Stud Colt Problem

[Plowboy]

We have a 14 month old Percheron stud colt that hasn’t “dropped yet”. We had the vet take a look and he recommended taking him to Cornell for an operation. Is this uncommon, what do you folks think? He is a great colt and we will do it if we have to but would like input from anybody familiar with this problem. Thanks

[Neil Dimmock]

I cut mine when they are two, it allows the urethra to develop bigger which will let him pass any stones later in life, And it lets the late bloomers drop, You do have to put up with a young pup for a little longer but it pays in the long run!
Neil

[gunslinger598]

I have a paint stallion that didn’t drop the second one until he was 4. At first it was a bit smaller but within a few months it is as equal to the other as a person can tell from the outside.

I have generally been waiting until sometime well in 2+ years of age to geld my colts. Many haven’t dropped both at 18 months yet.

[Plowboy]

Thanks for the replies. I guess maybe he’s not a freak if it is common. We have raised quite a few drafts but most have been fillies just by luck of the draw. The good news is he dropped one on Thursday so I guess we’ll give him some more time before we go to the extra expense. He doesn’t act studdy at all yet and is very well behaved. We did have one friend that got 9 unwanted foals from a yearling stud colt. We haven’t seen him being aggressive towards the mares and we don’t need 5 colts with little value. As the old timers around here say, ” the bull and the stallion work while you’re asleep!”.

[Plowboy]

Problem solved. The second never dropped so he got surgery for his second birthday present. We have a new Equine center nearby and they gelded him for $800 which is way less than Cornell quoted. It is probably more than his market value right now but he’s a good colt with the right temperment. Hopefully it’s the end of his major medical problems for the next 20 years!

[near horse]

Hey Plowboy,

Was $800 the cost for a straight-forward gelding procedure or was it higher due to the cryptorchid state of one of his testes? What is the normal fee for gelding a colt? Surely it can’t be that high.

[gunslinger598]

I know of some folks who had a colt that had only dropped one. They had hoped to use this stallion as a breeder.

The sent the horse to a vet in Littleton, Co. Where they used a scope to find and remove the retained teste. The dropped one was left in tact. The horse is currently used as a breeder.

Now a few studies suggest that it is hereditary. I’ve read mountains of published reports on the subject. There is enough evidence to suggest that studies leaning either way are conclusive. So I suppose it just a matter of what you choose to beleive.

As I recall the surgery in Littleton was $800.00 for the scope and at that time wasn’t normal proceedure.

[Plowboy]

Near Horse Yes it was the Cryptorchid problem that cost so much and I am unsure of the cost of a regular p[rocedure but I believe my boss had one done for $120. We have a friend that does them for $20 and has never lost one. We have had mostly fillies so haven’t needed only one other done over the years. I would say the heredity issue is true because his paternal half brother had the same problem.

[near horse]

An old vet used to say “Six strong men and 40 feet of rope”. That’s all you needed to castrate or geld bulls or horses.:eek:

[Author]

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