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There are positives and negatives to gelding. The two biggest factors effected by gelding are speed and consistency. Below we discuss in a little more detail how these two factors are effected by gelding a horse.
Speed
Some horses may show significant speed improvements on the track while others may show no improvement after being gelded. It is quite possible that some horses may never reach their full speed potential without being gelded. However, such a situation would only be found in
horses with short lifespans or very slow improving horses that would be incapable of reaching their maximum potential speed within their lifespan without some outside help. Gelding a horse does not increase its maximum potential speed. The genetic makeup of how fast a horse is
capable of running can not be changed. When gelding improves a horses speed it is just helping it to get to its maximum speed more quickly by improving its focus. A lot of horses do not need to be gelded to reach their full speed potential. If they are trained well and kept in good condition they
are capable of reaching their full potential on their own.
Consistency
Some horses are easily distracted and this leads to inconsistency in their performance. Gelding them can sometimes help them to not become so distracted so easily and thus more consistent. Again horses in the game are genetically designed to have a maximum consistency level. Gelding them
will not allow them to surpass their maximum capabilities.
Should I geld my horse?
There are several questions you can ask yourself to help you to decide whether you should geld your horse or not. Here they are.
Do I want to breed my horse?
If you answer yes to this then obviously you do not want to geld your horse.
Would you ever consider selling your horse?
If you think you may ever consider selling your horse its value could be significantly impacted by gelding it. Others will likely be willing to pay more for a horse that has not been gelded because it will have a life after its days on the track are done.
How does my horse compare on the track with other horses?
If you are ok with the results you are getting on the track against other horses then you may not want to geld. If you are not getting the results you would like but are willing to be patient with it you may not want to geld. If you are in a hurry to get it to the track and win then gelding may be an option if it is not currently performing up to par against its competition. If the horse always seems to be a step behind the competition no matter what you do then gelding may be an option.
Am I satisfied with my horses consistency level?
If your horse is overally inconsistent then gelding may be an option.
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