Saturday, October 28, 2006

GELDINGS, 101

Celeste left a comment on one of yesterday's entries that I might need to define "gelding", because someone had suggested that Libby and Blue might make babies together some day.

Well, Celeste, I did e-mail that person with an explanation.  But I'm sure I have more city readers than country ones, so I'll do an entry on this anyhow.

A gelding is a neutered male horse.  Stallions can be dangerous, for the average person.  So most male colts are gelded. 

Years ago, when I had my first horse, the word was that you didn't want to "geld" a horse until he had a little age on him, so he'd muscle up and be prettier.  That theory has gone by the way, and from what I'm told, most horse colts (male baby horses) are "fixed" early on.

One would think, then, that a gelding would show no interest in the opposite sex, and as a matter of fact, my horse, Blue, does not.

However, Tude, one of our boarded horses, thinks he's a stallion.  When Sassy (our other boarded horse) comes in season, Tude goes through all the motions, even though he's a gelding.  Only he can't make her pregnant.  Blue calmly grazes at a distance... wondering, I imagine, why on earth Tude is wasting so much energy.

Geldings who act like stallions are known as "proud-cut".  I used to think that meant something had gone wrong  with the operation when the animal was gelded; but from what I've recently read on the Internet, that isn't so.  Sometimes it just happens, for no apparent reason.

If my Libby shows signs of being in season, and Tude is interested, I'm going to separate them until she's over it.  Why should she get a backache just because a gelding thinks he's a stud?

And there you have it, folks, more than you ever wanted to know:  Geldings, 101.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very good. I had a proud cut gelding. We had to get rid of him because he was just too aggrestive. Too bad too because he was a smooth ride.

Anonymous said...

Well, now I'll know how to handle my horse when I retire to the country.

My dear orange cat thinks he is a stud, also.  He bothers poor Susie endlessly, and she's been altered too.  She just looks at him like "What in the world do you think you're doing?"  And usually smacks him.

Anonymous said...

Well being one of those "city" readers LOL...thanks for the lesson...altho I was pretty close to be smart on my own...LOL...process of elimination I think some call it....LOL..anyway...thanks for the lesson...never to late to teach an old "oldie" new tricks.....hugs from KY...Ora

Anonymous said...

geee...the geldings act like some men I know!  LOL
Becky

Anonymous said...

Thank you for clarifying all of this for me Mosie!  True city girl here....!!  Can we say DUMB?? LOL!  I can maneuver around the LA traffic with the best of them....survive an expedition downtown safely....but I didn't know what a "gelding" was.  If you recall in one of my entries...I had to get instruction on how to feed a chicken.  LOL!  Country blood here? Nah....give me the city!  That I know!
I love hearing your stories and I envy your life.  
Pam

Anonymous said...

Ernie was my favorite.

Anonymous said...

I often have to bite my tongue when smoe serious well meaning folk try reffering to all cattle as steers.
The best one was hearing a mother trying to tell her children  milk came from that very sack hanging between a bull's loins. Best part, I (we) couldn't convince her any different.
Albeit nasty of mind, I (all of us) would have liked to seen her milk that steer err cow err bull milked. LMAO over the memories's scene.

Anonymous said...

It used to mean proud cut if the vet left the vas deferens in, which made them act a little more studly....of course times and terms evolve...

Anonymous said...

If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?....just joking.

Anonymous said...

Proud cut- Sometimes you can take the testosterone out of the balls but you cant take the testosterone out of the horse...lol......-Raven

Anonymous said...

Wow Mo what a lesson! I had no idea. This is something that is just nice to know and I thank you for the lesson.

Anonymous said...

Hello~
Of course this country girl who now is transplanted in Las Vegas already knew these things. But it's really great that you posted Geldings 101 for those who don't. :) Boys will be boys, proud-cut and all....LOL

Take care,
Gayla