Colts or Geldings?

Deciding to geld your colt or stallion is a very personal decision. There can be many reasons for making the decision ie: breed, discipline, facilities and/or experience.

Colts can be gelded as soon as both the testicles have descended. This could be as early as 3-4 months, and is commonly noted at 6-12 months. Occasionally only 1 will descend which is referred to as a Rig or Cryptorchid. This is generally not a problem, but does require more specialised surgery to remove.

Some of the pluses and minuses for gelding at a young age include:

– delaying can lead to colts developing more ‘stallion’ like behaviour which can take longer to subside the older they are.

– The older the colt, the more developed they are, meaning increased size and blood supply to the scrotum. This can lead to complications such as increased bleeding and swelling post surgery.

– Most castrations are performed under general anaesthesia. It is less risky to recover a smaller/younger horse than a larger/mature colt.

– Younger horses will heal faster given the smaller amount of tissue and scrotum involved.

After care for your gelding is most important. You should monitor your gelding closely for the 1st 24-48hrs, checking for excessive bleeding (bleeding should stop within the first couple of hours post surgery, a small drip is fine but anything more, you should contact your vet ASAP). They should remain in a clean environment (grass yard) for the 1st 24hrs then be encouraged to exercise and/or move around in a small paddock to help prevent excess swelling and reduce the risk of infection.

They should have vital signs checked regularly and if there are any signs of increased temperature, abnormal swelling or lameness, contact your vet.