From: Kathi
Dear Jessica,
I am learning so much from horse sense. I look forward to your posts every week. Thank you so very much.
Here is my problem:
I have a stud colt that will be 3 months old on the 13th of June. My mare is 14 and is now in season. My colt is showing a lot stallion behavior. (both testicles have dropped) He has been grunting at her like a stallion would prior to breeding and then mounts her. Today I went out to ride my mare and had a friend working with the colt in the same pen. Today was the first day that he needed lots of discipline. He was grunting, rearing, tossing his head and kicking at my friend. (she works with him everyday) I am wondering if I need to go ahead and wean him or even geld him. I was hoping to wean him at 4 months. What do you recommend? If I geld him this young will it effect his already muscular build?
Thank you in advance. Sincerly, Kathi
Hi Kathi! Three months is a bit young to be fertile, but it's old enough to be obnoxious, and it is CERTAINLY old enough for gelding. Many colts are gelded within a few days or weeks of birth -- don't worry, it won't harm your boy's development. He may end up a little bit taller than he would have been if you had waited longer -- gelding before puberty tends to give you a slightly taller horse, because of the later closure of the growth plates -- but that's as much of a difference as you're likely to see.
Mounting behaviour and grunting and such are quite normal behaviour. Colts "act out" the behaviour that will someday -- if they remain entire and are given the opportunity -- play out in the real world, as actual mating behaviour. Almost all colts will rear and "climb" their dams (or any other horse that will stand still long enough) -- this isn't at ALL odd.
Talk to your vet as soon as possible -- if he has any reason to ask you to wait, he'll tell you. But I'll venture a guess that he will probably be pleased with your decision. Most vets, given a choice, would prefer to geld colts while they are still small and young and easier to handle.
And speaking of young -- there is very little "work" that you can do with a foal of this age. I hope that the work in the pen is just simple basics, such as teaching him to stand, teaching him to tie, teaching him to lead, teaching him to pick up his feet while you tap them. Round-pen work in the sense of trotting and cantering in circles is NOT suitable for a baby -- let him grow up first; wait until he's two years old before you ask for that sort of activity. Done this early, it's a fast-track ticket to long-term lameness... I know you didn't ask about this, but I'm throwing this bit of advice in. ;-)
One more thought: I don't know where you live, but if you are going to geld this colt, you DO want to geld before fly season sets in!
Jessica
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