Many people think about how the gelding differs from a stallion. Does the character of the horse change? And which way? Does the stallion become more docile or, conversely, too violent. Does the animal's trust in humans change?
Expert opinion
Real horsemen love to remember the words of the great Pat Parelli, who once said: "To me - a young stallion, from me - a gelding." These words show deep respect and pride in their work. A young and unbridled horse with irrepressible energy comes to a person. And leaves - a proud, stately and majestic gelding. Horsemen believe that you will not find a better friend than gelding even among people.
Let's see, gelding and stallion - what is the difference between them? Lovers of proud animals know that gelding is a horse that is distinguished by such a set of qualities that allow it to work most closely with a person, especially in sports.
"Stallion": the meaning of the concept
In the mythology of ancient Scandinavians, the stallion personified the strength of a warrior. It was compared with the sun, was a symbol of supremacy, and among some nationalities it was considered the keeper of the fire of destruction and prevented the end of the world. A stallion is a breeding horse capable of producing strong and healthy offspring. Thus, the main meaning of the word "stallion" is an uncastrated male horse capable of fertilization.
Who is the gelding?
The lack of genitals is distinguished by a horse-gelding. The stallion is operated on and the most important thing is taken from him - the ability to conceive offspring, then he becomes a gelding. But in reality in the modern world this is a completely planned and familiar operation, which was done many centuries earlier.
The castration procedure has been known since the time of the first nomads (6-3 centuries BC). With the advent of the cavalry, changes were needed. To understand the difference between a gelding and a stallion, you need to remember that a horse is a herd animal, where the leader is a stallion. His main instinct is the protection of mares and offspring. In a herd where there are many other ambitious males, violent fights begin, as a result of which there may be a danger to the health and life of other animals or people. For the army, this was unacceptable. Therefore, all animals in the cavalry were castrated, and this was common practice in those days.
Merin is always more obedient. He has an easygoing character, he is easily amenable to human commands and becomes his faithful assistant. Entering the battle, the man and the horse should become one, this is what the riders did in training. The same thing happens in the modern world, only it does not concern military operations, but sports. Thanks to hormonal changes, the geldings become very hardy, they are not afraid of adverse external factors. It is noticed that they are more graceful and majestic.
Merin and the stallion: what is the difference?
You need to understand that the stallions are specially castrated so that they become kind and obedient, turning into geldings. However, many horsemen are not ready for such an operation of the ward. Therefore, the matter must be approached seriously, well weighing the pros and cons. Each horse has its own character, so each needs an individual approach. There are times when stallions behave much more docile and calmer than geldings, then the question of castration disappears.
Arguments for"
1. Geldings are more hardworking. If you imagine a situation where several horses work in a group, then the stallions always stand out from the crowd. They are nervous, distracted, all the time trying to escape or push someone. This causes excessive fatigue of the animal, and instead of working for the benefit of man, he gets tired of his own tension. Geldings are free of nervousness, therefore they behave much calmer.
2. Hippotherapy is the treatment of children with disabilities by communicating with horses. Stallions are not suitable for such purposes, since they are completely unpredictable. Geldings are calm, so they can be allowed to the children.
3. Excited stallions are dangerous not only for others, but also for themselves. Animals that have rare relationships with representatives of the opposite sex fight against the wall, break stalls, and mutilate themselves. In such cases, the question of castration is decided by itself.
4. For the exhibition, animals should look perfect. But stallions, as a rule, eat poorly, they are picky in food, do not give a wash and comb themselves.
Arguments against"
1. You cannot maim stallions that have a noble pedigree or a unique breed. They must become continuers of a kind.
2. Stallions with outstanding leadership qualities, capable of leading a herd, are very appreciated by horse breeders, so they are afraid to ruin their character. The same goes for the unique abilities of sports horses. There was a case in history with a stallion named Cotton. This horse did not differ in strength or growth, but on the other hand he jumped above all. After castration, he ceased to amaze the public, and his fate ended sadly.
3. As for fate, almost all castrated horses after the end of their sports career remain crippled and do not live long. Therefore, champions are left capable of breeding.
4. Be that as it may, but the nature, performance and success of the horse are largely dependent on the person. The gelding and the stallion have insignificant differences in this regard, especially for equestrians who can cope with them. An experienced rider, trainer and competent approach can turn any restful horse into a humble assistant and without surgical intervention. Therefore, before any operation, you need to weigh everything well, since the consequences will be irreversible.
Life stories
In horse lover communities, you can often find heartbreaking stories about how stallions maimed people. In Arizona (USA), a young healthy male tore his larynx with one blow of his hoof. It was not possible to save the poor woman. And how many grooms were left without fingers as a result of bites of aggressors! And certainly it is impossible to count the myriad of injuries from striking the tail and the hoof.
One groom in California, who bred expensive breeding horses, came up with his own system of removing excitement from stallions. Each of them led to a long labyrinth, at the end of which an attached mare was waiting for him. Thus, the male splashed out energy twice: while he was reaching the goal and while, in fact, he was fulfilling this goal.
Be careful!
Delving into the question of how the gelding differs from a stallion, many grooms prefer the former. Only real brave souls are ready to educate their aggressive wards, risking falling victim to their excited state every day.
Stallions can be handled safely until:
- they did not reach puberty and were not interested in mares;
- you do not interfere with their achievement of their goal;
- you do not interfere with his leadership inclinations and desire to become the head of the herd.
Why aggression occurs
Let's imagine ourselves for a moment in the place of the simplest stallion who lives on a farm. He has a master, but he can’t communicate with anyone else but people. What kind of life does such an animal have? Every day, follow the orders of his master, work humbly and never see a representative of the opposite sex. Would such a life be to the liking of man, if he were in the place of a horse? Most likely no.
The horse, like man, has its own character, its needs and its own views. But the owner does not always understand this, because he does not know how to "speak" her language. The groom begins to punish the stallion for disobedience, beats, uses chains and muzzles. But from this, the horse’s aggression only intensifies, and the result of such relationships is crippled fate. In this case, castration is considered the most humane way to protect yourself and the horse from unpredictable situations.
Life in the herd
Another thing is life in a herd. When young individuals communicate with their own kind, they learn. They look at what the elders do, how they behave in different situations. Adult horses will always punish their young fellow tribunal for misbehavior. There everyone obeys the rules of the herd.
In order to subjugate a stallion, you need to play by its rules. His main fun is to jump, grab and bounce. Thus he looks closely, watches the groom's behavior. And if the owner behaves aggressively, begins to punish and curse the stallion, he will find a real enemy.
There is no single rule or advice on how to tame a wild beast. It is necessary to study the methods, read the literature and listen to the advice of experienced grooms. Only in this way can success be achieved in raising a noble horse without castration. And of course, give vent to his instincts.
