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Post by catkin on Jan 8, 2016 9:40:22 GMT
What breed is the stallion? I am assuming an M&M as he will be shown ridden as a stallion? Anyway, at 5 yrs he should not lose any of his build/shape, though yes, you may lose some of the stallion sparkle! However, I would not worry about this at all compared with the quality of life he will have as a gelding and how much easier life will be for you too. We have gelded at all sorts of ages, up to 17yrs with very different results. Some remain exactly the same, even on the sexual interest side of things, and others literally switch that off overnight. From a build perspective, older stock has not changed shape at all really.
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Post by chloesmum on Jan 8, 2016 12:03:32 GMT
I am no expert but do think if you are not going to use your stallion for breeding then he will have a happier life as a gelding. You are lucky in that he is obviously a happy boy we had a Dartmoor who was so unahppy, fence walking etc and we gelded him at 5 and he was a different pony. So happy and went on that year to qualify for HOYS in Open and FR. He has had a lovely full life as a childs pony so no regrets there. The lovely people who have our old NF gelded him last year and again he is much happier and has certainly not lost any of his pizazz and build. He did the last HOYS qualifier of the year as they only gelded him in May last year and he qualified and was 3rd at HOYS - he was 7 years by the way. Although not a diffiuclt pony he used to stress during the spring and he is much easier to handle apparantly and just looks happier. Our C stallion is now 18 and the easiest I have to look after BUT he does have to live on his own as he can be very territorial and we don't have facilities to graze him seperately. He is a much loved boy and of course has lots of stock on the ground ss this was his no 1 job for a long time. Obviously we would never geld him now at his age but I do sometimes feel sorry for him being on his own especially in the winter. So my advice is if you are not going to use him for breeding then geld him.
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Post by owston on Jan 8, 2016 12:15:06 GMT
We have a homebred gelding who was a 'working' stallion and had the temperament to show under saddle even when covering. We had a fab time with him, but at the age of 10 we decided to geld him as we have 4 daughters and the market for foals was dire. He now has an even better life turned out 24/7 (even though he has always been turned out every day) he is now able to live out in his family group as happy as Larry. Stallions don't always win classes, a very good mare or gelding will take precedence over many stallions as I think some judges don't just favour stallions for the sake of them having more presence etc. one stallion can do more harm to a breed than one mediocre mare or gelding. I wouldn't have any qualms about gelding.......good luck with him whatever you choose to do.
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