Gelding

[LordyGeordie]

What advantage is there to gelding a racehorse. I would have thought if you've paid thousands for a racehorse, it might be a good idea to leave it 'complete' so to speak in order to get a bit of money back on it putting it out to stud when it's retired.

But quite a few racehorses are geldings, anyone know why?

[Quizmonster]

Click here for the answer.

[Drusilla]

That was a very interesting link, Quizmonster. I can think of a lot of males, not necessarily horses, who would benefit from such intervention early in life.

[Quizmonster]

Dear Drusilla, I wonder whether you are old enough to recall the sketch on 'Not The 9-o'clock News' with Pamela Stevenson and Mel Smith as part of a TV panel.
They were supposedly 'experts' on juvenile troublemakers, with Mel as the tough guy recommending that we should "Cut their balls off!" Pamela was the supposedly kind-hearted social worker who gave a long spiel about how she really knew these kids and that adults didn't understand them and would be more forgiving if only they grasped the problems teenagers faced and so on. Then she went on to say: "After due consideration, I've concluded that there really is only one thing we can do with them. Cut their balls off!"
You seem to agree and I tend to go along with that! Cheers

[lankeela]

Only the extremely successful racehorses are used at stud, and it makes them much easier to handle if they have been gelded. If they remain 'entire' they become very stroppy and if there are mares about they can be extremely dangerous.

Stallions have to be licensed and no owner would keep a stallion that didn't have successful breeding behind it.

They are also usually bred to do a certain job on the racecourse, i.e. flat racing from where most stallions come from as it is based on fast running, or jump racing where most male horses are geldings, and if they are not quick enough on the flat they can go over the jumps as this is more on skill (and luck) than speed.

If you want to see the cream of jump racing (forget the Grand National!) watch the King George Stakes on Boxing Day from Sandown. These are the top jump horses (the Grand National tends to be a bit of a lottery) and this year's race is wide open with several brilliant jumpers. Best thing about Christmas as far as I am concerned.