# How can I tell if my horse was gelded late?



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Doesn't matter when he was gelded. Some geldings are more prone to being studly around mares irregardless of the age of castration. For instance, I have a gelding who was a breeding stallion for 10 years, then gelded. He has no interest in mares, no studly behaviours. I have another gelding, castrated at 9 months old. He acts the man when it comes to mares. As I always have said...some geldings just can't be kept with mares, they get bewitched & act goofy. Others, makes no difference.


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## Cedar & Salty (Jul 6, 2018)

I have a horse who is pretty dominant in a herd setting, and is also very solidly built. People always ask me if he was cut late, but his baby picture shows that he was just born that way. 

Why does it matter? Your horse is what he is. Knowing won't change his behavior. My boy is a great riding horse and absolutely a joy to be around. He is fine with other horses as long as they respect his authority.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

One of mine was gelded at age ten. He's still top dog in a herd but well mannered being handled. He's never been aggressive towards others when we're out riding or overly flirtatious with mares in heat. It comes down to their individual personality and how they've been trained and socialized.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I know a gelding who I know for a FACT was late cut (age 8 or 9) after siring a number of foals as a commercial pacing stallion. He was ultimately unsuccessful as a sire, hence being gelded and sold.

He is a gentleman. He has few to no stallion traits in his appearance, and his manners are absolutely impeccable. He has taught numerous beginners to ride in the years since his gelding.

The only studdy characteristic he shows is that when he is threatened (and I mean genuinely threatened, he's the reliable old gentleman!!) he will face what's threatening him and if he must, he will fight it. He fought off some attacking dogs ~8 or 9 years ago, before I really knew his owner. His injuries were primarily face, neck and chest, which says to me that he didn't try to run... dogs will go for the hamstrings if given a chance!

Being gelded late is not an excuse. Mares in heat are not an excuse. Not liking other male horses points to lack of proper social skills, not being gelded late - I know stallions that are surrounded by geldings and even a couple that are PADDOCKED WITH them. And two that are paddocked TOGETHER, which isn't something I would personally choose to do, but it seems to work for them and their owner.

When your horse is with you, distractions... while they do make it harder to focus... shouldn't matter. Your horse needs to do AS he is told, WHEN he is told. End of story. No matter what.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

What Blue Eyed Pony said. I have a stallion and a gelding who wasn't gelded until he was 7 or 8 years old and had been used as a stallion up until he was gelded. Both have good manners, can be stalled next to mares with no problems. When I have a mare in to breed to the stallion, she goes in the stall right next to him so they can "talk". Nobody is kicking, nobody is acting a fool. It's all in the training. At 24, your horse will probably be somewhat resistant to retraining, so I'd make sure he's never the one next to a mare.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

livelovelaughride said:


> I got him at age 17. I have no idea if he was gelded late. Or is that even a thing?



Doesn't matter.


Horses (even geldings) develop their own personality.


My old horse Beau was gelded at 6 months old (we know, because that's when we bought him and gelded him!!!) and later in life, he really became a very dominant-type horse. I suppose he was sick of being at the bottom of the totem pole, LOL.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I keep my saddle horse stallions together. As my draft stallion was never socialized, he was kept apart. Because of his size I did not want to take chances. All of my stallions are well behaved. They are at varying places in the pecking order. The gelding that was gelded as soon as he dropped at 4 months is the most "studly" and only second to his mamma.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I don't think it matters when he was gelded. That could just be his personality. Some are more dominant than others.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Most horses gelded late retain the heavy jowl and cresty neck of a mature stallion even after gelding. Other than that, it doesn't matter. Gelding age has very little, if anything, to do with behavior and/or training issues. One of the biggest buttheads of a horse I ever knew was gelded at 8 months of age. My old gelding was the sweetest, most social, rock-solid horse you could ever want and he was a herd sire until age 10.


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

Hey thanks for all the insight. The funny thing is -- he's usually the best mannered horse to be around 99 per cent of the time. Barn owners "wish we had more like him ". Then you see this very infrequent behaviour . Excuses or not, I try to stay smart and limit the incidents.


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

I was just musing that my husband is a lot like my horse (except HE is intact!). Super laid back, we never fight, well mannered...gets along with everybody....

...except when that rare incident with someone who really gets under his skin. Then look out!


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