People who do not engage in horse breeding are not strong in terminology. Often they cannot understand what the word "gelding" means. Let's try to figure it out. A gelding is a horse, only castrated. A horse named Pat Parelli once called such animals the best. In this article you will find a description of the gelding, features of its character, as well as arguments for and against castration.
Why castration?
Stallions are most often neutered for use in equestrian sports and agriculture. For subsequent breeding leave no more than 20% of all animals. Before this, a careful selection of the best individuals is carried out. This number of males is enough to continue the genus. For what purpose are horsemen 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, intercede for them in all situations. If there are two or more stallions in one herd, then they compete with each other. This can lead to serious injuries to animals and even people working in the stable. Castration leads to a change in the hormonal background, which reduces the aggressiveness of the horses.
Differences from Stallions
The basic postulate that you need to know is: 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 this can be done. There is an opinion that castration is a mockery of an animal, but this is not at all. Horse gelding - not mutilated and not devoid of character animal. This is an individual that has the best qualities for working with people and participating in sports.
First you need to delve into the terminology. A stallion is a horse that has reached puberty and is ready for mating. A gelding is a castrated male horse. So, what is the difference between a gelding and a horse? Firstly, he has a more calm and complaisant character. Secondly, the gelding has a higher efficiency.
Character gelding
Before castration, you must weigh all the pros and cons of this procedure. In addition, the individuality of each individual should be considered. What are the characteristics of a castrated animal?
- Industriousness. According to statistics, gelding is a horse that is characterized by high labor efficiency. It is these animals that are most often used as draft horses. This is directly related to the spirit of competition in the herd. Castrated males do not participate in the struggle for females, which means that they do not enter into fights with other individuals and are not distracted. They spend less energy on extraneous things and concentrate better on work.
- Calm nature. Of course, it is impossible to take away his ardent disposition from the horse, but it is quite realistic to make the animal more complaisant. For this, castration is performed. For the reason that hormones do not rage on geldings, they are more often used in equestrian clubs when teaching beginners how to ride horses. Stallions can suddenly make a “surprise” and rebel, and only professionals can cope with them in this situation. There are many cases when aggressive stallions mutilated horsemen and riders. Calmness is also useful in the arena, because often several riders are engaged in training at once.
- Endurance and stress resistance. Merines are able to withstand heavy loads. They also resist various external stimuli that distract stallions.
The benefits of castration
The following are a number of reasons why horses should be castrated:
- Presentable appearance. Geldings have a better appetite compared to uncastrated individuals. Many horse-athletes and representatives of show breeds are geldings.
- The stability of the hormonal background is manifested in the taste of meat after slaughtering animals.
- The geldings do not fight off the herd, therefore it is easier to follow them than freedom-loving stallions.
Stallion character
Horse gelding, a photo of which is presented in this article, is radically different in character from a stallion. An uncastrated horse is constantly fighting for leadership in the herd. By nature, the desire is laid in him to become the first among any rivals, to conquer females and intercede for them. The spirit of competition with other males is an inherent characteristic of a stallion. Therefore, the need for castration is determined by the behavior of the horse.
Is castration necessary?
Based on the brief descriptions of the stallion's character below, consider whether it is necessary to castrate him.
- If the male horse is a representative of solid breeds, then castration is not allowed. 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, violent and extremely active. It carries a potential danger to humans. However, it is precisely such individuals that have the greatest desire for victory, which is very much appreciated in equestrian sport. Therefore, professionals can turn restive individuals into real champions. Castration makes the animal calm and kills the desire for leadership in it. It will be very, very difficult to educate a high-class athlete from the gelding.
- 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 rebellious 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. Horse gelding (without eggs) has a reduced metabolism, so its muscles are covered with a layer of fat without proper physical exertion. Castrated individuals tend to gain excess body weight.
Where do you use geldings?
What does “horse gelding” mean? Most people distinguish such a feature as infertility in these animals. However, this is not the only reason why the geldings are familiar to residents of almost all corners of the planet. Such individuals are widely used in agriculture and even in the production sphere, since they have a calm disposition and good physical characteristics. Many farmers know about their hard work and high concentration.
Merin is a horse that shows high results in sports, especially in disciplines such as dressage and show jumping. They are focused on competition and do not show aggression towards rivals. Castration affects the ability of animals to build muscle in the front of the body. 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 testes are removed. They produce male hormones, and are also responsible for the presence of sexual instincts. At present, veterinarians have refused live operations, as they are unsafe and painful for animals. Modern procedures are carried out with a preliminary immersion of the horse under general anesthesia. In other cases, the animal is injected with painkillers. 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 surgery, 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 make competitive jumps.
Six months later, the restructuring of the animal's body in a new way is completed. For this reason, horsemen try to do an operation to remove the testes as early as possible, until the character of the horse has formed. It is believed that castration should be performed at the age of 4-5 years. However, these time frames are very conditional. The operation can be done at 6 or 7 years. The main thing is that the character is still at the stage of formation. Otherwise, the animal cannot be relieved of some habits.
Early spring or late autumn is best suited for castration, since it was at this time that the insects stopped pestering the horses. In summer, the animal can be affected by various diseases, which will not benefit him.
Argamak
The horse of geldings in the 17th century received great popularity. Argamaki - the so-called Turkish and Polish horses - were extremely expensive animals. The cost of such a handsome man was estimated at 15 rubles, while just a good gelding could be purchased for 2-3 rubles. Of course, prices for ordinary horses sometimes went up to 10 rubles, but they still asked for more for an argamak. In the 17th century, horses were not only a sign of wealth. The animal was determined whether a person is suitable for service. So, to go camping, you had to have at least two horses. After all, without them it would have been impossible to escape from the enemy or to catch up with him. One animal was considered “drill”, 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 spotty. Such animals were graceful and strong. Most often, they were bought by the children of wealthy boyars. The horse was sold with certain equipment, for example, with a saddle and a rein. The cost of these “accessories” directly depended on who made them: the more noble was the master, the more money had to be paid. The most expensive saddles were sold at 4-5 rubles. It was believed that they are the most exquisite.