Gelding

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A 3-year-old gelding Vesuvio Bien Vee - Paso Fino Bellas Formas National Champion 3 Year Old Gelding in 2001; photo taken in May of 2006.JPG
A 3-year-old gelding

A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated camels. [1] By comparison, the equivalent term for castrated male cattle would be steer (or bullock), and wether for sheep and goats.

Contents

Castration allows a male animal to be more calm, better-behaved, less sexually aggressive, and more responsive to training efforts. Additionally, it is known for making the animal quieter, gentler and generally more suitable as an everyday working animal, or even as a pet (in the case of companion animals). [2] The gerund and participle "gelding" and the infinitive "to geld" refer to the castration procedure itself.

Etymology

The verb "to geld" comes from the Old Norse gelda, from the adjective geldr'barren'. [3] The noun "gelding" is from the Old Norse geldingr. [3]

History

The Scythians are thought to have been among the first to geld their horses, [4] [5] as they valued war horses that were quiet and less defensive, as well as easier to keep in groups and less likely to be territorial, without the temptation of reproductive/mating urges. Aristotle is said to have mentioned gelding as early as 350 BC. [6]

Reasons for gelding

A male horse is often gelded to make him better-behaved and easier to control. Gelding can also remove lower-quality animals from the gene pool. [7] To allow only the finest animals to breed on, while preserving adequate genetic diversity, only a small percentage of all male horses should remain stallions. Mainstream sources place the percentage of stallions that should be kept as breeding stock at about 10%, [8] while an extreme view states that only 0.5% of all males should be bred. [9] In wild herds, the 10% ratio is largely maintained naturally, as a single dominant stallion usually protects and breeds with a herd which is seldom larger than 10 or 12 mares, though he may permit a less dominant junior stallion to live at the fringes of the herd. [10] There are more males than just herd stallions, so unattached male horses group together for protection in small all-male "bachelor herds", where, in the absence of mares, they tend to behave much like geldings. [11]

Gelding a male horse can reduce potential conflicts within domestic horse herds. Win win relationship.JPG
Gelding a male horse can reduce potential conflicts within domestic horse herds.

Geldings are preferred over stallions for working purposes because they are calmer, easier to handle, and more tractable. Geldings are therefore a favorite for many equestrians. In some horse shows,[ which? ] due to the dangers inherent in handling stallions, which require experienced handlers,[ citation needed ] youth exhibitors are not permitted to show stallions in classes limited to just those riders. [12]

Geldings are often preferred over mares, because some mares become temperamental when in heat and the use of mares may be limited during the later months of pregnancy and while caring for a young foal.

In horse racing, castrating a stallion may be considered worthwhile if the animal is easily distracted by other horses, difficult to handle, or otherwise not running to his full potential due to behavioral issues. [13] While this means the horse loses any breeding value, a successful track career can often be a boost to the value of the stallion that sired the gelding.

Sometimes a stallion used for breeding is castrated later in life, possibly due to sterility, or because the offspring of the stallion are not up to expectations, or simply because the horse is not used much for breeding, due to shifting fashion in pedigree or phenotype. Castration may allow a stallion to live peacefully with other horses, allowing a more social and comfortable existence. [8]

Under British National Hunt racing (i.e. Steeplechase) rules, to minimize health and safety risks, nearly all participating horses are gelded. [14] On the other hand, in other parts of Europe, geldings are excluded from many of the most prestigious flat races including the Classics and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe [15] (with an exception being the French classic Prix Royal-Oak, open to geldings since 1986). [16] In North American Thoroughbred racing, geldings, if otherwise qualified by age, winnings, or experience, are allowed in races open to intact males. The same applies in Australia.

Concerns about gelding

Some cultures historically did not and still seldom geld male horses, most notably the Arabs, who usually used mares for everyday work and for war. [17] In these cultures, most stallions are still not used for breeding, only those of the best quality. When used as ordinary riding animals, they are kept only with or near other male horses in a "bachelor" setting, which tends to produce calmer, less stallion-like behavior. [18] Sometimes religious reasons for these practices exist; for example, castration of both animals and humans was categorically forbidden in the Hebrew Bible and is prohibited in Jewish law. [19]

Although castrations generally have few complications, there are risks. Castration can have complications, such as swelling, hemorrhage or post-operative bleeding, infections, and eventration. It can take up to six weeks for residual testosterone to clear from the new gelding's system and he may continue to exhibit stallion-like behaviors in that period. For reasons not always clear, about 30% of all geldings may still display a stallion-like manner, some because of a cryptorchid testicle retained in the horse, some due to previously learned behavior, but some for no clear reason. Training to eliminate these behaviors is generally effective. Another risk is to the veterinarian, if a standing castration is performed, it is possible for the horse to injure the veterinarian during the procedure, and if complications arise, the horse must be immediately anesthetized. [20] Castration does not automatically change bad habits and poor manners. This must be accomplished by proper training. [8]

Time of gelding

A horse may be gelded at any age; however, if an owner intends to geld a particular foal, it is now considered best to geld the horse prior to becoming a yearling, [21] and definitely before he reaches sexual maturity. While it was once recommended to wait until a young horse was well over a year old, even two, this was a holdover from the days when castration was performed without anesthesia and was thus far more stressful on the animal. Modern veterinary techniques can now accomplish castration with relatively little stress and minimal discomfort, so long as appropriate analgesics are employed. [22] A few horse owners delay gelding a horse on the grounds that the testosterone gained from being allowed to reach sexual maturity will make him larger. However, recent studies have shown that this is not so: any apparent muscle mass gained solely from the presence of hormones will be lost over time after the horse is gelded, and in the meantime, the energy spent developing muscle mass may actually take away from the energy a young horse might otherwise put into skeletal growth; the net effect is that castration has no effect on rate of growth (although it may increase the amount of fat the horse carries). [23]

Many older stallions, no longer used at stud due to age or sterility, can benefit from being gelded. Modern veterinary techniques make gelding an even somewhat elderly stallion a fairly low-risk procedure, [24] and the horse then has the benefit of being able to be turned out safely with other horses and allowed to live a less restricted and isolated life than was allowed for a stallion.

Specialized maintenance of geldings

Owners of male horses, both geldings and stallions, need to occasionally check the horse's sheath, the pocket of skin that protects the penis of the horse when it is not in use for urination (or, in the case of stallions, breeding). Geldings tend to accumulate smegma and other debris at a higher rate than stallions, probably because geldings rarely fully extrude the penis, and thus dirt and smegma build up in the folds of skin. [25]

Castration techniques

An open castration being performed on a horse under ketamine anaesthesia Castration horse.jpg
An open castration being performed on a horse under ketamine anaesthesia

There are two major techniques commonly used in castrating a horse, one requiring only local anaesthesia and the other requiring general anaesthesia. Each technique has advantages and disadvantages.

Standing castration

Standing castration is a technique where a horse is sedated and local anaesthesia is administered, without throwing the horse to the ground or putting him completely "under". It has the benefit that general anaesthesia (GA) is not required. This method is advocated for simple procedures because the estimated mortality for GA in horses at a modern clinic is low, approximately one or two in 1000. Mortality in the field (where most horse castrations are performed) is probably higher, due to poorer facilities. [26]

For standing castration, the colt or stallion is sedated, typically with detomidine with or without butorphanol, and often physically restrained. Local anaesthetic is injected into the parenchyma of both testes. An incision is made through the scrotum and the testes are removed, then the spermatic cord is crushed, most commonly with either ligatures or emasculators, or both. The emasculators are applied for two to three minutes, then removed, and a careful check is made for signs of haemorrhage. Assuming that bleeding is at a minimum, the other side is castrated in the same manner. Most veterinarians remove the testis held most "tightly" (or close to the body) by the cremaster muscle first, so as to minimize the risk of the horse withdrawing it to the point where it is inaccessible. The horse, now a gelding, is allowed to recover.

Standing castration can be performed in more complicated cases. Some authorities have described a technique for the removal of abdominally retained testes from cryptorchid animals, [27] but most surgeons still advocate a recumbent technique, as described below. [28] The primary drawback to standing castration is the risk that, even with sedation and restraint, the horse may object to the procedure and kick or otherwise injure the individual performing the operation. [29]

Recumbent castration

Recumbent castration, including use of emasculators Mule castration emasculator during haemostasis.jpg
Recumbent castration, including use of emasculators

Putting a horse under general anaesthesia for castration is preferred by some veterinarians because "surgical exposure is improved and it carries less (overall) risk for surgeon and patient". [30] For simple castration of normal animals, the advantages to recumbent castration are that the horse is prone, better asepsis (sterile environment) can be maintained, and better haemostasis (control of bleeding) is possible. In addition, there is significantly less risk of the surgeon or assistants being kicked. In a more complex situation such as castration of cryptorchid animals, the inguinal canal is more easily accessed. There are several different techniques (such as "open", "closed", and "semi-closed") that may be employed, but the basic surgery is similar. However, general anaesthesia is not without risks, including post-anaesthetic myopathy (muscle damage) and neuropathy (nerve damage), [31] respiratory dysfunction (V/Q mismatch), and cardiac depression. [32] These complications occur with sufficient frequency that castration has a relatively high overall mortality rate. [26] To minimize these concerns, the British Equine Veterinary Association guidelines recommend two veterinary surgeons should be present when an equine general anaesthesia is being performed. [33]

Aftercare

With both castration techniques, the wound should be kept clean and allowed to drain freely to reduce the risk of hematoma formation, or development of an abscess. The use of tetanus antitoxin and analgesics (painkillers) are necessary and antibiotics are also commonly administered. The horse is commonly walked in hand for some days to reduce the development of edema. [34]

Possible complications

Minor complications following castration are relatively common, while serious complications are rare. According to one in-depth study, for standing castration the complication rate is 22%, while for recumbent castration it is 6% (although with a 1% mortality). [24] The more common complications are:

See also

Related Research Articles

Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses. Furthermore, modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akhal-Teke</span> Turkmen horse breed

The Akhal-Teke is a Turkmen horse breed. They have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, and a distinctive metallic sheen. The shiny coat of the breed led to their nickname, "Golden Horses". These horses are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest existing horse breeds. There are currently about 6,600 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan, although they are also found throughout Europe and North America. Akhal is the name of the line of oases along the north slope of the Kopet Dag mountains in Turkmenistan. It has been inhabited by the Tekke tribe of Turkmens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cryptorchidism</span> Failure of the testicle(s) to descend into the scrotum

Cryptorchidism, also known as undescended testis, is the failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotum. The word is from Ancient Greek κρυπτός (kryptos) 'hidden' and ὄρχις (orchis) 'testicle'. It is the most common birth defect of the male genital tract. About 3% of full-term and 30% of premature infant boys are born with at least one undescended testis. However, about 80% of cryptorchid testes descend by the first year of life, making the true incidence of cryptorchidism around 1% overall. Cryptorchidism may develop after infancy, sometimes as late as young adulthood, but that is exceptional.

Neutering, from the Latin neuter, is the removal of a non-human animal's reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration, while spaying is usually reserved for female animals. Colloquially, both terms are often referred to as fixing. In male horses, castrating is referred to as gelding. An animal that has not been neutered is sometimes referred to as entire or intact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foal</span> Horse of either sex up to the age of one year

A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam (mother), it may also be called a "suckling". After it has been weaned from its dam, it may be called a "weanling". When a mare is pregnant, she is said to be "in foal". When the mare gives birth, she is "foaling", and the impending birth is usually stated as "to foal". A newborn horse is "foaled".

A colt is a young male horse, usually below the age of four years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stud (animal)</span> Registered animal retained for breeding

A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is intact—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring. A specialized vocabulary exists for de-sexed animals and those animals used in grading up to a purebred status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stallion</span> Male horse that has not been castrated

A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to female horses, known as mares, and castrated males, called geldings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mare</span> Female horse

A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old. The word can also be used for other female equine animals, particularly mules and zebras, but a female donkey is usually called a "jenny". A broodmare is a mare used for breeding.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse behavior</span>

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The American Cream Draft is an American breed of draft horse, characterized by the cream or "gold champagne" color of its coat. It was developed in Iowa during the early twentieth century from a cream-colored mare named Old Granny. A breed registry was formed in 1944 but became inactive for several decades when breed numbers dropped due to the mechanization of farming. It was reactivated in 1982 and population numbers have slowly grown since then. It is a rare breed: its conservation status is considered critical by The Livestock Conservancy and the Equus Survival Trust.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ridgling</span> Male animal with one or both testicles undescended

A ridgling, or rig, is a cryptorchid; a male animal with one or both testicles undescended, usually describing a ram, bull, or male horse, but cryptorchidism also can be an issue in dogs and cats. Because the heat inside the body is too high for sperm to survive, an undescended testicle is non-functional. The condition is most often discussed in the horse world, as the health and behavioral issues surrounding adult males with the condition are of concern to owners and handlers of such animals.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urethrostomy</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of equestrian terms</span> List of definitions of terms and concepts related to horses

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Sheath cleaning is a hygienic process occasionally needed by male horses, both geldings and stallions, wherein a caretaker, groom or veterinarian checks the horse's sheath, the pocket of skin that protects the penis of the horse when it is not in use for urination. This area may need to be cleaned, starting at a young age after breeding and the birth season, but particularly in geldings. Not only can smegma, a waxy substance that includes dirt and dead skin cells, accumulate, but some geldings may also form a "bean", a hardened ball of smegma inside the sheath or even the urethra that, in extreme cases, can interfere with urine flow. Although a gelding retains the same beneficial microorganisms in the sheath as a stallion, they seem to accumulate smegma and other debris at a higher rate, probably because geldings rarely fully extrude the penis, and thus dirt and smegma build up in the folds of skin. Thus, it is recommended that the sheath be cleaned once or twice a year. Cleaning the sheath is a specialized task requiring a mild cleaner with grease-cutting properties, generally designed specifically for the process, along with warm water and many clean towels. Rubber gloves for the handler are recommended, as the job is rather smelly and messy.

Horse cloning is the process of obtaining a horse with genes identical to that of another horse, using an artificial fertilization technique. Interest in this technique began in the 1980s. The Haflinger foal Prometea, the first living cloned horse, was obtained in 2003 in an Italian laboratory. Over the years, the technique has improved. It is mainly used on high-performance but castrated or infertile animals, for reproductive cloning. These horses are then used as breeding stock. Horse cloning is only mastered by a handful of laboratories worldwide, notably in France, Argentina, North America and China. The technique is limited by the fact that some differences remain between the original and its clone, due to the influence of mitochondrial DNA.

References

  1. ↑ "3 Ways to Buy a Camel". WikiHow. March 11, 2023. ...in the US, expect to spend around $10,000 for a mature gelding and up to $17,000 for a pregnant female.
  2. ↑ Cheney, Victor T. (March 6, 2006). A Brief History Of Castration: Second Edition. AuthorHouse. ISBN   9781467816663.
  3. 1 2 Murray, J.A.H., ed. (1971). The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (Third ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0198611172.
  4. ↑ Levine, M. A., Bailey, G.N. & Whitwell, K., et al. (2000). "Paleopathology and horse domestication: the case of some Iron Age horses from the Altai Mountains, Siberia" in G.N. Bailey, R. Charles & N. Winder (Eds.) Human Ecodynamics and Environmental Archaeology (pp. 123–33). Oxford: Oxbow.
  5. ↑ Parker, R.O. (2002). Equine Science. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. ISBN   0-7668-3531-6
  6. ↑ Blocksdorf, Katherine (October 10, 2018). "What is a Gelding?". TheSprucePets. Gelding has been carried out for centuries, and written work by Aristotle mentions gelding as early as 350 B.C.E.
  7. ↑ Rose, Reuben J. & Hodgson, David R. (2000). Manual of Equine Practice (2nd ed). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, p. 371. ISBN   0-7216-8665-6 & ISBN   978-0-7216-8665-3
  8. 1 2 3 Richard Klimesh. "Horse Gelding the Male Horse and Aftercare by Cherry Hill". Horsekeeping. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Stallions aren't for Everyone". Ed Dabney. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  10. ↑ Preliminary conservation assessment of the Rainshadow Wild Horse Ecosystem, Brittany Triangle, Chilcotin, British Columbia, Canada. Report for the Friends of Nemaiah Valley (FONV). Accessed July 17, 2007.
  11. ↑ Davies Morel, Mina C. G. (2003). "Stallion Management". Equine Reproductive Physiology, Breeding, and Stud Management. CABI Publishing. p. 254. ISBN   978-0-85199-643-1 . Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Welsh Pony and Cob Society –" (PDF). Wpcs.uk.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  13. ↑ Bramlage, Larry R. DVM, MS (May 29, 2003). Castration: Creation of a Gelding from a Colt or Stallion Archived May 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . American Association of Equine Practitioners:Newsroom. Accessed July 17, 2007.
  14. ↑ Horse racing Archived July 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ Archived copy Archived June 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ "All the races: Prix Royal-Oak". France Galop. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Tales from "Sport in Egypt": The Arabian Horse". Touregypt.net. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  18. ↑ Campfield, Jeremy (June 25, 2007). "Working with Morocco's Horses: Journey's End". TheHorse.com. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  19. ↑ Josephus, Jewish Antiquities iv. 8, § 40; citing Leviticus 22:24.
  20. ↑ Cable, Christina S. (April 1, 2001). "Castration In The Horse". TheHorse.com. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Archived copy Archived October 7, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ R Eager (2002) "Evaluation of pain and discomfort associated with equine castration" UFAW Publications
  23. ↑ Seong, PN; Lee, CE, and Oh, WY; et al. (2005). Effects of castration on growth and meat quality in finishing male Jeju horses. Journal of Animal Science and Technology 47.3:391–396.
  24. 1 2 Mason, BJ, Newton, JR & Payne, RJ, et al. (2005). Costs and complications of equine castration: a UK practice-based study comparing 'standing nonsutured' and 'recumbent sutured' techniques. Equine Veterinary Journal 37.5:468–472.
  25. ↑ "Cut Through Smegma". Horse Journal, August 2007, p. 19-20.
  26. 1 2 Bidwell, Lori A., DVM; Bramlage, Larry R., DVM MS; and Rood, William A., DVM (2007). "Equine perioperative fatalities associated with general anaesthesia at a private practice—a retrospective case series". Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 34.1:23–30.
  27. ↑ Hanrath, M., and Rodgerson, D.H. (2002). "Laparoscopic Cryptorchidectomy Using Electrosurgical Instrumentation in Standing Horses". Veterinary Surgery 31.2:117–124.
  28. ↑ Sedrish, Steven A. MS, DVM, Diplomate ACVS, and Leonard, John M. VMD (2001). "How to Perform a Primary Closure Castration Using an Inguinal Incision". AAEP Proceedings 47:423–425. Accessed on July 17, 2007.
  29. ↑ Mair, Tim (1998). Equine Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction. Elsevier. p. 167. ISBN   978-0-7020-1725-4.
  30. 1 2 3 Searle, D, Dart, AJ & Dart, CM, et al. (1999). "Equine castration: Review of anatomy, approaches, techniques and complications in normal, cryptorchid and monorchid horses". Archived August 27, 2006, at the Wayback Machine . Australian Veterinary Journal 77.7:428–434, p. 430. Accessed July 17, 2007.
  31. ↑ Franci, P, Leece, EA & Brearley, JC (2006). "Post anaesthetic myopathy/neuropathy in horses undergoing magnetic resonance imaging compared to horses undergoing surgery"[ permanent dead link ]. Equine Veterinary Journal 38.6:497–501.
  32. ↑ Lyon Lee. "Equine Anaesthesia". Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. Archived April 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  33. ↑ "Home". BEVA. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Castration Concerns for the Equine Owner" (PDF). Department of Animal Sciences - University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Boards of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  35. ↑ Railton, D. (1999). "Complications associated with castration in the horse". In Practice 1999 21: 298–307
  36. ↑ Liberty M. Getman (2009). "Review of castration complications: strategies for treatment in the field" (Conference paper). Proceedings of the 55th Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. pp. 374–378. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
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