Colts over 1 year old growing 1-1.5" shorter than if gelded?

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tinkam

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ok guys, would love your opinion. :-) I have read on few websites that if a colt is not cut by the time he is one year old, the growing plates seize and therefore affect the growth. It has been said that if a colt is cut before he is 1 year old, he can grow as much as inch to inch and half taller.

Is this a myth or truth?? Anybody knows? Puzzled!
 
Have read that gelding causes slightly delayed ossification of the growth plates but not sure if that actually means anything in terms of height

Think all horses have a maximum height potential determined by genes and the environment either supports that potential to be made or not
 
They're right. The extra testosterone makes them mature more quickly and the bone plate close quicker. They'll be more heavily muscled than a gelding but not quite as tall.
 
well its all theory really as nobody has been able to/ ever will be able to make a qualified experiment.... the same horse cant grow up as a colt and a gelding at the same time ;)

im a firm believer if the horse is not to be a future stallion cut it as soon as possible.
 
A very unscientific study as they have different mothers but my boy - gelded at 5 months - is tall, on the leg and a bit gangly and his entire brother by the same sire is much buttier and more muscled. I imagine it would be like cattle - look at bulls being fattened for meat versus bullocks, they mature quite differently.
 
many of the gelded ones didn't get gelded till later on though, I know at least two of them that wasn't gelded til 2 and 3 years of age.

regarding siblings as one compares... the gene codes can fall out so many ways, just look at human siblings, im nearly 6ft and about 10 stone my full sister is about 5ft7 and about 13 stone.

a breeder friend years back made a FANTASTIC colt and repeated the breeding for 9 other foals, 2 were such poor quality she didn't even bother to register them.
 
I got two full brothers, they got the same upbringing. They lived out 24/7 first 2 years.

Sixyear-old got gelded at 8 months,he stands 16.2hh.
Threeyear-old gelded at 13 months, he stands 17hh and still growing.

Dam 16hh (TB)
Sire 17.1hh (Hann)
 
Chickens, when castrated, grow to unnaturally large size (Capons). The practice used to be widespread to produce a huge meaty bird, but isn't legal now, as chicken's testicles are on the inside, and traditionally no anaesthetic was used (Ouch!).
 
As with anything breeding related, no guarantees

four full brothers kept at the same yard/routine, three gelded before weaning and one left entire. The stallion ended up 3inches taller and a lot more leggy than the others.

I thought that maybe as he was entire he use to run around and play more in his younger years than the others and was always lean, the geldings played less and were rounder which might of effected growth.
 
catroo said:
As with anything breeding related, no guarantees

four full brothers kept at the same yard/routine, three gelded before weaning and one left entire. The stallion ended up 3inches taller and a lot more leggy than the others.
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VERY true. I have a 15.2hh RID mare who has had 9 foals by my 17hh RID stallion. One we kept as a stallion got to 17hh, 2 colts gelded by yearling age are 16.2 and 17.2 (when mature.) The female daughters now between 4 and 9 years old range from 15.3 (at 5) to 16.3 (at 4!)

Breeding is a bit of a crap shoot! The potential height is decided before they are born- whether they reach their full potential will depend on size when born, mother's milk supply, supplementary feeding, and possibly when they're castrated, etc etc.
 
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