# Cost of Gelding?



## WelshD (27 September 2012)

My colt will be gelded this autumn

My normal farm animal vet 'doesnt do equines' so I have registered the ponies with a local equine vets who are lovely but pretty expensive

I'm just wondering what is the normal cost for a straightforward gelding please?

Am I right in thinking it would be normal for the pony to have the operation at home and in the field? Pony is 16 months old and both testicles seem to be present and correct

I havent discussed it with the vets yet and obviously will but just wanted to know other people's experiences


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## Sparkles (27 September 2012)

Can range anything from £120-£300. Depends which vet.

Previous vet charged £100....

Current vet charges £150-80.

Other vets I know in the area charge up to £290!


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## Jools1234 (27 September 2012)

my vet £90-130 cash, standing at home (he does all the local gypsy stallions)as long as you can get a headcollar on it so he can sedate it he will geld it

a friend paid £320 to have a shetland gelded and she had to take him to the vets, they would not do him for 3 months until he was well handled


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## PennyJ (27 September 2012)

I had 2 yearling colts done at the end of March for £100 each which was the absolute best price in the area I could get.  Payment in full at the time, plus I had to provide a helper.  The highest was about £200 each, so it was definitely worth the time spent phoning different local vets for prices.    

The boys were done at home, actually in the stable rather than the field...


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## SKY (27 September 2012)

out vet always says get them done before the frost, same in spring before the flies.  price was a few years back £75


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## SKY (27 September 2012)

forgot to say, done in field or yard and vet said leave in field as cleaner.  if other horses with him, if they are calm ok if not then put a electric fence between them for 2 weeks  till fully healded


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## orionstar (27 September 2012)

£120 at my equine vets, and they are always done indoors, and left indoors for a few days so you can keep a close eye on whats going on. It does vary from practise to practise, so it may be worth you ringing around to find a reputable one that will do it for less?


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## eclaire (28 September 2012)

Our vet quoted £130 for cash -under sedation with incisions left open.

In the end he had to go into hospital as he had a retained testicle where they close all the incisions and he ended up with an infection.


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## staceyn (28 September 2012)

It was £250 for me


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## Jools1234 (28 September 2012)

how old is he?

does he have 2 testicles where they should be?


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## WelshD (28 September 2012)

Thank you all for taking the time to reply 

Pony is a Welsh sec A, 16 months old and his testicles look present and correct but obviously I know there can still be complications


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## wheeler3367 (20 October 2012)

I was quoted £192 and when I went to settle bill yesterday they told me it was £550... apparantly there were loads of hidden extras!!!


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## WelshD (20 October 2012)

That's what I am dreading! I have been quoted £140-250 depending on size of animal, it's an 11hh pony so I am expecting the total to be no more than £200 all in. Fingers crossed!

No wonder mediocre colts go for virtually nothing at auction!


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## Jools1234 (20 October 2012)

wheeler3367 said:



			I was quoted £192 and when I went to settle bill yesterday they told me it was £550... apparantly there were loads of hidden extras!!!
		
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was it a quote or an estimate?

did you have it in writing?

did you challange it?

that is very expensive, i hope you refused to pay


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## Horlicks (20 October 2012)

I've been quoted £350 by one vet and £450 by another in rip off Surrey!!


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## Jools1234 (20 October 2012)

would be cheaper to travel horse te essex-approx £100-£140 at work, aslong as everything is where it should be


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## figgy (20 October 2012)

I had my colt done last week it was £270 , I'm in Essex .


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## Cortez (20 October 2012)

You should move to Ireland; it's about &#8364;80! (= £64)


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## Clippy (20 October 2012)

Stood in the stable £120, thats what we paid earlier in the year.

Friends on the next yard paid £300 - theirs was done at the vets.


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## Jools1234 (20 October 2012)

then you paid a lot of money figgy

my vet does all the gypsy colts and stallions so he does lots standing, in the field or on the lorry and cos he does so many is quick and efficient also cheaper than most and does stallions standing. if you can hold it for sedation he will castrate it is what clients are told.


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## eggs (20 October 2012)

Haven't had any done for a few years but it used to be about £300 for two colts. Done sedated at home and given antibiotic jab and pain killers. We would leave them in the barn for a couple of hours to keep an eye on them and then would turn them out.  My vets and I think they are better off moving about to help keep swelling down.  

It might be too muddy at this time of year to turnout straight away.


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## Shadow the Reindeer (20 October 2012)

wheeler3367 said:



			I was quoted £192 and when I went to settle bill yesterday they told me it was £550... apparently there were loads of hidden extras!!!
		
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I would expect to pay that sort of money if my horse was a rig and and retained one (which my youngster had, that's how I know ), that's just ridiculous! You should have asked them to break down the costs so you know what you've paid for.


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## wheeler3367 (20 October 2012)

jools1234 said:



			was it a quote or an estimate?

did you have it in writing?

did you challange it?

that is very expensive, i hope you refused to pay
		
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I havent paid it yet... am ringing trading standards on Monday to see where I stand.  I was told 3 times that it was £192 and that was if we brought him in to the vets... it would have been £50 dearer to have him done in the field as there would be the call out fee on top - so one of the hidden extras that they neglected to tell us about was the £132 to have in stay in their stable overnight!!!  Oh but that did include the mucking out and bedding lol.


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## wheeler3367 (20 October 2012)

Shadeyoak said:



			I would expect to pay that sort of money if my horse was a rig and and retained one (which my youngster had, that's how I know ), that's just ridiculous! You should have asked them to break down the costs so you know what you've paid for.
		
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Havent paid yet... believe me I am going to challenge it... and find another vet


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## Jools1234 (21 October 2012)

wheeler3367 said:



			I havent paid it yet... am ringing trading standards on Monday to see where I stand.  I was told 3 times that it was £192 and that was if we brought him in to the vets... it would have been £50 dearer to have him done in the field as there would be the call out fee on top - so one of the hidden extras that they neglected to tell us about was the £132 to have in stay in their stable overnight!!!  Oh but that did include the mucking out and bedding lol.
		
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was it a straight forward castration? ifso why did he stay in would be my first question?

i would imagine if you dont have it in writing you wont get much joy with trading standards but i wish you luck


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## widget (21 October 2012)

No wonder the country is over run with colts! If the vets did gelding days or something to encourage people to get them done if it worked out cheaper. Our vets charge £100 so not too bad


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## wheeler3367 (23 October 2012)

well... i have been in touch with trading standards today and they told me that the vets are legally obliged to only charge me the original price that they quoted - £192 So I will be back in touch with the vets this week


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## Jools1234 (23 October 2012)

wheeler3367 said:



			well... i have been in touch with trading standards today and they told me that the vets are legally obliged to only charge me the original price that they quoted - £192 So I will be back in touch with the vets this week
		
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well done you thats great


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## wheeler3367 (7 November 2012)

well... got a letter back from the vets today apologising and have knocked the bill down to £315... still not £192 yet... so I will be writing back to them again


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## putasocinit (7 November 2012)

£216 for shettie  in field with a GA and second follow up visit and 3 packets of antibiotics and a tetanus jab, not bad IMO.


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## Spot_the_Risk (7 November 2012)

My (horse) vet has just quoted my friend £240 inc VAT for two castrations and the start of three new innoculations, I think that's a very good price.


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## tankgirl1 (7 November 2012)

Offer the vet cash and you may get a bit knocked off


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## Horlicks (7 November 2012)

Gosh - I've just had my colt done and it's about £500 so far !


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## zoon (7 November 2012)

How about £990? Vet had to open him up and retrieve one.


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## annaellie (7 November 2012)

My boy is being gelded at the end of the month I didn't even think to ask how much. I think I may drop that one in the next conversation with the vet


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## wheeler3367 (7 November 2012)

Good idea..and ask them if the price is the actual total price with no hodden extras..it may also be a good idea to get it in writing...after my experience i would definitely get it in writing next time


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## wheeler3367 (7 November 2012)

That was meant to say hidden extras


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## Spendtoomuch (7 November 2012)

Mine was done at vets which involved one overnight stay, he also had 1st flu and tet whilst there, I know they used more sedation than normal (vet told me along with he is a fiesty one, lol). I used my normal vet.
Total bill was £365 or thereabouts with pence, I think expensive. 
But I have the luxury of being able to ring vet when I had a problem next day and get advice from him.
Forgot also got given a tub of summer fly cream and sachets of antibiotics for him to have after within that cost.
 StillThink its expensive.


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## Btomkins (8 November 2012)

Be very careful and get an agreement beforehand - I have just had my colt done and they wanted to charge me £411 for the operation and a tetanus jab. I knew this was pretty pricey but agreed becuase the practise was very highly recommended to me.

They completely mucked up the castration and only removed one tesicle even though they are both descended - they now want to charge an extra £200 to finish the job. That means over £600 in total for a bodged job that they should be fixing for free!

Of course i am now fighting this and in an argument with the surgery as i think this is totally unacceptable and unfair.


So make sure you check the full cost of things beforehand and enquire about what happens if things go wrong and any extra hidden costs!


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## frozzy (8 November 2012)

My vet Andrew Miller from Lockerbie came last Thursday to draw and microchip two, castrate one (both testicles present) and put my old pony to sleep. Total cost for all that £205. Castration alone was £80. Andrew does not charge extra for difficult castrations. He is the most ethical vet I know. He has said to me that he couldnt sleep at night if he charged what some charge. Brilliant Vet!!


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## Rowreach (8 November 2012)

I had a big 3 year old done last month, standing in the stable, £70 all in.  Which was less that I was quoted for the Jack Russell, who still has his


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## swintondesire (8 November 2012)

i paid overall 200 4months ago for my sec d.


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## wheeler3367 (29 November 2012)

Well after my second letter to the vets, they have now agreed to charge me the original price quoted to me of £192 and not the £550 they tried to charge me because of all the hidden extras.  Thank goodness for trading standards!!


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