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Topic: Time for A Change (Read 2639 times)
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EclypseSporthorses
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Go The Distance
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With all the other announcements that get posted on here, I thought I'd share our lastest news...we have decided that I simply do not have time to manage a stallion. We have gotten some beautiful foals by Shadrach & will *gulp* most likely be gelding him this autumn. I have toyed with the idea of keeping him whole until spring & then breeding one Arabian mare to have a Sweepstakes foal of my own for endurance, though most likely will have it done this autumn.
Times have changed, we led a busy life (four treatment foster children age ranges 3 to 14) and I cannot afford to keep Shadrach with someone else, (and a sitter is not an option, neither is the eldest watching the younger ones) so if I donot have the time to manage Shadrach myself, Jim & I have come to the tough conclusion to schedule an appointment to take him to the vet clinic to have him castrated. He is 8 years old, so we are a bit nervous for how difficult this will be for him, though are hoping for excellent results.
When I don't have time for him, he gets no social interaction,
and depending on how he reacts after castration, we hope to be able to turn him out with geldings so he can be like any other horse & enjoy turnout & be happy (even on the days he's not worked), as all horses should.
I have always felt guilty looking at him all alone when he used to love playing with other horses (he was out with geldings & a prego mare until he was almost 4).
Part of me grieves what will be the end of his reproductive career, though a part of me has hope that he will be happier being a *horse* & not being in solitary. I know some people can keep their stallions turned out with mares or mules or whatever, that just isn't in our set up right now. And, we won't be freezing any semen, as we already have two fillies by him, and that is enough for our small farm. Faith is already going on light trail rides (just did one today) and Josh has hopes of showing her in 4-H & Hunter shows, as well as distance rides. Hope is there to stand in her sire's place as my next horse...she is so beautiful & so much like him...I'm looking forward to watching her grow up.
Hopefully as life evens out, you will still see him in the distance rides. Please pray that we get a good result &
we have a gelding, not a gelding who acts so much like a
stallion that he won't be able to be in a social herd (that is my biggest fear other than losing him). Here he is, and his last foal...
[attachment deleted by admin]
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"Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
~*Ride-Far-Ride-Well*~
*^The Sky's the Limit^*~
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acottongim
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I was sort of in your shoes with Preston. I know how hard the decision is, but once you make it, it does get easier. Preston was only 4 when I gelded him and he handled it like a trooper. Although it took about 6 months to truely get the hormones gone. And even now, he would make a good tease horse. He doesn't get excited, and doesn't get over protective, but he will arch his neck and "talk" to his girls. AND he is better with going out with girls than the other boys. He is loving and happy with his girls (they even steal his grain) but with boys he tends to be dominant.
It is hard, but it is for the best also. You could always have some semen frozen (it is actually quite cheap to store it - some places are less than $10 a month - don't forget to check out the cattle places).
I work in services with DCF (I'm a Care Manager Supervisor) so I know how full your plate is, and I also am well aware of the restrictions on having sitters etc. The life of a foster parent is not an easy one - nor is it a wealthy one.
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acottongim
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I imagine that he will be fine - it will just take time for the hormones to wear off. I forget how months it is per year that newly made geldings loose that studliness, but it isn't a quick thing. Like I said, with Preston, it just means putting him out with mares instead of geldings. He doesn't try to breed them, and he is safe around them - but he was a good stallion with the mares too. AND I pasture bred him to 3 mares.
The horses are my respite too. After dealing with the moms and dads (and the heartbreak of some of the kids) all day it is nice to come home and smile at the antics of the babies.
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Joy
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What a hard decision to make, Christina.  But having a solitary stallion is so hard on everyone involved, that though you're giving up a dream, you're fulfilling another one--that of having a happy horse. I suspect that since he was okay with the mares previously, you'll see him settle into geldinghood easily. I see no reason why he'd have to be with geldings only.
I had a friend who gelded her stallion at age 9 or 10. He was turned out with her mares, and he got along just fine.
Do consider keeping some frozen semen. You may not see a need for it now, but you may want it down the road.
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helloagain
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Have you considered selling him as a stallion? Carino just past away; maybe Connie would be interested in him. We have recently lost so many stallions; I just hate to see him gelded. I know this is a rough decision on your part.
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Patricia
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Eclypse, I know exactly how you feel. I remember the day we gelded my 10 1/2 yr old stallion Julian by Carino. We spent the day moping like we were in mourning, it was sad. It is a really hard decision to make but later I promise you, when you see him playing around having fun with the other horses....you'll know it was the best decision you could have made.
The transition from stallion was not easy but he got through it just fine.
Anissa, you remember I had this discussion with you too?
I had tears in my eyes when I thought about how hard it was to go ahead with the precedure.
Just a few weeks ago, I received news of Julian (now 13) and his new owner. She called to say they had won their division in dressage and how much she LOVED her horse! Julian today would probably not have that kind of relationship if we hadn't gelded him.
Here's something that will probably make you laugh out loud:
We called the vet clinic to find out how Julian was after his procedure. Her secretary answered and I asked to speak with the vet, she answered that the vet could not come to the phone at that moment.
Impulsively, I replied "then tell her that we've changed our minds, we don't want Julian gelded and we're coming to get him now"!
Before I could tell the secretary that I was kidding, she had put the phone down and ran to tell the vet!!! 
Here I am yelling on the phone so she can hear me "COME BACK...I'M KIDDING!!!!"
Well.....needless to say the vet came RUNNING to take our call!!!
I apologizing a million times and ended up with us laughing our heads off!!! 
She told us how it went and I have to say, it makes a difference when your vet understands how you feel about this decision. It was the beginning of a healing process for both us and Julian.
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« Last Edit: September 30, 2008, 05:19:22 AM by Patricia »
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Proud Trakehner owner of the stallion TITULUS
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EclypseSporthorses
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Go The Distance
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Helloagain,
Shadrach is my friend, and part of the family...while I cannot say I would never part with him (who knows what hardships life holds for any of us), I would rather keep him. It is just, as I am sure many or all of you know, that a stallion depends so much on his handler for interacaction & to stimulate his brain...and when I have busy days & cannot work him for 3-4 or more days in a row...it just isn't fair to him...and that is what is driving this choice. Maybe selfishly, I'd rather have him here, as a gelding where I can see him playing, than a stallion elsewhere. Jim & I agree that it is surreal how he stamps his get, though he has had an amazing match in Ella, they really go together quite well. Hope, our 2008 filly, is really all I had *hoped* for and more. I cannot get over the feeling of him losing out on his own time, he loves to breed, though he loves to be out with other horses even more. I believe if he had to chose, and could really think it out--he'd chose life with friends over life with mating. I just hope he makes the transition well. I think Connie has produced four great approved stallions to secure the Carino line. And, we hope to breed Faith at sometime in the future.
Patricia,
I guess I didn't realize that Julian was yours? He reminds me very much of Shadrach. He's a beauty. How long did it take him to forget he was a breeding stallion?
I do love the way Carino produced...Shadrach's breeder has a Carino daughter here in WI, though she is o/o a TB mare & the breeder has left Trakehners for Russian riding horses. A barn I used to bred at is having a sale next month, and there is an Arabian mare there I used to train, I was thinking of buying her & breeding her to Shadrach to try for one more foal, though she is 10 and maiden...so not sure, plus I'd like to have him gelded this year....Has anyone had a late baby? I noticed that some german bred horses seemed to be foaled in November...how well do mares carry thru the summer?
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Logged
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"Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
~*Ride-Far-Ride-Well*~
*^The Sky's the Limit^*~
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Joy
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I love Trakehners!
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Hi Christina,
I just want to urge you once more to get some frozen semen, just in case. Better to have it than to wish down the line that you had saved some.
I also wanted to throw in that I have no doubt that you'll still be riding him in endurance and making your mark. He's proved his worth, and I suspect that seeing him outside playing will just make you more eager to ride!
Here's to success in all your endeavors, with horses and with your family!
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Beckie
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Wow, I am so sorry to hear this. Just at a time when we are losing so many of our old stallions we are also going to lose a goregeous, successful young stallion. I understand your decision, but it just breaks my heart. It would be one thing if he did not produce such fine offspring or had temperament difficulties.
Can you perhaps find someone locally to be a breeding manager/partner in your horse operations to help keep him active. He is a beautiful stallion and the half arab in him is very valuable.
If you must geld him, I have to second the notion of freezing him if you can, or perhaps asking someone to be your partner in this as well to offset some of the costs.
It is painful to see this happen to the breed. 
All that said, if you do a closed castration at the clinic, he will be fine and judging from your pictures, he will settle into life just fine. His temperament looks outstanding......
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Joy
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That's great news, Christina. Yes, the inability to just be a horse is a major downside for a stallion.
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Right now his only 'friend' when I'm not around is the farm dog...(seen in so many pics) Spur chases him....and he chases Spur...and around and around they go...not good friends if you ask me... 
