Advantages and disadvantages of late castration – A veterinarian's perspective

A late-castrated horse covers mares in the pasture and retains its “stallion look.” These are just some of the explanations often heard among horse enthusiasts in the stables. But are they actually correct? To get answers to the most common assumptions about early and late castration, we spoke with veterinarian Lars Bak.

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When do you recommend castrating a stallion if it is not intended for breeding?

It depends on the individual horse, its living situation, the possibility of coexisting with other stallions, and its temperament.

What is the advantage of castrating a stallion early?

Clearly, there is much less “hassle” with an early-castrated horse, as it can coexist with both geldings and mares, providing greater opportunities for socialization.

What is the advantage of castrating a stallion late?

Some stallions develop pronounced masculine characteristics, which can be a preference for certain horse owners. Testosterone also contributes to behavior and traits that may be advantageous during training and competitions.

What challenges might a horse owner face with a late castration (during the procedure itself)?

For older stallions, which means older than three years, there is no inherent increased risk of complications if castration is performed under general anesthesia.

Is it true that when a stallion reaches about three years of age, veterinarians recommend castration in a lying position? Until then, can it typically be done standing in the stable?

As a general rule, that is correct. However, the veterinarian should always discuss the options with the horse owner, including lying castration at a clinic versus standing castration, and the risks associated with both.

Is it true that a lying castration is generally more expensive on the veterinarian bill?

Yes, lying castration at a clinic is typically more expensive than standing castration in the stable.

Is it true that lying castration leads to fewer infections?

Yes, the risk of infection is significantly lower with a lying castration performed at a clinic compared to either a standing or lying castration performed at home or in the field.

Is late castration the reason some geldings cover mares?

I believe this behavior stems from habits learned before castration. If a horse has covered mares multiple times before castration, this “learned behavior” does not simply disappear. In contrast, a young horse with no prior experience will naturally not develop this covering behavior.

Could late-castrated geldings be more aggressive towards other geldings?

Yes, it is a genuine issue that geldings castrated late often display different behavior compared to those castrated early.

Is it true that stallions castrated late retain their “stallion look” for life, or does this appearance diminish over time?

This varies greatly from horse to horse. Some stallions do not look like stallions at all, while some geldings will retain a stallion-like appearance for the rest of their lives. Many factors influence a horse’s “look,” including hormones (gelding, mare, stallion), training, diet, and genetics.

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