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[RC] To geld or not to geld - Julie Fuller

Hi Guys, I couldn't resist sharing a little story on this subject.

Several years ago I had a Percheron colt. He was a bottle baby (long story) and had a bit of an attitude problem with me, but no one else. When he was ten months old, he somehow got out of his stall and bred (many times, by the look of things) a pinto hackney pony I had tied in the aisleway. The pony didn't take... she was in her 20's at the time, and wasn't cycling regularly.

He was exceptionally well-bred, definitely stallion matierial, and I decided to sell him as soon as possible. I knew he'd be a better horse for someone else than he would be for me. I couldn't have found a better owner than the couple who bought him.... they wanted him for a riding horse (the man was 6'4" and close to 300 lbs) and the woman was very experienced with horses.

Noticing Scooter's attitude, they took him to a friends place, and put him in a 50 acre pasture with 12 big, bred, QH mares. They left him there for 9 months. And Man! Did those ladies ever teach him some manners! *grin* When they brought him home, he was a totally different critter.

He went on to become a very nice horse.... they broke him to ride,drive, plow, pull logs, a carriage, the whole nine yards. They left him a stallion, but didn't use him much for that. But draft horses are generally pretty docile.

I've been around, ridden and had stallions several times over the years, and I would definitely recommend gelding as soon as he's dropped. They usually heal up very quickly when they are young.

One thing to think about.... and someone please educate me if I'm wrong.... twice I have had this happen: Get a stallion gelded, and they just dont seem to "get it" until after they've been around mares again for a while..... Both were about 4 when cut, and acted like stallions for a long time....until they'd been around mares for a few months. It's was like it just didn't "sink in" for a while. Then they were fine... wonderful geldings

Anyone else had this happen?

Julie

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It is how we "feel" deep inside that matters, cause each of us knows the
truth, regardless of how we try make it complicated.  It just isn't.
~ Frank Solano

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