# Geldings Attitude after being Gelded.



## ILuvspots (May 19, 2011)

I recently bought a gelding that was a stallion for eight years. He has been gelded for almost 1 year. Does anyone have any experiences with what I could expect as far as his attitude? He was shown halter and used to breed. Broke out with some experience. He is very calm. I was told he was calm as a stallion as well. Right now I noticed that meeting the new horses at home he definitely is not one to back down, and is marking manure piles. How many years does it take to get all those hormones/instincts out of him? and do you think he will make a suitable mount for a youth. Thanks


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## GottaRide (Dec 10, 2007)

I've worked with a few "new" geldings personally and know of many more stallions that were older when they were gelded. After a year, the hormones are gone. He's can no longer breed & won't act "studdy" around mares who are in heat. There may be some instinct left, such as the keeping one manure pile. It's an instinct...he doesn't know why he does it & he doesn't know that he should stop doing it. 

He certainly should be able to be integrated with a new herd just the same as any gelding. I have an old gelding that has always been a gelding & he is not one to back down to other horses. Always needs to be the boss. But this is a personality trait and not related to once being a stallion. Right now, I have in my barn a 12 year old gelding that was gelded only 4 months ago & he's been integrated without any real problems.

There is no reason that he can't be a youth horse as long as he has the appropriate training & quiet demeanor.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

I gelded a 9 year old stud and a 20 year old one. Both had been used for breeding and one was my teasing stallion for a breeding season. The Teaser was gelded about 30 days before I would be finished with him as a teaser and he quit teasing within 2 weeks. I had to finish out the breeding season checking back mares with my good breeding stallion. I turned him out with the other gelding 2 weeks after cutting him.

The 20 year old was a lesson horse about 3 weeks after gelding him. I kept him 14 more years. He never was even dominant in a herd of geldings and never looked at a mare.

On the other hand, the Vet gelded a 4 year old horse for me a few years back and I sold him about a year later. He was the meanest thing in the pasture and after he ran a second horse through a good fence on a big pasture. I sold him to a roper that was going to keep him by himself. He was VERY well broke and a perfect gentleman under saddle but as far as I know, he has never been able to run in pasture with other geldings. He was never used for breeding.

So, bottom line -- there is no way to tell. Some get right over it even when they were cut very late and others do not. It is unrelated to testosterone levels. I have had very difficult geldings blood tested and not a one had high testosterone levels. I do not bother testing them any more if I know they do not have a testicle retained in their belly.

To manner an injured horse, I would probably give him a hard jerk or two on the lead-rope and say "Ah!" when I had him in hand and make him back up one step. Then when you approach him, you can just say "Ah!"


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A boarder's gelding, even after 4 years was marking, standing guard and would court a mare that was coming in to heat. When she'd allow he'd mount her, to no avail. He'd have sudden bouts of aggression with another gelding.


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## ILuvspots (May 19, 2011)

Thanks everyone. He seems very quiet. I guess I was just having some second thoughts. But He was bred and owned by a family member who passed away and when the horse was gelded and for sale I couldn't pass him up. I have even started his grandsire and great grand sire as two year olds. They were both very calm and laid back. I had personal experience with others in his lineage as well. That makes me feel old


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

My arab was gelded at 8 and had covered for 4 seasons.

THe only signs we ever got from him were that he would square up to something that chellenged him and he was somewhat interested in the ladies but never did anything with them other than cuddle up.
He was the messiest filthiest horse i've ever come accross. We would regularly go through tripple the amount of bedding for him than we would for the others and he seemd to take great delight at pooing in his water bucket.

I had anouther gelding who was cut at 4 and had never been used. He was a bully in the field (but could go out with others), he would challenge anything (including tractors!) and he would mount mares, he poo'd in piles and was quite nippy.

Completley depends on the horse.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I gelded my boy Dillon at 4, he is 8 now and still a tool. Fights with my actually stallion if they meet at the fence, actually mounts my mares (makes for a great teaser at least) and just overall has a totally stallion type attitude. He was never used as a breeding stallion.


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## nikelodeon79 (Mar 3, 2008)

My Royale was gelded at age 17. He is now 29.

His dangerous behaviors (striking, biting) disappeared almost right away.

To this day, he still occasionally marks manure piles and he's still the herd boss. I think he'd try to mount a mare if given the opportunity.

But, he is respectful in hand and was great under saddle. As long as I had that, the pasture behaviors don't bother me.
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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> So, bottom line -- there is no way to tell.


yup. sadly each one is different. My clydesdale Romeo was gelded at 5. he knew what a mare was and had bred at least once. 3 weeks after gelding he was the most passive, laid back herd member. he can be pastured with weanlings, or keep the stallion company.

I knew a colt gelded at 1 year old. he had never bred, but was getting a bit "frisky". I watched his gelding and it was text book, no complications. he was a bit of a jerk in the pasture and would mount and breed:shock: mares in heat. vet could find no reason for it, even blood tests failed to give answers.

some you would never know they were ever a stallion, others keep the behaviors.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

My favorite horse growing up was gelded at 10 and sired several babies. It took a bit of growing up on my part as he was always a little too strong for me when I was little, but he was never intentionally dangerous. He just didn't listen sometimes. Lol! He would still tease mares and roar at other geldings occasionally. Overall he was a super kind horse. 

It is kind of funny, his history with my family. He was the first horse my parents raised. We kept his mother, him, and one of his foals until they all died of old age. His half sister is one of our top broodmares today. More than likely, we will have one of her offspring to replace her when the times come. We are so grateful and loyal to that family of horses. 

I have picture of him with my oldest sister when she was a child, and my middle sister, and me. He loved kids. I miss him so much. What a great friend he was. I miss him and his foal mentioned above. They were the best.
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