ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: To geld or not, that is the question

Re: To geld or not, that is the question

gerhardt (gerhardt@theriver.com)
Sat, 17 May 1997 21:53:58 -0700

We have the same problem in the Mountain Horses. There are colts out there
that are being used as stallions that probably would not be kept as
stallions in a breed where there were more of them, but there are only 5000
of them in the three associations that register them by the time you
eliminate the cross registrations. They are still listed as critical on the
American Breeds Conservancy list. The trouble is, this means mediocre
horses keep getting produced, in particular, the tendency to be weak gaited
and therefore pacey, but the need for the genetic diversity at this point
necessitates it.

Annette

----------
> From: Susan Felker <felker@swva.net>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: To geld or not, that is the question
> Date: Sunday, May 18, 1997 7:04 AM
>
> Ann wrote:
>
> "I agree with you very strongly on the fact that at -least- 95% or so of
> colts should be gelded, in most breeds. (In Arabs I think it should
> probably be closer to 99.5% just because there are so many of them) But
> I am mostly looking at Shagyas and Akhal Tekes, and with both of those
> breeds, but particularly Tekes, maintaining genetic diversity and
> bloodlines becomes an issue of whether or not to geld. For example, the
> colt is a good functional animal -and- there are less than 5 other
> breedable representatives of his bloodline, then I would probably not
> geld him. If there were 500+ examples of his bloodline then I definately
> would. The problem of rarity, to me at least, also implies a
> responsibility
> to not make an even better gelding out of a good stallion."
>
> Three years ago, my husband and I began a straight Crabbet, Old
> English-General Stud Book eligible Arabian preservation breeding
> program. There are, to my knowledge, only 6 straight Crabbet stallions
> in the United States and Canada, which greatly limits the possiblities.
> There are only about 200 of these horses on this continent, and some are
> geldings, many are too old to breed.
>
> When you are facing a position like this, Ann's assessment is totally
> accurate. One might not make a great gelding out of a good stallion.
>
> With our non-preservation Arabians, we are pretty ruthless--most will
> be gelded before their first winter. We have a 9-month old colt now,
> still entire, big, excellent legs, disposition, and gorgeous, but if we
> don't sell him soon, we will geld him. He will make a very good
> stallion, but an absolutely top notch gelding for dressage or endurance.
>
> There are too many stallions, and we don't want to add to the problem.
>
> But with the preservation horses, a similar quality colt would more
> likely be test-bred at 3, and then the decision would be made.
>
> Susan Felker
> Black Ridge Arabians
> http://www.swva.net/blackridge
>

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