Thursday was a big day for Charlie. We confirmed that he had gotten Fi in foal for next year and we confirmed that the baby would his one and only. Yep, Charlie has been gelded, much to his dismay at the time. But I know that he will be much happier on the day that he can be turned out with the others and get turn out time with another horse that just may want to play as much as he does.
It's always a tough choice to make that life changing gelding decision. I remember a conversation I had about a racehorse who was a gelding and won a huge race. I commented that it was too bad that he was a gelding as they probably lost out on millions of stud fees. The guy I was chatting with asked if couldn't they just reverse it? Like they do with guys? Or maybe they could do some kind of in vitro stuff. Not even getting into the fact that TB's have to do live cover, I kind of looked at him like his head had spun around and he was foaming at the mouth.
He looked back at me confused, "what?"
My dumbfounded response, "they are gone. Like gone. There is no going back."
And just because this conversation couldn't get any better. "What's gone?"
Me, "his testicles. You know - where the sperm is made? They CUT THEM OFF and throw them away. They aren't just clamped or whatever it is they do in humans. They are GONE."
After his face turned white and then red and then a pretty cool mixture of both he mumbled a "oh" and the conversation was effectively over. Well, other than me having a great story to retell for years and years and years. For everyone who doesn't understand gelding and neutering or castrating or whatever you call it depending on the species of animal you are dealing with... for animals - they are removed and disposed of. This is a very permanent decision and there will be no more Charlie babies. Ever.
Tim wonders what happens if that baby next year is fantastic and wins everything. Won't we be disappointed? My response was not even a little bit when I know how much happier Charlie is going to be for the rest of his long life. Some stallions don't see to care (like Invy so far, Sully when we had him, or a stallion I can think of at the barn we boarded at) about mares in heat around them and can be turned out with other stallions or geldings or a pasture pet. Charlie didn't live that life. Charlie needed this brain surgery for his health and happiness. My plans for him don't matter. Those plans can change and rearrange.
So now the real work with Charlie begins. We are excited to get him started under saddle and turn him into a show pony. He had about 30 days of ground work this spring before breeding season started and picked up right where we left off the day after he was gelded. He will be a great gelding for us, or contact us if you're looking for a stellar medium sized gelding for your show string. He is so stinking cute!
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