Can a proud cut gelding be "re-gelded" ?

Question

Is there a way to make a proud cut gelding into a regular gelding ? If so, around what price range for the operation are we looking at ?

Answer 1

Usually a gelding is "proud cut" because they were a cyrptorchid (only one t******e descended) and the owner didn't want to invest the money to have the other surgically removed.  Since the other t******l is usually still retained in the body cavity somewhere, it can be removed.  The last time we have a cyrptorchid baby, it cost us around $600 to have the surgery done, and had to haul the horse to a larger vet clinic to do so.  They do an ultrasound to find where it is, then do the surgery.  Price varies on how complicated the procedure is.  Quotes we've had ranged from $500-$1000.

However, if your horse still have a t******e somewhere, and is producing all the stallion hormones, then its necessary to have this done just for the safety of you, and the other horses/riders you may ride with.  Granted, there are always well-behaved studs out there, but it just seems to make more sense to finish the job, and not have to worry about his hormones getting the best of him.  Good luck!

Answer 2

The term "proud cut" is a very old and outdated term.  As I understand it, the possibility of this does not exist.  People used to apply this to challenging or spirited horses when they needed to rationalize.  An undescended t******e is a different problem altogether.  You did not say why you think he is "proud cut".

Answer 3

proud cut has two meanings

1. he wasn't cut all the way and still has testosterone causing stallion like behavior.

2. he was cut late and was a stallion either for too long or bred before being gelding and acts like you would expect from a stallion (we had a mean to the bone blm mustang that was 8  but didn't get cut until he was 4)

Answer 4

Actually in my experience (and that of my vet) proud cut geldings do happen- although not when gelded by a licenced DVM. It happens when "cowboys" and "farmers" (--please excuse the generalization here, I'm married to a cowboy and the daughter of a farmer, LOL) geld their own stock and do not get high enough up the cords during the actual gelding process.

Continuing along the cord above the actual t******e, (4-8'' that I've seen) there is another nodule that needs to be removed as it is related to hormone production and it is the hormones, not the actual testicles are what makes the horse act silly and/or studdy.

As to what surgery to repair this would cost, I can not advise but I do agree that the surgery becomes riskier with age. It would be a decision to weigh carefully... proud cut geldings are not all that bad. Is this gelding's behavior unmanegable?

Answer 5

"Proud cut" means the vet didn't get all the appropriate tissue when the horse was first gelded, leaving small bits behind.  This is a thing of the past, and does not happen anymore (unless the owner specifically requested it).  If your horse is proud cut, he can be regelded.  The older he is, the more painful and risky it will be, as they develop more vascularization, etc., and can bleed excessively.

If the horse is a rig (cryptorchid), and has one or two undescended testicles, this is a bigger problem.  The older the horse, the more complicated/risky  and thus expensive the procedure is.  Generally, it has to be done at the larger clinics and in a mature animal would cost thousands.

Your horse in all likelihood is neither a rig nor proud cut.  Many, many geldings have more active adrenal glands.  These also produce testosterone, causing the effect usually referred to as "proud cut".  Surgery, in this case, will not help.  Consult your vet to see if there is a hormonal treatment for this before you put him under the knife.

Answer 6

I agree with BareFoot !!! That is what I have found in my readings!!!!

Answer 7

Horses gelded by a licensed vet are never "proud cut".  My vet says there's actually no such thing.  However, if a gelded horse is acting "studdish" at times, it's usually caused by the adrenal gland in his brain.  Most geldings' adrenal glands produce testosterone in small amounts throughout their life.  Some gelding produce more than they should and it causes  overt stallion behavior even in a gelding.  A cryptoorchid or monoorchid is a whole different matter.  They require some pretty extensive abdominal surgery to and can be difficult if not corrected.