[Mutrok]

I am feeling a little bit of pressure on gelding Ely...and not for the reasons you might think. He is absoultely stud material and I don't throw that statement around lightly. I am a geld everything type. The money, time, management is all in place and ready to go for promoting, showing, managing, etc him as a stud.

The real delima is if I want to show and really have some good competition he would be better off as a gelding. The real competition is in the gelding classes where there are lots of horses competing, big price tags for those placing well, etc. Ely has the potential to be very competative at a world and national level as a stud or as a gelding but there will be more opportunities as a gelding. Gelding him would make him much more valuable...and I would likely end up selling him in the future. As a stallion he would likely stay and be part of my program.

I do have a very small breeding program and I am looking to add my own stud and one that fits my criteria does not come along very often. However, it would require adding some additional mares to my program in the future because 2 of my current broodmares are closely related to him. This is completely doable but something to consider.

My trainer and I need to sit down this weekend and have the "talk" and decide what will be best for his career and my ultimate goals so give me all the arguments and reasoning you can think of, lol!

[Smoke N Lace]

Of course, it's your decision. But, I would hate to see him gelded because I really think he could produce some outstanding babies. If you will be able to find another stud prospect for your breeding operation, I guess it wouldn't be a huge deal to geld him. If you think you couldn't replace him, I'd really think long and hard before gelding him. You can always geld him, but you can't undo it once it's done. Just really have your mind made up because you don't want to regret your decision, whatever it is.

[shell]

How old is he? What breed is he?
If he is young, don't worry about it yet. Let him grow up a little and let him tell you if he would be happier as a gelding or not.

[Canadian Sage]

Ely is a weanling appaloosa.

Ugh, I adore him!

Definitally a NICE specimine (sp?) of the breed, no doubt about that!

[wyldterv]

Here is my perspective... right now he is a good stud PROSPECT... As he grows and matures he may or MAY NOT stay a stud PROSPECT because as particular as I know you are about wanting the best of the best, you wont' know if he's truly stallion material until he's a MINIMUM of 2-3 yrs old and filled out more and started under saddle.

If you geld him tomorrow he'll always be a FANTASTIC Gelding, not merely a GOOD gelding and you'll know that from today forward.

HONESTLY, I would geld him and this is why... You are starting out in Appy's... You need to build your name... The place to do it currently in the Appy market is the gelding classes.. If you can produce a big winning gelding people will sit up and take notice. You can ALWAYS rebreed your mare to the same stud to see if you get another colt as good as he is or better yet a FILLY and you can keep shopping for a stud down the road that will be already proven and not just prospect material and will complement the lines you already have with out having to add a few more mares that you may or may not need.

In the mean time you've managed to build more recognition for yourself via Ely's winning ways in the gelding pen and when you DO get a stud, people will sit up and notice and look at using him because they'll realize you have a bit of saavy about what it takes to breed a quality Appy.

That's MY personal advice having an idea of what your end goals are.

[Mutrok]

Originally Posted by shell

How old is he? What breed is he?
If he is young, don't worry about it yet. Let him grow up a little and let him tell you if he would be happier as a gelding or not.

Yes, he is young however I have plans to show him and the competion for colts is few and far between.

[Mutrok]

Originally Posted by wyldterv

Here is my perspective... right now he is a good stud PROSPECT... As he grows and matures he may or MAY NOT stay a stud PROSPECT because as particular as I know you are about wanting the best of the best, you wont' know if he's truly stallion material until he's a MINIMUM of 2-3 yrs old and filled out more and started under saddle.

If you geld him tomorrow he'll always be a FANTASTIC Gelding, not merely a GOOD gelding and you'll know that from today forward.

HONESTLY, I would geld him and this is why... You are starting out in Appy's... You need to build your name... The place to do it currently in the Appy market is the gelding classes.. If you can produce a big winning gelding people will sit up and take notice. You can ALWAYS rebreed your mare to the same stud to see if you get another colt as good as he is or better yet a FILLY and you can keep shopping for a stud down the road that will be already proven and not just prospect material and will complement the lines you already have with out having to add a few more mares that you may or may not need.

In the mean time you've managed to build more recognition for yourself via Ely's winning ways in the gelding pen and when you DO get a stud, people will sit up and notice and look at using him because they'll realize you have a bit of saavy about what it takes to breed a quality Appy.

That's MY personal advice having an idea of what your end goals are.

Thank you Karyn. Lots to chew on

One other thing to keep in mind is it would be years down the road before he would be producing anything. I would not breed him before 4 and chances are longer than that. I want him to get throught his show career and accomplish the things I want from him before I would even consider breeding him.

[wyldterv]

Originally Posted by mutrok

Thank you Karyn. Lots to chew on

One other thing to keep in mind is it would be years down the road before he would be producing anything. I would not breed him before 4 and chances are longer than that. I want him to get throught his show career and accomplish the things I want from him before I would even consider breeding him.

Yes and here's another way to look at it, since you already know for certain that he would be completely world class gelding material and that is a HOT market in your breed at this time, you can sell him for $$$$ with YOUR farm name and YOU as breeder attached to him and let someone ELSE spend the $$$$ promoting your name FOR you

[Drafty1]

There are very few truly happy stallion in the show world. As a gelding he would be allowed to be a social horse, something that stallions are not allowed to be. My choice is gelding, just because it offer the horse a better life. I would give up money making off of stud fee for my horses mental wellness.

[Mutrok]

Originally Posted by wyldterv

Yes and here's another way to look at it, since you already know for certain that he would be completely world class gelding material and that is a HOT market in your breed at this time, you can sell him for $$$$ with YOUR farm name and YOU as breeder attached to him and let someone ELSE spend the $$$$ promoting your name FOR you

A thought I have been tossing around since he was born