Castration is a surgical procedure performed under General Anesthesia (The horse is unconscious.) to neuter a Stallion.  The procedure can be performed at any age but is usually performed in colts between the ages of 12 to 18 months.  This delay allows for the development of masculine characteristics such as a muscular neck.  Younger colts are castrated to prevent behavioral problems and unwanted reproduction.  Since most colts are put into training shortly after castrating, dental floating and wolf teeth extraction are recommended at the same time as castration.

The doctors at Animal Care Hospital recommend that all non-breeding male horses be castrated.  Stallions are unpredictable and rarely make a consistent performer.

The colt should be vaccinated within 6 months prior to castration against tetanus.

Follow-up care is critical for a successful result.  Click to read

When is a colt fertile?  Good question!  I know 6 month old colts that have impregnated their dams, but would consider this situation RARE.  I would consider any colt, that teases or mounts mares, fertile until proven otherwise. 

Most stallions are not put into service until after their performance is proven between 2 and 4 years old.  Most breeders believe that a stallion should be able to breed about 40 mares per season and studies shows that the average stallion will not be able to perform to this standard until he is 7 years old.

Although some stallions have been booked up to 400 breedings in a season, the Society for Theriogenology believe that any stallion bred more than 55 times per season may introduce genetic defects into the breed.

Allison recovering a colt from anesthesia after castration.

Equine Nutrition  ::  Equine Dentistry  ::  Equine Vaccination/Deworming
Equine Mare & Foal Care  ::  Equine Castration