Gelding gets erection only while riding when hot out, seems to be from sweat. Rest of year is fine. Not mare related. Turned out with both genders. Has been checked by vet and sheath fully cleaned. Any ideas?
i’m going to make an assumption that this a legit thread…
1st -it ain’t no thang. Your horse is not flashing you.
2nd - Check your saddle fit. He may be in pain.
3rd - Don’t punish him for it.
Ignore it.
Personally, I would have my vet out to take a look at him. I have found when something like this goes on it is not always behavioral, there is usually a physical reason for it. It can be pain or discomfort and a vet exam is a great way to start to get it figured out!
Keep him moving.
Have the vet out to give him a quick check-up. Back pain is possible. So is a large/painful bean.
If he’s fine, then ignore it. Never punish him, him it, or squirt it with anything.
I agree check saddle fit and other health concerns, including possible beans, first.
Tight circles make my gelding put himself away - he tends to drop when I’m grooming him and stays dropped when I get on. Just an easy tight circle, not trying to get him off balance or rush or anything.
vet vet vet
and then I would say–‘bailiff, whack his pee pee’!
bonus points for those old timers who remember that line.
I would have him checked by a vet. We had a horse that used to trailer in to clinics that always had an erection while riding. Never looked lame and seemed like a nice good-natured horse. After the 2nd or 3rd clinic the clinician told the owner she had to have him checked out by a vet. Come to find out it was pain related (sorry don’t know the details). 6 months later after some rehab I was watching them in a clinic ride again and no erections and a MUCH nicer moving horse (although he never looked off before either).
I had a gelding that had some major lameness issues that developed slowly over a long time - so we didnt really notice it for a while. But, he would drop ALL the time while riding - ALL the time.
I vote for pain related.
I would also say check for the obvious yourself (bean, any other visible problems that would cause discomfort) and then call the vet.
If there is no problem (as evaluated by the vet) then I would just carry on riding and ignore it.
Does the gelding do this only when under saddle, or is this something that can be seen when he’s at liberty, or in the pasture?
If it isn’t pain or discomfort related, it isn’t unheard of for a gelding (or stallion) who “thumps”, or who gets erections while being worked, to have it be a stereotypie in the same category as stall weaving, cribbing, lip flapping, etc. Usually stems from some sort of stress that the animal can’t handle internally, and so they do something external to relieve it. Even if the horse seems perfectly compliant.
But I’d agree with the others who suggested get the vet out first, and go from there.
Spinal cord injury can cause erections. I’d definitely have a vet check, concentrating on back/spinal column.
[QUOTE=suz;8184543]
and then I would say–‘bailiff, whack his pee pee’! bonus points for those old timers who remember that line.[/QUOTE]
Yep, all old timers all remember Cheech & Chong!
As for the horse, I have nothing to offer. This is a new one on me.
Yet another that would say talk to a vet.
I have been around horses for about 30 years now, including working at BIG facilities with 100 - 200 horses there (including stallions) in training etc - and I can’t say I have ever seen what you describe. It doesn’t sound “normal” and I think it would be uncomfortable for the horse! (ummm :uhoh: isn’t there a whole lot of flopping and swinging going on?)
And as for discouraging - what happens when you ask him to sidepass or leg yield - or otherwise cross his hind legs?
A lady I boarded with had a horse years ago that would drop and get stiff during a lesson any time she stopped to talk with trainer. The bad part about him is that it wouldn’t just get stiff, he would whack it on his belly like he was masturbating. She moved barns, so I don’t know what the outcome was. I do know she retired him not to long after that. I wonder now if it was pain related.
I can’t remember the name of the medication but there is a long term tranquilizer used for horses on stall rest. One of mine had to have this medication and the vet explained to me that permanent problems with dropping was an unfortunate possible side effect. This side effect does not go away after the meds wear off.
I also vote for pain-related. I knew a horse that did that occasionally and it turned out that he had all sorts of issues with his back/pelvis.
Only under saddle, when he gets a break. Tacks up and grooms fine, doesn’t matter if it’s schooling in the field or in the ring or if he’s alone or with other horses. His sheath was cleaned and the bean removed a few weeks ago. He starts out great and as long as he remains moving keeps everything up, but say you w/t/c and do a course or 2 and then want to let him walk a few min to catch your breath he starts dropping and half way around the ring he’s hard. Or if you come into the middle to speak to the trainer he drops right away and gets hard, if you ignore it he’ll w/t/c and do xs with an erection. If you get after him with a good crack and make him canter and do some tight circles and a jumper course he puts it away pretty quick. I’ve seen other horses do it when it’s hot or they’re lazy and a smack gets it put away but this horse seems like he’d be a pervert if he were a human. Very odd. I can have the vet look at him, he did it with his past owner as well and she ignored it since she didn’t know what to do. As long as he stays steadily working he’s normal, it’s the break time that is the issue and then getting him to put it away, he can’t
be in a horse show with a kid doing that.
we’ve tried a wide dressage tree saddle, 3 different tree size all purpose, a Pessoa and a few other saddles, used different pads and girths. He is normal in the field, never see it, it’s the first break when ridden. He’ll w.t.c and jump a course fine, then we take a walk break and it slides out and slowly gets hard or will walk around with it bobbing. If you stop to talk to the trainer he drops and gets hard right away. It’s rather gross. So we chase him a bit and he puts it back but the next brake it’s out again. He’ll w/t/c and jump with it dangling but puts it back when he’s really worked hard. It’s a slow procedure though. We’ve had other geldings do this but a smack and sharp word and they put it away. I’ll get a vet to check it out. He’s completely sound, no sore back, teeth floated, fat and relatively fit. Turned out 24/7 on free choice hay and pasture. Lower in the pecking order, turned out with mares and geldings. Best buddy is another gelding.
