# Too late to geld?



## Nubs (Jul 25, 2019)

Is 7-8 years old too old to geld a stud?

Of course it’s not “too old” number wise, but would he still act like a stallion if he’s been out in the pasture breeding up until this point?


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## baysfordays (Oct 14, 2021)

I wouldn’t think so. My gelding was 6 almost 7 when he was gelded and he’s great around mares and doesn’t try anything.
Might depend on the horse though.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I took an Arabian stallion who was gelded at 8 years old as he’d become too dangerous for his owner to handle him safely.
He passed him on to us as he was still much the same after a couple of months.

It took him about a year to be reasonably normal to handle though he stopped being interested in mares much sooner.


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

No it's not too old to geld. I've known of horses in their late teens that were gelded. 
Some will settle down, others will continue to exhibit stallion like mannerisms.


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## wvfarrier (Sep 13, 2021)

It all depends on the horse. Ive seen horses gelded at 10-12 years old who, after the hormones wore off (6-8 months) that were docile as as any gelds but Ive also seen the opposite. Just dont expect an immediate reaction.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I have one that was gelded at three months. He has acted more like a stallion with all of the associated behaviors except mounting. Had his own herd. He's 8 now.

I've gelded in the teens and after the hormones are no longer a part of the package they've settled right in and never had issues with behavior.

There are several studies on the hormonal influence in utero that sets the degree of typical male behavior separate from the hormones produced by an uncut male. That is different from training and handling and what is expected vs what is accepted.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

My Pony was gelded at five and a half or so. He was a bit stallion-y for a while, then he settled down. I think it might have been why he was so resistant when I first got him. Or, it could have been because he was a green Pony (he wasn't ridden until then either) and I was a greenie.

Regardless, he's great now. The most un-stallion-y guy you can imagine. I remember at the old place, one of the mares was flirting with him, hard, and he just looked at her in confusion for a few minutes and then chased her away.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I used to ride an Arab stallion before and after he was gelded, at the age of 9. His issues remained and he hasn’t changed much 5 years on. He never was super interested in mares (he was never bred) but he was incredibly grumpy and dominant with all horses and that hasn’t changed. He was and still is a kicker under saddle, and not shy to reverse back to a horse he wants to kick. I am not sure if that isn’t just his personality because his dam was exactly the same except for kicking under saddle - she had to be kept on her own because she would start a fight a minute in group turnout.


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## My Salty Pony (Jan 1, 2022)

Its never to late to geld.


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

I gelded 2 at 8 years of age. neither one settled down much. Both had been breeding stallions. Always figured that was why.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Had my paint stallion gelded at 14. He was never a rowdy guy to handle to begin with and his personality didn't change much with the exception of no longer having the desire to breed. At 22 he will still try to fight another gelding (only in the pasture not when he's under halter or bridle) and the only horse he doesn't try to boss around to the point of leaving bite marks on their rump is his dam so they happily live together in the same pasture and the other 3 geldings and mare live happily together in another pasture.


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## wvfarrier (Sep 13, 2021)

My grandfather (vet) always said "No matter how nice a stallion he is, he will always be better as a gelding"


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I had an Arab/Morgan gelded when I bought him as a 17 year old. We didn't know he was that old until the Seller called me to say he wasn't ten, he was 17. She apologized saying she didn't know where the years went, as he had been born on their farm.

He was very sweet natured and gentle, even though he had pasture bred their mares. He stayed sweet and gentle and never acted studdy around mares, until his last day when I laid him to rest at age 27.

Meaning, I think a lot of the behavior depends on the horse's inherent nature to begin with. My current 28 year old was gelded before I bought him as a 2-1/2 yr old. I can't have mares on the property .because he gets to acting bad. He's an onery horse by nature anyway. He is the only gelding I have ever owned who exhibited bad behavior around mares at liberty. He has always been good on trails but I also always kept him with my alpha horse who had perfect manners (RIP Duke)

. soooooo whatever inherent behavior your horse has, will carry thru after the gelding process, IMO If he's an onery cuss now, he will be after the gelding


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Friends had their 19 year old stud gelded as they said no more breeding. He deserved to retire as a horse with some company, and mixed sex herd it could be.
He was never a bad tempered stud, field bred and was sweet to the mares...
To the other males, he ruled the roost though. As long as the other males, all geldings respected he was #1, they all got along.
Once cut, he lived alone for about 4 months then started to go out with the boys...
About 9 months after, the girls were allowed to come back to the larger herd and he was fine.
He still was one of the more dominant in the herd, but he wasn't trying to field breed or fight the boys if they looked sideways at one of the ladies.
He lived to 32...found him "asleep" under his favorite tree one morning...where he was laid to permanent rest too.

Geld...oh yes.  
Make sure who ever does the deed is excellent at it so less chance of complications...
🐴...


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

See, I'm the other way around. My stud is pretty much retired, as am I. He still gets an occassional lady, but is not bred on a regular basis. I see no reason to geld him. I just don't want to put him thru that. He's been too good of a horse. 
I tried moving him over to where I live now, but he made it abundantly obvious he wanted to go home to his stall in the barn. So with having a young couple living there, I took him home. Sure, I miss him, but he's much happier where he is. 
He has a large run on his stall, gets to see everything that goes on around the place. They have a couple of girls also that spoil the living daylights out of him. He likes his life.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Considering recent posts if I haven't confused users the OP has been searching kill pens. This likely isn't a high dollar registered horse and even if it is - if she has no intention of ever breeding it would be far simpler and safer just to geld.


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## Thatbarrelracin’roper (Jan 3, 2022)

Nubs said:


> Is 7-8 years old too old to geld a stud?
> 
> Of course it’s not “too old” number wise, but would he still act like a stallion if he’s been out in the pasture breeding up until this point?


Honestly it just depends on the horse, as well as how the stud acts already. If he tries to interact with mares now, there is a possibility gelded or not he will act like a stud. Like I said, it just depends on the horse.


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## KyAngel11966 (Jul 24, 2011)

When my stallion Mystery Warrior was breeding mares he and I had a set routine we followed . Mystery usually wore an ordinary nylon halter unless he had a date. If he had a date he would wear his heavy duty leather halter. If that halter was on he’d prance and show off for the lady friend. After mating was over I’d saddle up for at least a 3 hour ride. When we’d arrived back home I put his regular halter and lead rope instead of heavy duty leather halter and stud lead shank on. He was never rude and pushy around mares but it all goes back to the temperament of the bloodlines and how each individual horse is handled and trained. Unlike some I know I prefer the old fair but firm theory. Some such as my stepson believes in beating them as much as you can without killing them. He thinks that gentle handling by a woman ruins a horse for handling by a man. I say poppycocks !!! It takes an idiot to make up their own corrupt reasons for hurting an animal.


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