Horse gelding: description, character traits, pros and cons

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

People who don't breed horses aren't great with terminology. Often they cannot understand what the word "gelding" means. Let's try to figure this out. A gelding is a horse, only castrated. An equestrian named Pat Parelli once called such animals the best. In this article you will find a description of the gelding, features of his character, as well as arguments for and against castration.

Why is castration necessary?

Stallions are most often castrated for use in equestrian sports and agriculture. For subsequent breeding, no more than 20% of all animals are left. Before this, a careful selection of the best individuals is carried out. This number of males is enough to continue the genus. What is the purpose of the cavalry taking this measure?

By nature, horses are herd animals. They have in their blood the desire for leadership. Males conquer females and, as a result, stand up for them in all situations. If there are two or more stallions in one herd, thenthey compete with each other. This can cause serious injury to the animals and even to people working in the stable. Castration also leads to a change in the hormonal background, which reduces the aggressiveness of horses.

Differences from stallions

The basic postulate you need to know is this: both the gelding and the stallion are males. Reproductive and infertile animals are very difficult to distinguish in appearance. There are a number of other features by which you can do this. There is an opinion that castration is a mockery of an animal, but this is not at all the case. The horse gelding is not a crippled and characterless animal. This is an individual that has the best qualities for working with people and participating in sports.

First, let's delve into the terminology. A stallion is a horse that has reached puberty and is ready to mate. A gelding is a castrated male horse. So, what is the difference between a gelding and a horse? Firstly, he has a calmer and more flexible character. Secondly, the gelding has a higher efficiency.

Character gelding

Before you castration, you need to weigh all the pros and cons of this procedure. In addition, the individuality of each individual should be taken into account. What are the characteristics of a castrated animal?

1. Hard work. According to statistics, gelding is a horse that is distinguished by high labor efficiency. It is these animals that are most often used as draft horses. This is directly related to the competitive spirit in the herd. Castrated males do not participate in the fight for females, which means that they do not engage in fights with other individuals and are not distracted. They spend less energy on other things and concentrate better at work.
2. Calm character. Of course, it is impossible to take away his ardent disposition from a horse, but it is quite possible to make an animal more docile. For this, castration is carried out. Due to the fact that geldings do not rage hormones, they are more often used in equestrian clubs when teaching beginners to ride. Stallions, on the other hand, can suddenly make a “surprise” and rebel, and only professionals can cope with them in this situation. There are many cases when aggressive stallions crippled horsemen and riders. Calmness is also useful in the arena, because often several riders are involved in training at once.
3. Stamina and stress resistance. Geldings are able to withstand heavy loads. They also resist various external stimuli that distract stallions.

Pros of castration

The following are a number of reasons why horses should be castrated:

1. Presentable appearance. Geldings have a better appetite compared to uncastrated individuals. Many horse athletes and representatives of show breeds are geldings.
2. The stability of the hormonal background is manifested in the taste of meat after the slaughter of animals.
3. Geldings do not fight off the herd, so it is easier to follow them than freedom-loving stallions.

Characterstallion

The horse gelding, the photo of which is presented in this article, is radically different in character from the stallion. An uncastrated horse is constantly fighting for leadership in the herd. By nature, it has a desire to become the first among any rivals, to conquer females and stand up for them. The spirit of competition with other males is an integral characteristic of a stallion. Therefore, the need for castration is determined by the behavior of the horse.

Is castration necessary?

Based on the following brief descriptions of the stallion's personality, consider whether it is necessary to castrate him.

• If the male horse is a representative of good breeds, then castration cannot be carried out. Animals that have excellent physical and mental characteristics are needed for procreation. Therefore, it is necessary to find an approach to them and put up with their ardent disposition.
• The stallion can be aggressive, exuberant and extremely active. It carries a potential danger to humans. However, it is these individuals who have the greatest desire to win, which is very much appreciated in equestrian sports. Therefore, professionals can turn skittish individuals into real champions. Castration makes the animal calm and kills the desire for leadership in it. Raising a high-class athlete from a gelding will be very, very difficult.
• If the male has a normal character, shows a desire for leadership and at the same time does not behave aggressively towards people and other animals, he does not need castration.

On the one hand,this procedure pacifies the recalcitrant animal, but on the other hand, the gelding horse loses interest in what is happening and no longer strives for leadership, and this is very much appreciated in sports.

In addition, castration leads to serious changes in the hormonal background. A horse gelding (without eggs) has a reduced metabolism, so its muscles are covered with a layer of fat without proper physical exertion. Neutered individuals tend to gain excess body weight.

Where are geldings used?

What does "horse gelding" mean? Most people distinguish in these animals such a feature as infertility. However, this is not the only reason why geldings are familiar to residents of almost all corners of the planet. Such individuals are widely used in agriculture and even in the manufacturing sector, as they have a calm disposition and good physical characteristics. Many farmers know about their diligence and high concentration.

The gelding is a horse that shows high results in sports, especially in disciplines such as dressage and show jumping. They are focused on the competition and do not show aggression towards rivals. Castration affects the ability of animals to build muscle mass in the anterior part of the trunk. Therefore, geldings are very graceful animals with high maneuverability.

Features of the procedure

Above we told what kind of horse it is - a gelding. It's time to figure out how castration is done.

First the testicles are removed. They produce male hormones and are also responsible for the presence of sexualinstincts. Currently, veterinarians have refused live operations, as they are unsafe and painful for animals. Modern procedures are carried out with preliminary immersion of the horse under general anesthesia. In other cases, painkillers are injected into the animal. It is the use of anesthesia that allows the male to stand during the operation, and this is very important for the physiology of the horse. The procedure takes no more than half an hour. On the day of the operation, the animal is able to move, eat and even walk. After about 10 days, you can start light training, and after a month, the gelding is able to jump.

Six months later, the restructuring of the animal's body in a new way is completed. For this reason, horsemen try to have the operation to remove the testicles as early as possible, until the character of the horse has formed. It is believed that castration should be carried out at the age of 4-5 years. However, these time frames are very arbitrary. The operation can be done at 6 or 7 years old. The main thing is that the character is still at the stage of formation. Otherwise, some of the habits of the animal can no longer be saved.

Early spring or late autumn is best suited for castration, as it is at this time that insects stop pestering horses. In the summer, the animal may be affected by various diseases, which will not benefit him.

Argamak

The horse gelding became very popular in the 17th century. Argamaks - the so-called Turkish and Polish horses - were extremely expensive animals. The cost of such a handsome man was estimated at 15rubles, while just a good gelding could be purchased for 2-3 rubles. Of course, prices for ordinary horses sometimes rose to 10 rubles, but they still asked for more for an argamak. In the 17th century, horses were not only a sign of we alth. An animal was used to determine whether a person was fit for service. So, to go camping, you had to have at least two horses. After all, without them it would be impossible to run away from the enemy or catch up with him. One animal was considered "combatant", and the other - clockwork. A pack saddle was put on him and it was he who was not spared in battle.

Argamak had a surprisingly beautiful appearance, he could be completely white or spotted. Such animals were graceful and strong. Most often they were bought by the children of we althy boyars. The horse was sold with certain equipment, for example, with a saddle and a bridle. The cost of these "accessories" directly depended on who made them: the more noble the master was, the more money he had to pay. The most expensive saddles were sold for 4-5 rubles. They were considered the most exquisite.