Well, the Vet has been out
to your farm, and your Stallion is now a Gelding. Soon he will
be all healed up and thinking about nothing but how much feed
he can stuff into his belly.
DON’T put
him into a stall or small pen and just leave him stand there.
DO
exercise him each and every day to keep his incisions draining
so that he doesn’t swell up near as bad in the sheath and
scrotum. DON’T
think he will move around
enough on his own to help prevent him swelling. Do the
following: Either round pen him or lunge him, about five
minutes to the left, then five minutes to the right at a trot.
Being forced to circle like this at a trot is the best method
of keeping severe swelling under control. If he is a trained
saddle horse, then go ahead and take him for a short ride
every day with some trotting in circles.
DON’T
wash the area, apply ointments or fly spray directly on the
incisions as you may inadvertently cause more harm than
helping. DO
follow your Vet’s advice on weather to give antibiotics and
for how long. DON’T
put off calling the Vet back out to your farm, if the
incisions close over preventing drainage, resulting in an
increase of swelling, refusing to move around and/or going off
his feed. DO
keep your eye on him for up to three weeks, when he should be
back to normal (no swelling and healed nicely).
DON’T think
that he instantly knows he isn’t a Stallion anymore. Horses
from yearlings to two full years of age will take
approximately 30 days to quit thinking they are put on God’s
Green Earth for more than eating grass. Two year olds,
slightly longer. And if a Stallion has been used for breeding
purposes, expect a younger stallion to take up to ninety days
to have a full and complete change of mind. A mature, older
Stallion who has been used for several breeding seasons
although now a gelding, may mentally remember he liked to
squeal, prance and show off for the ladies and continue to do
so. He will just be that much easier to discipline and
control. Some older stallions, gelded later in life will still
mount a mare and even breed her. DO
remember that there will be
no resulting foal from his shenanigans.
Colts gelded before their
first birthdays have a lot less swelling and will not have
developed near as much Stallion behavior to contend with. Many
foals are now safely castrated at only a couple of weeks old.
They grow into slightly taller horses, with slimmer necks and
not as heavy in the jowls.
