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Topic:Geldings
"Geldings" refers to castrated male horses, while intact males are called stallions. The process of gelding involves the surgical removal of the testicles, which is performed to manage behavior and facilitate handling. Geldings often exhibit more predictable and manageable temperaments compared to stallions, which can be beneficial in various equestrian disciplines and settings. This topic encompasses studies and articles that explore the physiological and behavioral differences between geldings and intact male horses, including aspects of growth, performance, and social interactions. Research in this area provides insights into the impact of castration on equine health and behavior, contributing to informed management practices in equine care and training.
Acute febrile diarrhoea in horses: 86 cases (1986-1991). Eighty-six horses presented for examination at the Rural Veterinary Centre between January 1986 to December 1991 with acute diarrhoea. The average age of affected horses was 3.2 +/- 0.2 years (mean +/- SE), with 69% three years or younger. Sixty-one horses were male (36 stallions, 25 geldings) and 83 horses were Thoroughbreds (47) or Standardbreds (36). Sixty-six horses were undergoing routine training at the time of onset of diarrhoea. Eight horses were afflicted with a non-specific illness within one to five days before the onset of diarrhoea, whereas eight horses developed diarrhoea during ...
Resistance of castrated male horses to attempted establishment of the carrier state with equine arteritis virus. Twelve geldings all became infected when inoculated intranasally with the KY-84 strain of equine arteritis virus (EAV), a strain previously shown to be capable of establishing the carrier state in the stallion. With the exception of one animal that showed no effects other than pyrexia, all of the geldings developed clinical signs characteristic of equine viral arteritis (EVA). The geldings were febrile for varying periods within the range of 2-10 days after inoculation. Viraemia occurred from day 2 onwards, for periods varying from 9 to at least 19 days. Nasal shedding of virus began 2-4 days ...
Growth hormone and prolactin concentrations in plasma of horses: sex differences and the effects of acute exercise and administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone. Three experiments were conducted to determine 1) the relationship between prolactin and growth hormone (GH) secretion in mares and the response to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH), 2) whether plasma GH and prolactin concentrations differed among mares, stallions, and geldings, and 3) whether sexual differences existed after administration of GHRH and acute exercise. In Exp. 1, 10-min blood samples were collected from 12 mares for 8 h, and GHRH (0, 45, 90, or 180 micrograms) was administered at 6 h. In Exp. 2, 15-min blood samples were collected for 4 h from 10 mares, stallions, and geldings. In Exp...
[Two congenital anomalies of the urinary tract in warmblood horses: ectopia ureteris and diverticulum vesicae]. Two cases of congenital anomalies of the urinary tract of horses are described. In case 1 there was an ectopia ureteris sinistri in an one-year-old mare. The animal showed urinary incontinence without affects of the general condition. The diagnosis was made by rectal, ultrasonic and vaginoscopic examination. Therapeutically a nephrectomy of the left kidney was carried out. In case 2 a six-year-old gelding had a congenital diverticulum at the neck of the urinary bladder. It showed colic during urination, dropping of urine and haematuria. The diagnosis was made by rectal exploration, ultrasonic ...
Lead foreign body arthropathy in a horse. A diagnosis of degenerative joint disease secondary to an intra-articular metallic foreign body in the right metacarpophalangeal joint was made in a Quarter Horse gelding. Arthroscopy, performed to evaluate the joint and remove the foreign body, revealed yellow discoloration of the articular cartilage and synovium, and blunting and proliferation of the synovium. The foreign body was identified as a lead sphere. Microscopic examination of synovium revealed chronic synovitis, with accumulation of hemosiderin and multifocal, mild mineralization. Another pigment was evident extracellularly in the ...
Effect of body direction on heart rate in trailered horses. To determine whether body direction in a trailer affects the degree to which a horse is excited (and presumably stressed) during transport, heart rates were measured in 8 Thoroughbred geldings transported over a 32-km route of county roads while tethered facing forward or backward in a 4-horse stock trailer. Heart rates also were measured on the horses while they were tethered facing forward or backward in the same trailer while it was parked. Heart rates decreased during the first 10 minutes for both groups, and remained stable after the first 15 minutes. Heart rates were not significantly di...
Equine self-mutilation syndrome (57 cases). Owners who believed they had a horse with self-mutilating behavior were asked to complete a questionnaire to obtain information on the signalment, clinical history, clinical signs, management, and treatment of the condition. Fifty-two owners of 59 horses responded; 2 cases were omitted because an organic cause was determined. Owners also were asked to complete information for unaffected horses on the same farm. Various breeds were affected, and of the 57 horses, 20 were stallions, 31 were geldings, and 6 were mares. Affected horses tended to develop the condition prior to sexual maturity. Clin...
An analysis of 75 cases of intestinal obstruction caused by pedunculated lipomas. A retrospective study of 75 cases of pedunculated lipoma obstruction (PLO) of the intestine was conducted. Age, breed and sex distributions were compared to the non-PLO colic population. Horses in the PLO group were significantly older than in the non-PLO colic group (P < 0.001). A significant increase in risk of PLO was associated with geldings (O.R. 2.32) and with ponies (O.R. 3.75). Of the 75 PLO cases analysed, 69 were strangulating, 70 involved small intestine and 5 involved small colon. Cases of strangulation obstruction tended to have lipomas originating distant to the mesenteric border...
Measurements of urethral pressure profiles in the male horse. Urinary tract pressure profiles were evaluated in 6 clinically normal geldings over 3 consecutive days. This was performed by introducing a 1.3 m-long cuffed catheter into the urinary tract, under xylazine sedation (0.8 mg/kg, iv). The method was reproducible. The mean (+/- sd) intra-vesicular pressure (IVP) and maximal urethral closure pressures (MUCP) were 10.3 (+/- 1.7) and 129.8 (+/- 19.6) cmH2O, respectively, and the ratio between MUCP and IVP was 13.2 (+/- 2.5). A gelding with urinary incontinence showed a significantly lower MUCP (73.4 cmH2O), and an MUCP to IVP ratio of 8.0. It was con...
[The discovery of a horse skeleton from the 17th century in Kiesen in Bern canton]. In 1968 a skeleton of a horse was found in Kiesen (Switzerland). This discovery could be dated by radiocarbon method: According to that this 13 years old gelding with a withers-height of 135 to 140 cm must have lived during the first third of the 17th century. Apparently it died by an accident. The bones are fully documented with pictures and scales and the findings described and discussed in detail.
Prevalence and risk factors in serous arthritis in the carpal joint of Norwegian coldblooded trotters. Of 508 four-year-old coldblooded trotters examined for carpitis, 135 (27%) had the condition. Thirty horses had unilateral carpitis on the left frontlimb, 52 on the right frontlimb and 53 had bilateral carpitis. Of these horses, 105 were stallions, 135 were geldings and 269 were mares. The prevalence of carpitis in these three groups was 25%, 25% and 28%, respectively. Information was obtained on the training regimes in four periods of the life of 378 horses. The odds ratios for the training variables were of the same order in all four periods. In logistic regression analyses on the training v...
Equine pituitary neoplasia: a clinical report of 21 cases (1990-1992). The records of 21 horses with an adenoma of the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland were reviewed. The animals comprised nine Dutch warmblood horses and 12 ponies. They ranged in age from 12 to 30 years (mean +/- sem 21 +/- 1.3 years) for 20 of the horses, and comprised 13 geldings and eight mares. All the animals showed hirsutism. In 1991, nine horses were diagnosed as having the adenoma, equivalent to 0.5 per cent of the horses examined in 1991. The mean +/- sem survival time of four of the horses (from discharge to the development of complications which required euthanasia) was 192 +/- 5...
Pharmacokinetics of metronidazole after rectal administration in horses. Five healthy adult mares and 1 gelding were given a single dose (15 mg/kg of body weight) of metronidazole per rectum. After manual evacuation of feces from the rectum, a suspension of crushed tablets and water (40 ml) was administered via a 28-F catheter advanced 30 cm into the rectum. Blood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture, and metronidazole concentration was measured serially for the 14 hours after drug administration. Mean serum concentration of metronidazole peaked at 4.5 micrograms/ml, 0.83 hour after administration, and decreased to 0.38 microgram/ml, 14 hours after adminis...
Adrenal insufficiency associated with long-term anabolic steroid administration in a horse. Adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed in a 9-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding that had received monthly injections of stanozolol for 8 years. After the injections were abruptly discontinued, the horse developed anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, and bilateral forelimb lameness. Secondary hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, lack of high endogenous plasma ACTH concentration, and lack of cortisol response to administration of ACTH. Because the medical history did not include glucocorticoid administration, the cause was determined to be excessive administration of ...
Morphogenesis of compound melanosomes in melanoma cells of a gray horse. A thoroughbred horse, gelding, gray color, aged 19 years old had cutaneous melanomas from the root to the middle of the tail, and throughout the connective tissues of the whole body. Histologically, the tumors were diagnosed as mature melanotic melanomas characteristically deposited with abundant melanin pigment. Examined with an electron microscope, melanosomes were electron opaque without internal structure (stage IV), or as mature granular and lamellar types. Most of them were fused with each other, and formed compound melanosomes, which was similar to internal melanin aggregates in shape. ...
Evaluation of the effect of alfentanil on the minimum alveolar concentration of halothane in horses. The effect of 3 plasma concentrations of alfentanil on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of halothane in horses was evaluated. Five healthy geldings were anesthetized on 3 occasions, using halothane in oxygen administered through a mask. After induction of anesthesia, horses were instrumented for measurement of blood pressure, airway pressure, and end-tidal halothane concentrations. Blood samples, for measurement of pH and blood gas tensions, were taken from the facial artery. Positive pressure ventilation was begun, maintaining PaCO2 at 49.1 +/- 3.3 mm of Hg and airway pressure at 20 +...
Palmar digital neurectomy in horses. 57 cases (1984-1990). The medical records of 57 horses that had palmar digital neurectomy performed between 1984 and 1990 were reviewed. Neurectomies were performed either by transection and electrocoagulation (47 horses) or by the guillotine technique (10 horses). Middle-aged geldings, Quarter Horses, and Thoroughbreds were significantly over-represented when compared with the hospital population. Horses used as hunter/jumpers also appeared to be over-represented. Complications occurred in 17 (34%) of the 50 horses for which follow-up information was obtained. Recurrence of heel pain was the most common complicati...
[Bilateral blindness after injury in a riding horse]. Bilateral blindness was diagnosed in a 5-year-old Hanoverian gelding presented for evaluation of a corneal opacity in one eye. About 12 months prior to the examination, the gelding had fallen head over, hitting his head and the cornea. Clinical and electroretinographic findings as well as pathohistologic and ultrastructural lesions of both eyes including the optic nerves are presented. Ophthalmoscopically visible pigment disruption of the non-tapetal fundus adjacent to the optic discs correlated morphologically with foci of degeneration and atrophy of the retina, whereas ophthalmoscopically vi...
[A horse with grass sickness]. A three year old warm-blood gelding with severe colic was referred to a veterinary clinic. The history revealed that the horse was found early in the morning with severe colic, and laying in the pasture. On arrival the clinical examination showed a complete wet horse with a pulse rate of 92/min, a respiratory rate of 24/min., a pcv of 0.50 L.L.-1, a T. of 38.0 degrees C, and no gastric reflux. Rectal examination revealed a sticky rectal mucous membrane and a colonic impaction together with displacement of the large colon. A diagnostic laparotomy showed an impaction as is seen in horses with Gr...
Factors affecting the clinical outcome of injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon in National Hunt and point-to-point racehorses. Ultrasonographic examination was used to define the severity of injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon in 73 National Hunt or point-to-point racehorses and the factors influencing the outcome of the cases were examined. Thirty-four of the horses (46 per cent) returned to work with an average time out of training of 13.5 months. The rate of recurrence of the injury was 35 per cent. The severity of the lesions was related to the outcome; all the mildly affected horses returned to work, with 63 per cent of them racing and an average time out of training of 10.2 months; 50 per cent of t...
Serum levels of testosterone and oestrogens in normal and infertile stallions. The serum concentrations of testosterone and oestrogens were determined in stallions classified as geldings, normal (according to age) or infertile (azoospermic). There were significant differences in testosterone and oestrogen levels between the groups. Normal concentrations of testosterone and total oestrogens were attained after 16 months of age. Castrated and immature horses ( 4 years). The results suggest that serum levels of testosterone and total oestrogens may provide a sensitive index of the endocrine function of the testis in male horses.
Ultrasonographic observations of the flexor tendons and ligaments of the metacarpal region of horses. Observations were made in dorsal and sagittal planes of the ultrasonographic mean gray scale of the flexor tendons and ligaments of the metacarpal regions of 5 Thoroughbred geldings, during weight bearing and nonweight bearing. In images made when the horses were nonweight bearing, the mean gray scale of the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons and accessory ligament was significantly reduced, but that of the interosseous medius muscle (suspensory ligament) was not. When relaxed, collagen fiber bundles in the tendons and ligaments acted as diffuse, rather than specular, reflectors of ul...
Pedunculated lipomas as a cause of intestinal obstruction in horses: 17 cases (1983-1990). The medical records of 17 horses that were evaluated and treated because of colic caused by pedunculated lipomas between 1983 and 1990 were reviewed. The mean age of the horses was 16.6 +/- 3.9 years (range, 10 to 26 years), which was significantly greater than that of the population of horses evaluated because of colic (control population) during the same period. There were significantly more geldings (76.5%), compared with the control population. Nasogastric reflux ranged from 1 to 16 L in 8 horses and was not obtained in 9 horses. Abdominal palpation per rectum revealed small intestinal dis...
Effect of head and neck position on respiratory mechanics in horses sedated with xylazine. We studied the temporal changes in respiratory mechanics associated with xylazine administration (1.1 mg/kg of body weight, IV) in standing horses (experiment 1), and determined the effects of head and neck position (experiment 2) and atropine administration (experiment 3) on the observed changes. Thoroughbred geldings, 3 to 5 years old (5 in experiment 1, 4 in experiments 2 and 3) were used. Flow rates were obtained from a pneumotachograph and a differential transducer attached to a tight-fitting mask. Electronic integration of the flow signal gave tidal volume. Total pulmonary pressure (PL) ...
Anaplastic sarcoma in the caudal thigh of a horse. A 16-year-old showjumping gelding was examined because of a non-painful, slowly progressive caudal thigh swelling, which was associated with 2/10th lameness at the trot. Radiography, real time beta-mode ultrasonography and gamma-scintigraphy of the caudal thigh for the presence of chip fractures, sequestrum formation and, or, abscessation were inconclusive. Radiographic examination of the chest revealed multifocal, nodular cannon ball-like opacities throughout the entire lung fields from which a diagnosis of a primary soft tissue tumour with metastasis to the thorax was made. An anaplastic sar...
Vegetative endocarditis in an Appaloosa gelding. A 5-year-old Appaloosa gelding was presented with a history of intermittent multiple joint swelling, weight loss, and anemia. Physical examination and clinical pathology revealed a grade IV/VI holodiastolic murmur, louder on the left, and a marked hyperproteinemia. Echocardiography of the heart demonstrated a large vegetative lesion on one of the aortic valve cusps. Blood cultures did not elucidate the causative organism, and the disease was refractory to empiric antibiotic therapy. The horse was euthanized after approximately 2 months of therapy.
Cholinergic pruritus in a horse. An 8-year-old gelding, with a 1-year history of intense pruritus only after exercise, was diagnosed as having cholinergic pruritus. Provocative testing, using exercise and hot-water baths to increase core body temperature, assisted in the diagnosis. Cholinergic pruritus in human beings is a variant of the more common syndrome, cholinergic urticaria, which is characterized by intense pruritus and pinpoint urticaria. With cholinergic pruritus, intense itching results without urticaria. Specific diagnostic laboratory tests have not been developed.
