# Gelding cost?



## Sizzlea89 (28 March 2014)

I recently bought a rising 2 welsh section A colt. I'm planning on handling him until he is 4 before backing him for the kids to ride. I have asked various vets for a quote but only 1 of which got back to me stating that he would have to be taken to their theatre to geld costing between £800 -£1000 as he is too small apparently to geld in the stable. He's roughly 11hands at the moment. Now I'm no expert on horses and ponies but if a Shetland isn't too small to geld in stable then why is mine too small to geld in stable. The vet did say if he was taller it would be around £200 for standing procedure. Contemplating asking glasgow vet school for advice. What does everyone think?


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## twiggy2 (28 March 2014)

what area are you in? someone may be able to suggest a vet. my friends 2 yr old mini shetland was castrated standing and was walked back to the yard after


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## Sizzlea89 (28 March 2014)

I'm in Glasgow area but the yard is in the Cumbernauld area. I did think it was a bit odd that they said he was too small.
thank you for replying


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## twiggy2 (28 March 2014)

I suppose it is more tricky but to give a full GA and take the increased risk that goes with it seems madness


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## Sizzlea89 (28 March 2014)

I'd rather he wasn't transported off yard. It's just he's not allowed out with his friends until he's gelded as everyone thinks he's dangerous to them even though he's a softy and loves cantering about with the cobs.


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## Jnhuk (28 March 2014)

My weanling and his field companion were gelded about nine months old out in the field rather than the stable as safer for them to get up after the GA. Both of them you could feel their testes had dropped which was the deciding factor.

I cannot remember the exact cost but it was with Dick vet and you had two vets and a whole bevy of vet students along.... but it certainly was not anywhere near what you have been quoted for my share.  I had expected it to be more


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## MotherOfChickens (29 March 2014)

they may want to knock him down as he's wee and nearly 2. I had a 3yo Exmoor colt done in my outdoor school-Dick Vet, two vets and a gaggle of students. £235 three years ago-did think it was a bit steep but there you go.


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## Sizzlea89 (29 March 2014)

£235 isn't too bad though. That's around the price range I'm looking for.


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## adamntitch (29 March 2014)

It will cost 200 for my yearling to be done and there's a huge 17ish hand colt getting done he's 3 and its 200 as well think my yearly only 11h Shetland cross that Edinburgh


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## Sizzlea89 (29 March 2014)

Sounds like I need to move to Edinburgh hahaha


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## MotherOfChickens (30 March 2014)

Sizzlea89 said:



			£235 isn't too bad though. That's around the price range I'm looking for. 

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no, not when compared to what you've been quoted  but really, its getting difficult to find horse vets that will just get on with it. I come from Newmarket-we would regularly do three standing castrations a day-no fuss. certainly no dropping, tubing, multiple vets and hangers on and all that palaver (although I understand why they might drop them when they are tiny).


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## Exploding Chestnuts (30 March 2014)

MotherOfChickens said:



			no, not when compared to what you've been quoted  but really, its getting difficult to find horse vets that will just get on with it. I come from Newmarket-we would regularly do three standing castrations a day-no fuss. certainly no dropping, tubing, multiple vets and hangers on and all that palaver (although I understand why they might drop them when they are tiny).
		
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That is the difference between HQ and the rest of the world, they just get on and do the job, none of this ....."how to extract as much  as possible from  client", and worse...................
Had one vet came, very good bedside manners, but hopeless [rasping of teeth].
I might as well do the teeth myself rather than pay for it to be done badly once a year.
Another managed to get my very calm boy backed in to a corner .......... why, if he had been feisty he would have jumped on top of her and the student she was supposed to be showing horse handling , weep.
In my opinion every vet in the UK should have three months [watching] in a big Newmarket vet practice before being allowed out on their own.


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## Sizzlea89 (30 March 2014)

That sounds like a pain in the backside. Was the vet scared or something? Send her here I'll show her scary haha! I can't lead mine without him rearing above my head height. It's all down to those testicles though as he is bombproof. I did a lot of bombproofing when I got him to make him safer to lead. Haha fail.


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## MotherOfChickens (30 March 2014)

they wanted to take him into the hospital-a three day stay for a big pony with them both dropped !? ridiculous-I'm an ex vet nurse, quite capable of assisting a vet and dealing with him after.everything is referred these days, its a joke.


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## Sizzlea89 (30 March 2014)

Iv discovered a vet that is only looking out for the welfare of horses and people  Clyde vets they have quoted a reasonable £150 including tetanus, pain relief and sedation. I'm quite happy with that price as that's what I paid to get my dog spayed and she had complications where a stitch ruptured internally. So we have a winner


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## Exploding Chestnuts (30 March 2014)

MotherOfChickens said:



			they wanted to take him into the hospital-a three day stay for a big pony with them both dropped !? ridiculous-I'm an ex vet nurse, quite capable of assisting a vet and dealing with him after.everything is referred these days, its a joke.
		
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That is the problem, they have to keep the surgery full to justify the expense of building it, in Ye Olden Days our vet did surgery at the farm, he had no facilities somehow things worked out ok.
On the downside loads of horses were turned out for six months to recover from problems, where now they would be back in work in six weeks. I still think time is an important part of the healing process.


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## MotherOfChickens (30 March 2014)

I'm with Clyde now although not used them for anything other than jags-good to see they are more pragmatic!


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## Sizzlea89 (30 March 2014)

They operated on a horse recently in his stable standing on my yard when his stifle bone had been damaged. The horses owner couldn't praise the vet any more than she has. Clyde vets are good. They care about our equine friends and are very friendly and supportive. One of the other horses had really bad colic with extra complications and she had been this horses vet for a couple of years and she wrote the most beautiful letter to the owner after it was decided he was to be put to sleep. She's so lovely honestly a genuine person. Had all of us crying at how lovely her letter was.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (30 March 2014)

Sizzlea89 said:



			That sounds like a pain in the backside. Was the vet scared or something? Send her here I'll show her scary haha! I can't lead mine without him rearing above my head height. It's all down to those testicles though as he is bombproof. I did a lot of bombproofing when I got him to make him safer to lead. Haha fail.
		
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Vet was useless [years previously I complained to her boss that she had given the wrong advice (I used to work in a stud and double checked with my boss),  she was unable to tell that a foal was 3 days old not new born ]. 
The injection/teeth rasping was the last straw, esp when she did not ask me if it was OK for the vet student could jab my boy. It was a shared visit, but I refused to have her near my boy again. I had to use her when my boy got strangles, some of her "advice" was something she had about in a text book.......... poor horse.............


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