How early can you geld your colts?

[Bravestrom]

[QUOTE=Simkie;6520443]
Gelding will actually = a TALLER horse, because testosterone plays a roll in closing the growth plates. But we’re talking about gelding prior to two or three or after two or three for that to play a roll, not gelding prior to a year.

.[/QUOTE]

My guy was gelded at 3 1/2 - he is a swedish wb x - and is now 18 hh.

I like to geld at 3 - I like the muscle that develops and I also like a bit more spark in my geldings and find when colts are gelded younger they don’t have that.

[Laurierace]

While I completely agree that you can geld any time they drop, at three months old or even six months old whatever behavior issues you are having are unlikely to be due to an abundance of testosterone. Gelding is great but is not a substitute for handling often and insisting on manners. I personally don’t care how old they are or how many testicles they may or may not have, they behave or else. Some of my most difficult foals have been fillies for whatever that is worth. Nothing to cut off there, I just had to convince her that the world did not in fact revolve around her!

[MuskokaLakesConnemaras]

I gelded one last year at 6-7 weeks. Lost potential sales of him from it (not that I cared, he NEEDED it done!). No issues, healed up with no swelling and he was much better.
The term “they drop, we chop” certainly applies here! However, I sold my one colt this year and the new owner wants him to retain his manlies. He is lovely and could certainly be a stallion prospect, but dang. He DOES think he is da man !!

[southernoaks]

I geld mine early at ~3 months, it’s easier on everyone: vet, owner, & baby. It usually only takes 3-5 days of walking & lunging. My babies learn how to lunge at the walk & trot just enough to take care of swelling. There’s also the belief that they will grow taller because the testosterone is no longer going to the mind (& between the legs) so-to-speak.
Last year I really had no choice but to do it early because I had one of each & they were going to be weaned together. I didn’t want to risk any baby making chances. I had a client years ago who sent me her 4 yr. old filly who had just been broke. I trained her to jump & found a buyer 2 months later for her. They asked if there was a chance she could be pregnant. I said no. Well she had a baby that November. Come to find out she was turned out with a weanling the winter before. So they got an unexpected 2 for 1 deal. Thankfully it was not an inbred situation. We offered to take the baby but they fell in love & kept it.

[secretariat]

In the old days, gelding at foaling was common in our area.

[Laurierace]

I keep hoping they figure out a way to make it so they are born without them! You can push one for no testicles, push two for two testicles at conception! I have two screaming two year olds in the barn that I definitely would have pushed one on! Especially dogs and cats.