This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 10/5/01 7:08:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< You can geld really anytime you want. The younger you geld, the easier it is on them. Weanlings hardly swell at all when gelded and don't seem to miss them much. On average you will get an inch or two more growth if you geld weanlings compared to gelding them as yearlings or 2 yr. olds. Hi, Just have to respond to this topic! It has been interesting to watch the change in protocol through the years regarding what age to geld. When we were breeding QH's many years ago, the rule of thumb was not to geld 'til at least 2 years of age. Only trouble was that some of those boys could get to be real stinkers in the meantime! Then I watched as the standard time line moved back to gelding yearlings. After we made the transition from QH's to Fjords I began to observe that waaayyy too many Fjord colts were not being gelded at all. The other thing I saw happen was that someone would buy a weanling colt as a gelding 'prospect', thus a cheaper price. By the time the colt was 2 or 3 it was still not gelded, and by then the new owner was thinking, "Hey, I got myself a stallion here." Most of the time that new owner had no idea whether this colt was good enough to be left whole, they just started thinking about dollar signs, breeding mares, and selling babies. The other thing that they did not take into consideration was our small gene pool within the Fjord breed. I began to see a flood of like-breeding concentrated in some areas. I attributed much of this to the fact that many Fjord owners are first time owners and just did not understand the 'big picture'. FYI, that is why I was so supportive of the Evaluation program from it's inception. Since we have no government regulations in this country regarding horses as in Europe, I figured that our approach needed to be through EDUCATION of our owners. Long way to get there, but seemed our only option. When we first purchased Dusty, I was concerned about all of the above happening. The other thing that concerned me was that when we were into QH's, I saw quite a few stallions standing for breeding that were half or full brothers to famous stallions with a show record. The owners of the 'brother' usually offered a lesser stud fee. Those owners were basically riding on the 'shirt tail' of the famous brother without having to do all of the work and showing. Pondering all of this, I began to think that the solution was to make sure that every colt sired by Dusty, was gelded BEFORE he left my possession. The next quandary for me was that most of our foals sold before they were born or at the very least, by the time they were weaned! At that point in time NO ONE EVER GELDED WEANLINGS. I called my vet to ask the question - can weanlings be gelded and would there be any adverse side effects? His response was that in Europe they will often geld at days old and that they only thing he had observed that would be sacrificed by early gelding, was jowl and neck development?! Perhaps this is where the reference to 'femininity' comes from? Since Fjords usually posses plenty of both jowl and neck development, I decided to do it. Bear in mind that, at that point in time, gelding weanlings was totally unheard of in this country, so I kept a pretty low profile on the subject and did not make that public knowledge. I found, as Steve stated, that it was a far easier procedure for them when they were young! They heal quickly with no complications and tend to work themselves so you don't have to deal with the 'forced exercise'. Worked for me!! Right now I am rethinking my plan, however. Dusty is 15 and I am thinking that I should be looking for a son of his that is of good enough quality to replace him when he dies. Only problem is that the bugger has been producing all fillies lately!! SOOO any sons of his that will be born in the near future, can breathe a sigh of relief, for a short while anyway. I believe that any stallion left whole should be an outstanding individual - not just a ball-bearing horse. I am a Nazi when it comes to a sharp knife. The vets cross their legs when they come here hoping that I don't decide their legs aren't straight enough!! LOL! So, my search is on. It will probably take me some time to make the ONE that satisfies my strict guidelines. Hopefully, Dusty will be around for many years to come, giving me time to find the RIGHT one. I would really hate to see him die without a son to carry on those things that make Dusty who he is. Thanx, Gayle Ware Field of Dreams Eugene, OR www.fjordhorse.com
