568 CASTRATION. 



form, that it has occasioned, in some countries, a legal 

 enactment to prevent it. 



A reference to our anatomical detail will show that a 

 partial descent of the spermatic glands takes place soon 

 after birth ; and that in most cases, therefore, they may be 

 found without the external abdominal ring, until the fourth, 

 fifth, or sixth month ; but occasionally even later. After 

 this they are drawn up within the interior of the inguinal 

 canal : here they remain until the tenth or eleventh month. 

 Colts, therefore, can be castrated any time between the 

 first and fourth month ; and this period is preferred by 

 some persons, from the little disturbance it occasions to the 

 constitution. Some breeders of horses castrate at twelve 

 months ; others object to this period, because they think 

 the animal has not sufficiently recovered the check ex- 

 perienced from weaning, before this new shock to the 

 system occurs. In the more common sort of horses used 

 for agricultural purposes, it is probably indifferent at what 

 time the operation is performed ; this consideration being 

 kept in view, that the earlier it is done the lighter will the 

 horse be in his fore-hand ; and the longer it is protracted 

 the heavier will be his crest, and the greater his weight 

 before, which in heavy draught work is desirable. For 

 carriage horses it would be less so, and the period of two 

 years is not a bad one for their castration. The better sort 

 of saddle horses should be well examined every three or 

 four months ; particularly at the ages of twelve, eighteen, 

 and twenty-four months ; at either of which times, according 

 to circumstances or to fancy, provided the fore-hand be 

 sufficiently developed, it may be proceeded with. Waiting 

 longer may make the horse heavy : but if his neck appear 

 too long and thin, and his shoulders spare, he will assuredly 

 be improved by being allowed to remain entire for six or 

 eight months later. Many of the Yorkshire breeders 

 never cut till two years, and think their horses stronger and 

 handsomer for it : some wait even longer, but the fear in 

 this case is, that the stallion form will be too predominant, 

 and a heavy crest and weighty fore-hand be the consequence ; 

 perhaps also the temper may sutler. Young colts require 

 little preparation, provided they are healthy and not too 



