gelding

Question
I am looking to buy a 17 month old colt, but his testicles haven't dropped yet. is this normal? Or am I taking on a big risk of having to have him operated on? This is a project horse to back and sell on, so don't want to take on any unnecessary problems  

Answer
A colt's testicles are often present at birth. When they aren't, they usually appear by the time the colt is ten days old. The testicles tend to ascend again after this, not descending again until the colt is somewhere bettween two and five months old - or older. After this, they may ascend and descend seemingly at random: on some days, you'll see two, on some days, you'll find just one, on some days, you'll find none at all.

All of that aside, I am a bit confused as to why you titled your question, "gelding." If the horse is a gelding, then the testicles wouldn't be present. If they just haven't dropped, it may require surgery.

In the end, if this is a horse that is only going to be a turn-around horse, I would find a different prospect and save yourself the heartache and headaches!