Comments on: Castration

By: Ben Carlton

Ben Carlton — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:30:10 +0000

My experience has been that studs/stallions are often management problems and tend to try to tear out of their area to get to mares and/or fight with other horses. Plus they can hurt you. I prefer to not have them and use frozen semen from top stallions available. That way, I can cherry pick who I want to breed to and determine the best stallion for my mares. An old cowboy once told me, “I wouldn’t have a stud horse or a billy goat on my place”. Unless you have first class secure facilities and plenty of good help, i can’t help but agree.

By: Cheri Zimmerman

Cheri Zimmerman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:56:16 +0000

I have gelded colts of various ages (3 months to 2 years) and I prefer gelding at 3 to 4 months. Gelding at 3 to 4 months is much less stress on the animal, and they heal so much quicker versus when gelded older. Too many breeders have the “business agenda” that if they keep them a stud they will be easier to sell, they don’t want the expense of gelding, or they want to “wait and see if they are stud quality or not”. As an amateur who shows and trail rides I have no desire to own a stallion. I also know of too many people who own stallions (and breed) for romantic reasons that should be geldings. I think breeders should geld BEFORE selling their livestock. Rene has a very good point in her comment. With so many unwanted or cheap horses for sale the problem is too many horses and not enough owners who want to pay to keep them. Educate the breeder who breeds with no thought for the best interest of the horse, but only thinks they will make money or want to “experience a foal”. “A good stud makes an great gelding”. And most everyone agrees — lots of people want great geldings. I know I do.

By: Ed Moore

Ed Moore — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:39:31 +0000

I question gelding a colt as young as this article suggests. It seems to me that in doing so you have a very good possibilty of an adult gelding with a juvenile urinary tract.I geld my colts as yearlings and in some cases as two year olds. My colts are not stalled but run in pastures with older horses … This seems to eliminate behavior problems.

By: Rene

Rene — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:53:41 +0000

I do believe most colts do need to be geld were I disgree with you is I dont think it should be the best colt out of the bunch to be geld. As a breeder we should geld at 30 to 45 days of age and dont allow the descion to be made by the future owner (and if they want a stallion they can buy one that meets the breed and health standards). But whats going on now is breeders are selling colts/phillies to the consumer and allowing the consumer to make the desicion not knowing breed and health standards and thinking if its a stallion there going to make a lot of money breeding horses. When you could by-pass all of that and educate the consumer and improving the breed and health standards. But only the horse association can change that.