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Equine veterinary journal2022; 55(2); 214-221; doi: 10.1111/evj.13580

Early castration in foals: Consequences on physical and behavioural development.

Abstract: The impact of very early castration of foals has not yet been studied despite the many positive effects observed in dogs and cats. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare castration at 3 days and 18 months and assess their subsequent morphological and behavioural development. Methods: This was a randomised, blinded clinical study. Methods: Twenty-two Welsh ponies underwent either early (3-day old, EC group, n = 11) or traditional (18-month old, TC group, n = 11) castration. Animals were followed up to 3 years of age. All ponies were castrated using a primary closure technique under general anaesthesia. Weight and morphometric measurements were monitored monthly from birth until 8 months of age in both groups. Then, measurements were taken every 3 months until 2 years of age and then every 6 months until 3 years of age. Temperament tests were performed on all animals when they were 1- and 3-years old. Results: No differences were observed between the EC and TC groups in terms of physical development from birth until 40 months of age or in terms of temperament and behaviour at either 1 or 3 years of age. Conclusions: The study included only one breed (Welsh ponies) and only 22 animals that were castrated before 2 years of age, precluding comparison with castration performed at older ages. Conclusions: We demonstrate that early castration at 3 days does not interfere with morphological or behavioural development.
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Publication Date: 2022-06-21 PubMed ID: 35478462DOI: 10.1111/evj.13580Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Veterinary
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research looks at the effects of early castration on foals, specifically Welsh ponies, finding that castration at three days old does not impact their later physical or behavioural development, compared to castration at 18 months.

Research Objective and Methodology

  • The main objective of this research was to compare the effects of different timings of castration on the physical and behavioural development of Welsh foals. The study particularly focused on castration at three days old (Early Castration – EC group) and 18 months old (Traditional Castration – TC group).
  • This was a randomised, clinical study that included twenty-two Welsh ponies. These animals were divided into two groups of 11 each, with one group undergoing early castration and the other traditional castration. All ponies were castrated using a primary closure technique under general anaesthesia.
  • The development of the foals in both groups was closely monitored up to three years of age. This included regular weight and morphometric measurements taken monthly from birth until eight months of age, three-month intervals until two years of age, and six-month intervals until they reached three years of age. Temperament tests were conducted when the ponies reached one and three years of age.

Research Findings

  • Upon completion of the study, the researchers found that physical development from birth until 40 months of age was similar in both groups. Similarly, there were no significant differences in temperament or behaviour when tested at age one or three.
  • Therefore, the study concluded that early castration does not interfere with the later morphological or behavioural development of young Welsh ponies.

Research Limitations

  • The research did have some limitations which were highlighted in the conclusion. The study only included one breed of horses (Welsh ponies) and a limited number of animals (22). This restricts the scope of the results and doesn’t allow for comparison with castration performed at older ages. More extensive research might be required to fully validate the findings.

Cite This Article

APA
Cognie J, Freret S, Lansade L, Parias C, Barriere P, Gesbert A, Reigner F, Deleuze S. (2022). Early castration in foals: Consequences on physical and behavioural development. Equine Vet J, 55(2), 214-221. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13580

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 55
Issue: 2
Pages: 214-221

Researcher Affiliations

Cognie, Juliette
  • Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France.
Freret, Sandrine
  • Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France.
Lansade, Lea
  • Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France.
Parias, Celine
  • Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France.
Barriere, Philippe
  • Physiologie Animale (PAO) - UE1297, INRAE, PAO, Nouzilly, France.
Gesbert, Amandine
  • Physiologie Animale (PAO) - UE1297, INRAE, PAO, Nouzilly, France.
Reigner, Fabrice
  • Physiologie Animale (PAO) - UE1297, INRAE, PAO, Nouzilly, France.
Deleuze, Stefan
  • Faculté de Médecine vétérinaire, Département Clinique des Equidés, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.

MeSH Terms

  • Male
  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Dogs
  • Cats
  • Cat Diseases
  • Dog Diseases
  • Orchiectomy / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases

Grant Funding

  • 75000097 / IFCE

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Jardat P, Destrez A, Damon F, Tanguy-Guillo N, Lainé AL, Parias C, Reigner F, Ferreira VHB, Calandreau L, Lansade L. Human emotional odours influence horses' behaviour and physiology. PLoS One 2026;21(1):e0337948.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0337948pubmed: 41533708google scholar: lookup
  2. Busechian S, Bindi F, Pieramati C, Orvieto S, Pisello L, Cozzi S, Ortolani F, Rueca F. Is There a Difference in the Prevalence of Gastric Ulcers between Stallions Used for Breeding and Those Not Used for Breeding?. Animals (Basel) 2024 May 22;14(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14111531pubmed: 38891578google scholar: lookup
  3. Rouge M, Legendre F, Elkhatib R, Delalande C, Cognié J, Reigner F, Barrière P, Deleuze S, Hanoux V, Galéra P, Bouraïma-Lelong H. Early Castration in Horses Does Not Impact Osteoarticular Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci 2023 Nov 26;24(23).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms242316778pubmed: 38069100google scholar: lookup
  4. Wang C, Yang C, Zeng Y, Zhang M. GnRH-immunocastration: an alternative method for male animal surgical castration. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1248879.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1248879pubmed: 38026623google scholar: lookup
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