gelding, how old is too old?

[Ayme]

I'm looking into adopting a horse from HERE (http://www.columbiabasinequinerescue.org/feedlothorses.html)
The two main horses i'm interested in are Champ,a 17-20y.o TB stallion, and a grulla gelding named Lariat.
However, is Champ too old to geld without[a bigger chance of] complications?

ps, I can't believe some of these horses ended up at a feedlot,:( alot of them look sound, fairly healthy given the circumstance, and sane

[LoneStar]

hi,

I've just had a look at the horses on the site, there are some real stunners on there! I'm glad they were rescued from slaughter, I hope they all good decent owners in the future. I hate it when people get rid of their horses because they are "too old" - where do they think their horse will end up?!! I think that is what has happened to a lot of horses on there.

As for your question about gelding - most horses are gelded at a very young age, but I'm not sure if this is for medical reasons or simply to stop them siring any unwanted foals, as they reach sexual maturity very young. I think the best thing to do is give a vet a quick call and ask. Its too important for guesswork as even at his grand old age he will still be able to make babies!

keep us posted about your adoption and good luck!

[Bilbo12]

That's right. The best thing to do is call up an equine vet and get their opinion.

I hate that too Lonestar. I know someone who's horse is like 23 and she's got a bad leg and they still keep her as a pet. It's not fair when a horse gives somebody years of happiness and then the horse gets "too old" or "too small" and the owner just auctions it off. It's different if the owner donates to like a place like The Right Path because that is a stable for like theraputic riding for kids with disabilities like cerebal palsey and Downs Syndrome then, atleast the horse is going to a good cause. Of course, I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do that even.

[SJFancy]

My horse is 29 and got gelded when he was 27. I don't know if that's too late, but he's as healthy as a 5 year old. Hope this helps a little. ;)