Miniature Horse Spaying and Gelding
 

Some experts believe that only professional breeders should keep stallions and fertile mares.  Here are the main issues surrounding miniature horse fertility and behavior.

Gelding

All stallions can be aggressive, and the miniature horse is no exception.  With the glut of miniature horses in the USA, most miniature horse owners choose to geld their cols as soon as they have dropped.  Stallions with fight with other stallions, become aggressive with handlers and mares and cause danger for small children.  Gelding can be performed by a vet for as little as $30, and this simple operation will resolve a number of behavioral issues including:

• Aggression - Stallions are naturally territorial and aggressive and may bite and kick without warning.
   
• Manners - Gelding are not hormone-driven and can peacefully co-exist with mares and do not require segregation.

Spaying

With the glut of miniature horses on the market, many miniature horse owner are choosing to spay their mares, for many reasons.  Even when segregated from stallions, a mares estrus cycles can cause unpredictable behavior, the equine equivalent of PMS.    Most spaying can be done via arthroscopic surgery (laparoscopic surgery) for less than $300:

• Spaying for over-active estrus cycles - Horsecity.com - A horse with high-heat cycles can be dangerous.
   
• Spaying the dwarf miniature horse - Horseshoes.com - Spaying is a common practice for dwarf miniature mares.

USA Miniature Horse is a non-profit web site dedicated to collecting useful information about miniature horses in the United States.