Dear Clyde,
I have a yearling stud colt that I plan to use as a 4-H project. My parents tell me he needs to be gelded but it sounds so mean. Why does he need to be gelded and will it hurt him? Why can’t I just let him be a stallion?
Clarrisa, Vale, Oregon.
Dear Clarrisa,
Your parents are right to suggest gelding for your colt. Unless a colt is an outstanding breeding prospect he should be gelded at the age suggested by your veterinarian. Also many youth organizations prohibit the use of stallions over the age of 2 years old, so you might end up with a colt you can’t show if he is not gelded. As a stud colt gets older he starts to develop aggressive and sometimes mean tendencies and should only be handled by an experienced horse person who is used to dealing with stallions. If you try to handle him without gelding, these tendencies can become dangerous and the colt could become unmanageable. It would be mean to allow that to happen. When a colt is gelded by a veterinarian, he is given a general anesthetic, so he will not feel the operation being done. He will likely be a little sore for a few days but will soon be back to normal. (SIGNED CLYDE)
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Did You Know…
Fun Facts About Horses
1. The white Lipizzaner Stallions are born black or brown and turn gray, then white as they age.
2. Horses gain confidence by touching strange objects with their nose and their feet, involving both the senses of touch and smell. They will often touch or paw at a ground pole in training before crossing over it.
3. Young horses love to explore. By making mental maps of their surroundings they can always find their way back to the herd if they stray too far.
4. Just because a horse gets old doesn’t mean you can’t ride him any more. Indeed, regular, even daily exercise is much better than little or no work.
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A Trip to Olds College Horse Breeders School
By Scott Braidwood, British Columbia Youth Representative
On March 12 of this year I was privileged to attend the Horse Breeders School and Transported Semen courses offered at Olds College in Olds, Alberta. The exemplary course content, professors, and atmosphere provided the solid structure for these exceptional classes.
A wide range of topics were covered over four days, dealing with all aspects of horse breeding, including artificial insemination. In-depth lectures on topics such as nutrition, breeding facilities, pregnancy, seasonality, reproductive anatomies of mares and stallions, transportation, and the business end of breeding were thoroughly covered. Artificial insemination was taught hands on. Students learned collection, assessment, and insemination procedures from the over-qualified instructors.
Les Burwash and Dr. Darrell Dalton provided a comfortable learning atmosphere while covering the course topics in detail and answering specific questions. Their outstanding knowledge, excellent teaching skills, good humour, down to earth personalities, and practical approach truly made for an informative and enjoyable four days.
The Horse Breeders School and Transported Semen courses provided a vast range of essential knowledge for any horse breeder, big or small, especially for those planning or using artificially insemination in their breeding program. For more information on these courses, go to www.oldscollege.ca or contact Maureen Harbidge at mharbidge@admin.oldscollege.ab.ca.
