What’s a Gelding?
A Gelding is a male stallion that has been castrated, removing its ability to reproduce. it is estimated that about 90% of stallions are handled this way, as it makes them calmer animals. Generally, racehorses are not castrated. However, Mine That Bird was not considered a top breeding horse when sired (born), so his ability to reproduce was terminated.
In racehorses, this act is performed to prevent poorly bred stallions from breeding with mares. Since ranchers cannot watch over animals 24 hours a day, geldings offer a simpler way of dealing with bad breeding, by simply allowing them to mingle with females at all times. Stallions are separated and only entered into stock at the peak of reproductivity or at predetermined cycles.
Mine That Bird is a supreme racehorse and faces a tough road ahead. As a gelding, he is both an unusual candidate and a possible controversial figure going forward. As racehorsing popularity declines generally, public opinion focuses more often on cruelty to animals and poor treatment of intelligent mammals like horses. Some might view gelding policies as deconstructive to animal treatment overall, despite the benefits to ranchers and breeders.
3 comments for this page
Mine tt Bird is a finely bred horse. I hadn’t realized before today that Birdstone had been sired by the Derby winner Grindstone out of a Storm Bird mare. Then Birdstone was bred to a top sire, Smart Strike, mare. We need to remember that Smart Strike was the sire of 2007 horse of the year Curlin.
imsorry calvin borel dumprd mine that bird;theonlytriplecrown eligible. Ithink that outweighed the other choice ifrachel was so good anybody could have ridden her. he’s gotten little respect in comparison. being a gelding only added to it
Im happy about m t bird, he is a brave horse he was 123on every leg of the triple crown..I have a grindstone son and my dream is have a derby winner…
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