horse 2 hours, or euthanize. He finally called in a few other vets and they pushed in the intestines and restitched. Now the horse is on stall rest for 2 weeks, his sheath is extremely swollen. He is finally eating, but jeez, kinda scary, don't know if he is out of the woods or not. He also has developed a cough, which the vet told her is probably just a spring cold. The main question I have is, is it true there is no long acting pain killer for horses. They gave him banamine. This horse had severe aggression problems so hopefully it will survive and be a more pleasant creature.Where did they do the surgery on your colts Denise? Sue |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 10:05 am: Great feedback guys, for the most part Denise is right on. Though we OFTEN gets reports of late DrOpping testicles, after palpating 100's of young stallions we consider them very rare and believe most of these reports represent missing the high small testicles of immature horses.I am not sure whay you mean by a long acting pain reliever Susan, Banamine has a fairly long course of action. There is no normal reason for a horse to be in a lot of pain following a castration and should have been an indication for a immediate exam as a herniated bowel would be the most common reason and time important when this occurs. DrO |
Member: Contilli |
Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 12:23 pm: Hi Sue-Sorry to hear about your friends horse. I hope he is okay. My Warmblood was castrated at Marion Dupont Veterinary Hospital in Leesburg, VA and the Arabian was castrated in San Luis Ray, California at Alamo Pintado Hospital. Both are GREAT places! |
Member: Liliana |
Posted on Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 - 4:10 pm: Hey Susan,It is so sad to read about your friend’s colt, and so unnecessary in my humble opinion that was not a vet it was a butcher! Now a days there is really no need at all for any animal to suffer any pain. Even here in third world country Mexico!! I had the vet come to the yard the stallion was on his feet, so there was no danger of back or head injury, he did not feel a thing, it was over in 20mins, we cold hose him so he had no swelling and of course gave him pain killer for 5 days. I find it so hard to believe that in a civilized country like the USA this kind of quacks are still allowed to perform surgery. Love your horse, Liliana |
Member: Quatro |
Posted on Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 - 10:33 pm: Thanks Liliana, I will send your wishes to my friends colt. So far it is still hanging in there. My biggest fear, is that I will have an emergeny and this guy will be on call. We have slim pickins for local horse vets in my area.Thankfully the other 2 vets from the practice came to this guys rescue Doesn't hugging a horse just make the day a better one??? suz |
Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Thursday, Apr 29, 2004 - 8:08 am: Is there anyway to tell visually if a young colt has been gelded. Keep in mind I have always had mares. The colt in question is a rescue and I dont know his background. I have not been able to feel a testicle, not even one. My home born colt was gelded and they look the same in that area. Please dont laugh.Colleen |
Member: Liliana |
Posted on Thursday, Apr 29, 2004 - 11:17 am: Hi there Colleen,![]() Providing that he is over a year old it is fairly easy to see whether or not he has been gelded. You will see the prepuce kind of empty if he has. (the sort of bag where he would have his testicles) Best regards Liliana Sue, same here, I researched for 6 months to find a qualified vet and I had to bring him from another county! And yes hugging my guys is like the best way for me to say thank you to this beautiful powerful beings that let us share that feeling of freedom, almost like flying, that one gets whilst becoming part of them riding through the wind, at full gallop across the fields. Nothing better than that I think. Gosh I hate being stuck at the office! ![]() |
Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Thursday, Apr 29, 2004 - 11:49 am: Thanks LilianaHe is not a year. I figure 9 mo. but that is how "it" appears to my untrained eye. Colleen |
Member: Liliana |
Posted on Thursday, Apr 29, 2004 - 1:11 pm: Your welcome Colleen![]() I hear you }one of the hardest things isn´t it, looking at the tables and galvine´s groove... easier said than done ![]() Have a great day Liliana |
Member: Liliana |
Posted on Thursday, Apr 29, 2004 - 1:39 pm: Hey silly me my humble advice would be... wait until he is 13 or 14 months before you do anything.He will not mature sexually until anything between 18 and 3 year old really, there are exeptions of course...well thinking about it, if your mares are anything like mine, they will let you know...If they say stop bothering kid, then no worries eh |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Friday, Apr 30, 2004 - 8:00 am: You really cannot tell visually Colleen. Of course the great majority of horses with no testicles visible by majority will have been gelded. However some could be cryptorchid. Even the prescence of a old surgical incision is not an assurance as you run into colts that had one removed while the crypt side is left in the horse. See the article on castration for more on how to tell.DrO |
Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Friday, Apr 30, 2004 - 8:33 am: Thanks Dr. O.I had read the article before Tonka was gelded, but didnt pay much attention to the cryptoid part. I have re-read the article and found it very imformative. Colleen |