Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know it sounds like a stupid question, but my boarder' gelding acts like a stallion and covers my mare. Is there any chance she could get pregnant?

No possible way
He was probably just gelded late and his instincts have already kicked in. My old gelding used to do that. Don't worry!

Well...it's very unlikely BUT if it were me I'd request that my mare not be turned out with him for safety reasons.

There's one of three things happening here. He may have been used as a stud before he was gelded and therefore developed some learned habits of a stud. It is also possible that he was not gelded completely, or what some call a rig, or proud cut. When this happens, some of the testosterone producing tissue is left behind in the scrotal sac, and causes him to act studly. Or in some cases, he may be a cryptorchid (or more likely a monorchid) and one of his testicles could still remain up in his abdomin if it was not removed when he was gelded, though that rarely happens because vets usually refuse to leave it there, due to both the behavioral issues associated with it as well as the higher incidence of testicular cancer. In most cases, even if the testicle is still retained he will be infertile because his own body heat will kill any sperm.

However, if he is still mounting mares he can not only harm the mare with hooves, teeth and weight, but he could also introduce bacteria into her reproductive tract causing infections which, if not treated, can progress to major problems including sterility of the mare and possibly even death.

Hope that answers your question!
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PH Cody
HorseHobbyist Site Coordinator

It's been known to happen. I don't have any REAL stories form friends or anything, but it turns out a lot of geldings are never completely cut, therefor they might have a very small amount of something left up there, which could lead to a foal if he covered at the right time. Otherwise, I would be carefull, although the odds are EXTREMELY unlikely, it has been known to happen, and people believe that geldings can NEVER do anything like lock-up with the mare, but they can. My friends mare kept getting abused by her gelding when they were pastured together, she finally noticed it in the spring and split them up immediately, moving and finally selling her mare which she had been trying to do anyways. But anyways, her mare was REALLY beat up from locking up with her gelding. Basically the mare went through unecessary trauma, i mean she couldn't have even gotten a baby out of it.

My point is, I would be more worried about your mares safety then getting impregnated by the geldings, because although their glory is gone, they can still have that stud streak, which most all of them do, and therefor it can lead to your mare getting hurt.

I wouldn't worry about it though
-Maddie