Turn Out With other horses after Gelding...how long?

[Castlegate]

Vet said one day stall confined...hand walk tonight and then paddock tomorrow for exercise..but he said no turnout with others for a month in case he was climbing on other horses etc. I took that to be not mounting for sexual purposes but that he didnt want him playing and rearing up?

So...what do all of you do? When do you let them go back out with herd? Im struggling with the idea of him going out alone for a month.

[Equilibrium]

My vet wants my horses out straight away in a clean enviroment obviously. I usually have another just gelded colt or a gentle older gelding to put them out with. After a month or so they might go back out with the filly crowd to make things easier field wise. I've never left one in after gelding personally.

Terri

[Castlegate]

Should have mentioned that this foal is only turned out with my older gelding anyway...so I am really asking when he can go back out with the gelding

[railmom]

Same day. You want them to walk around to encourage draining. Keeps the swelling down too.

[VirginiaBred]

You definitely don't want him in.
Staying out ensures walking and that lends itself to healing.

[Waterwitch]

If they are castrated in the afternoon, I put them in a smaller enclosed area until the next morning (mostly for observation purposes), then out after that getting as much exercise as possible. If they are done early in the morning, I put them out later in the evening the same day. Exercise is the key to preventing complications (keeps swelling down, keeps everything draining). I would have no qualms about putting him straight back out with the gelding.

[EquusMagnificus]

My vet not onlys suggests 24 turnout for draining and antiswelling properties but she'll even ask that I lunge or free lunge or make sure the newly gelded horse really moves around for the first week.

[Equilibrium]

My vet not onlys suggests 24 turnout for draining and antiswelling properties but she'll even ask that I lunge or free lunge or make sure the newly gelded horse really moves around for the first week.

I will usually stick mine on our "walker", you know the enclosed European kind. It does get them going as sometimes they can get stuck in that " how can I move now" mode! Poor little babies!

Terri

[Samotis]

My boy was gelded in November in the afternoon on the grass. We walked him back to his stall and he stayed in that night. The next day he was out with his retired gelding buddy and he was fine.

He healed great and never had any major discomfort. Day 3 and 4 I gave him a little banamine and he never seemed uncomofortable. (giving him the banamine made me feel better ;))

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

Aiden was in the day he was gelded, then out 24/7 after that. He spent the first few days by himself in the arena/turnout area with access to his stall. On day 3 I put him in the pasture with my gelding. It worked out well because he herded Aiden around and kept him moving so he drained and healed up fine.

[ise@ssl]

We usually geld in the AM and keep them in that day to make sure there are no bleeding issues. Then out as much as possible and we DO want them out with other horses to make sure they move around.

Not sure why your Vet made the comment about him jumping on other horses - that's probably the last thing they want to do!!!!!!!

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

We usually geld in the AM and keep them in that day to make sure there are no bleeding issues. Then out as much as possible and we DO want them out with other horses to make sure they move around.

Not sure why your Vet made the comment about him jumping on other horses - that's probably the last thing they want to do!!!!!!!

I think he was giving her the worst case scenario of the intestines coming out the incision if he over-did it.

[amdfarm]

Like others, mine have always went right back in where they came from, the pasture w/ their buddies. It's been a non issue, as they seem to know their limits, but do keep moving when in w/ others. Our vets have never said to leave them in.

[Castlegate]

Yea, Im pretty sure vet was just concerned about him rough housing with the other horses...this colt has a history of doing a lot of standing on his hind legs...LOL...he definietly wanted him turned out...just wanted him turned out alone. We will see how it goes...he is out now in his normal pasture alone...just next to someone instead of in with someone....hopefully he will move around enough....

[okggo]

My guy was gelded at 3 years old, so a bit different, but still, movement is paramount. I had some nasty swelling and lunging made a HUGE difference in it going down. He was also turned out with a field of some 20 other geldings and a VERY rough player.

I'd put him out with his gelding buddy if it were me, and hand walk 15-20 minutes a day if you can.

[Fairview Horse Center]

We keep them up for about 8 hours to make sure the initial bleeding is not going to become hemmohaging, but then out they go with my LARGE herd on 30 acres. We want them to have to keep moving to keep up with the others. A bit of chasing is a good thing. I would not want them to be mounting though, so if they were studdish and mounting, I would make sure no fillies in heat. One vet said to longe them a bit walk and trot. They have to keep moving to minimize the swelling, and prevent complications.

If we geld at 9 AM, that night they go out with the group.

[Personal Champ]

After hearing all this, I'm really concerned about the advice my vet gave me for my guy. Now granted, he's 11, new to the place, and has never been out with any of the other horses here, but she told me to stall him for 2 weeks and hand walk 2x a day for 15 mins.

I was just getting ready to call her and tell her that he is still swollen (he was gelded last Tuesday). I've been turning him out in the indoor by himself, but he doesn't walk much, so I'm still hand walking.

She also said not to clean the area, but he got a rub between his cheeks from the discharge, so I cleaned that up today. It's sore, so he doesn't want to walk, and I don't know what to put on it - don't want to put a cream on it for dirt to stick in...

Sorry to hijack....

[Fairview Horse Center]

I wouldn't turn a mature stallion (11 years?) that has been gelding out with the group that fast, but the last place I would turn them out is a dirty, dusty arena.

A vet with a real license told you to stall him for 2 weeks!?!?!

[Castlegate]

well...if he doesnt move around much today without his buddy, I will put his buddy out with him tomorrow and hope for the best! I am also handwalking him too though...and tonight I thought I would chase him around the arena...

[Sugarbrook]

We usually do two at once. You know, misery loves company, LOL. They stay in a small area until the next day, and if all looks well, they return to the pasture (their group of buddys). The friends keep them moving around and that is a good thing.

I can't imagine having one in a stall for 2 weeks. The only time that happens is if they only have one testicle down and have to go the the surgical facility and be put to sleep. That is major surgery and the vets want them stalled and then hand walked for a few weeks.

We did one on Friday. Reagan is just fine. Out with his buddys and doesnt even think I had anything to do with it. Yea!!

[amdfarm]

2 weeks, wow. I've had an older stallion (8yo) gelded and I did the same thing I mentioned above as I do w/ the younger ones. Right back out to pasture w/ buddies, mostly mares. I did ride him as it got close to a week out to help w/ a little bit of swelling, but it was mid summer, quite hot and buggy. He healed up just fine and is still w/ me at 23. He helped raise my current stallion when he was a youngster.

[Personal Champ]

I wouldn't turn a mature stallion (11 years?) that has been gelding out with the group that fast, but the last place I would turn them out is a dirty, dusty arena.

A vet with a real license told you to stall him for 2 weeks!?!?!

Yup.

However, I decided to paddock him next to the minis. He still gets walked twice a day. The sheath swelling is doing pretty well, but he has a small edema that was in front of his sheath but is now traveling along his midline. Vet said more exercise and bute.

[daisyduke]

I'm quite surprised at your vet's recommendation. It contradicts any information I've received on gelding. That said, I have never gelded an 11 year old. Last year we did our colt right in the middle of the clean, grass field. Once he was up and the sedation wore off, we let his buddies come out in the field. Within 2 hours, you would never know he had just been gelded. He had no swelling or complications. In fact, I'm not sure he even realized he had testes.

[Personal Champ]

My guy is super mellow, but I'm willing to bet has never been in with a herd. He doesn't really pay the mares much attention, and seems genuinely interested in the other horses, watching them frolic and play.

I called my vet today, my guy has a bit of swelling that started in front of the sheath and is now migrating down to the bottom of his belly (no longer associated with the sheath). Vet says more exercise, but I've been hand walking him 4 times a day for 20 minutes as is, and I've got him in a paddock by himself.

Since my vet is obviously out of touch, when do you more experienced guys think he would be safe to turn out with the other boys???

[Waterwitch]

We gelded a 12 year old stallion last winter and after spending the night in a stall he went out with a weanling, and after a month, out with the rest of the herd. But this was not a high libido horse and it was winter. He had a LOT of swelling even with twice daily lungeing (trot and canter) and 24-7 turnout, but eventually healed up ok.

PC, I would get your guy on a vigorous exercise program, double quick. You can use a hose to wash off his legs and sheath after exercising, just don't direct water directly into the castration incisions. If he is getting more sore/lame and the increased swelling is high up where the sheath meets the body wall near his legs (rather than towards the tip of his sheath) you may have a drainage issue and/or an infection brewing.

I would be cautious turning an unsocialized mature horse out with a herd without a period of introductions. If you do, make sure it is in a huge field with no corners to get stuck in. My guy had been turned out with either other stallions or mares before I got him, and had shared a fence line with the rest of my herd for a year before he was gelded.

[Personal Champ]

His swelling is on his belly, behind the girth. Migrated there from the tip of his sheath. The sheath itself looks pretty good. I'm going to start a thread in Care about it.

He is currently living across from a really mellow gelding of mine with whom he would be going out with. He has a mare next to him and diagonal from him, with whom he would be sharing fencelines with.

[Fairview Horse Center]

It can take up to a year or never for a mature stallion to know he has been gelded. If he has never been out with other horses, I would wait until he is totally healed to introduce him - maybe even months. Put him over the fence with a gelding and see how he does. My dominant stallion probably could never go out with a gelding herd if gelded, but my bottom of the pack stallion probably could go out with geldings tomorrow.

[Waterwitch]

His swelling is on his belly, behind the girth. Migrated there from the tip of his sheath. The sheath itself looks pretty good. I'm going to start a thread in Care about it.

He is currently living across from a really mellow gelding of mine with whom he would be going out with. He has a mare next to him and diagonal from him, with whom he would be sharing fencelines with.

OK, that doesn't sound too bad if the sheath itself looks fine. Significant edema will always migrate to the dependent point so the low point of his belly would not be an unusual location to have it end up. Exercise should take care of it.