Although their behaviour with people is generally more predictable and calmer than stallions, it should be noted that even after castration, donkey geldings can be more sexually active than horse geldings and in some cases they will try to mate with mares and may fight with other males just as a stallion will do.
In horses, as many as one third of completely castrated geldings will still achieve full erection, mount, insert, thrust, and ejaculate, especially when given pasture free access to females in estrus.
Summary. A fairly common complaint in veterinary practice is the gelding that acts like a stallion. These geldings may mount mares, act possessive of mares in a band, achieve an erection, or pursue mares even while being ridden.
Continued stallion-like behaviour can be a complication of castration. Geldings that display stallion-like behaviour are sometimes called false rigs. False rigs may display masculine behaviour ranging from genital investigation and squealing to mounting and even copulating.
It may be that overstimulation of the dopamine pathway is causing the horses to become hyperaroused. Alternatively, spontaneous erections have been cited in the literature as a comfort behaviour, and Franzin has considered that dropping may simply be a sign of relaxation.
A rig behaves like a stallion and, potentially, may be fertile. Their behaviour is unpredictable and they can be dangerous to handle so they should be castrated. Some geldings still show stallion-like behaviour despite being fully castrated; they are called “false rigs”.
Summary. In a normal castration, the two testes and the associated epididymis (sperm storage site located next to the testes) are removed. A gelding is termed "proud cut" if the horse has been castrated, but all or a part of a testis remains after castration.
The easiest way to prevent the behavior is to not turn geldings and mares out together. If this is not an option, a veterinarian can prescribe drugs for the gelding that will make him less anxious when he is separated from “his” mares.
In fact, it is more commonly a sign of abdominal pain (colic) in geldings and stallions. Male horses in abdominal pain often stretch, posture to urinate and dribble small amounts of urine. As expected, this behavior can also be a sign of conditions affecting the urinary tract and other body systems.
New geldings can remain fertile for several weeks (it depends on if they have viable sperm in the epididymis at castration and if they ejaculate or not). New geldings should be separated from mares for at least two days; many recommend two months to be totally safe.
It's much safer to put horses in together than to have mares on one side of a fence and geldings on the other side. This is asking for trouble. The horses will 'fight' over the fence and kick and strike and invariably be injured. It's much more important for your horse's well-being to have safe fences and facilities.
Mares and geldings also squeal – and for similar reasons. Squeals often occur when unfamiliar horses meet, or when one violates the space of another, especially when there's an important resource at stake, such as food. Much like humans, horses sigh as a means of releasing tension.
Having owned both geldings and mares in my lifetime, I find that geldings are considerably more reliable, affectionate and generally cooperative.
Q: Can a proud-cut horse still breed? Proud-cut horses are unable to breed. Even in those that have a full testis, the higher temperature makes the sperm un-viable. This doesn't stop them from behaving like a stallion, however, so keep them away from mares in heat.
During the peak of estrus, the mare may sniff, lick, or nuzzle the stallion. A mare in heat will also urinate frequently, particularly if a stallion is teasing her to test her receptiveness. She is also likely to raise her tail and assume a breeding stance.
It is normal for geldings to mount mares. Some are able to copulate with mares, but that is quite unusual. It is most likely to happen when horses are fairly new to each other, and shouldn't go on past a couple of months.
Stallions are very dominant by nature, and full of energy. Nipping, rearing, prancing, calling and other high jinx and horsing around are normal behavior. Geldings are generally more placid & predictable and much easier to handle and this is why many male horses are gelded.
Horses typically urinate every 4 hours or so and produce 5–15 L of urine per day. (The bladder can hold 3–4 L of urine). Normal fresh equine urine varies over the day depending on diet and exercise.
There has historically been quite a mystique about the procedure itself – probably because people are a bit shy to discuss it. As a result, there is sometimes serious confusion – remember, gelding is NOT the same as a vasectomy, and it can't be reversed…
Some geldings may act stud-like because they were not gelded completely; they may have a retained testicle that has failed to drop into the scrotum. A blood test can determine if the horse has a retained testicle, which can be removed surgically.
Geldings stay sounder, race longer, are easier to train, and nicer to be around. They are also much more likely to find a home when they have finished their racing careers. So unless your horse will make a stallion, and realistically few will, he will eventually need to be gelded.
Depending upon the horse's age and maturity level, it may take several weeks for the testosterone levels to decrease. Aggression, especially to other horses, may still be seen for this short period of time.
The most common time to geld a colt is between six and twelve months of age.
Although it doesn't need to be done frequently, sheath cleaning is an important part of horse care if you own a gelding or stallion.