Gelding - Needing some moral support here please...

There is really no reason to keep a stallion intact other than to breed & reproduce himself. Any other reason is human emotions which doesn't concern the horse. Do your kids a favor & geld him so they can enjoy showing him.

What are your fears? As you didn't list them, let me attempt to address (in my opinion) what they might be:

Risk of surgery for a 9 year old.
9 is far from old, in fact I believe a horse fully matures at 7, so your horse is in its prime and not old at all. Most dentists sedate for dental work, which carries the similar risks, but it is something that you would not think twice about doing.

You can't change your mind and breed him
That's for you to decide, can't offer you advise there.

He will change
Why? When he is not studly now?
If your husband had a vasectomy, he would still be the same person and you would still love each other as much, wouldn't you?

He will be in pain for a while
Probably will be, but it will be managed, and it won't last for long. It won't be like going out to his pasture in the morning and finding him three legged lame, wondering if he has been that way since 30 mins after you left him the night before. You know the pain is coming and you can treat him for that.




It both shows in the photo, and reads, that you love your boy dearly. I think it would be advisable to talk to your vet about how concerned you are, and your reasons.
When my dogs health was not good, and I had a hard time talking without being very emotional, I emailed my vet as I could plan out what I wanted to say and make it coherent. She did not have an email that I was aware of, so I emailed the practice, with the title being 'please forward to Dr xx'. I didn't realize that I had a vet who was half as good as she is, until I did that. She explained everything to me in detail, and as it was in an email, I could reread it and digest it. She also was fully able to understand my perspective and help me through the decisions that had to be made.

I hear you hun. I just had to handle gelding our farm's only Gypsy stallion at the age of 9. Beautiful tri-colour, lots of hair and an amazing attitude. It was a huge decision, but it was a blessing.

He now has a "girlfriend" who he lives with full time, his attitude has not changed at all. The only thing I found is the energy level got a bit lower, but that could be from not having any company, which changed with his gf. I fully understand your situation, and is only one that you can make.

I am not sure why people think it's necessary to tell you why gelding him is wrong, when you clearly asked for moral SUPPORT. Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but probably a thread asking for moral support is not the place to make the OP second guess herself.

I think it will all be fine, and I am sure after all is said and done you will laugh at how nervous you were going into this. He's your boy, and that isnt going to change...

Beautiful boy by the way... Wow-eee probably one of the handsomest around

While I think she should geld him, as that is what I think she wants, she is just getting cold feet.
If I asked for opinions, I would want to hear them, and not just those which agree with my own.

You will feel so relieved when you get this over with. I've read other posts where you've talked about doing it and you always sight your son as your inspiration. You are doing this to give your son the opportunity to have an even more amazing relationship with your beloved horse.

Chin up, he'll be just fine =)

If you're worried that you may want to breed him some more in the future then have semen collected and frozen. There are places that store semen for a pretty affordable yearly rate.

As was said earlier, good stallions make great geldings!

I'll chime in with the "just do it!" group. Horses are meant to be with other horses. As a stallion, even though he may be a sweetheart in every way, he is probably separated from the other horses and can't enjoy the socialization and grooming that he would in a herd.

Thanks guys. Now just hoping for one more warmer day so we can get it done.
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I always thought doing it when it was cooler was better/easier for healing?

Don't worry, you are doing the right thing. It will be worth the smile on your children's faces when they start showing him!