140 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



never deigns to fly until the females of his 

 herd are in motion. This same cool indiffer- 

 ence to danger appears to attach to the domes- 

 ticated stallion, and makes him much less liable 

 than a mare or gelding to take fright and shy 

 or run away. 



It is the opinion of most experienced breed- 

 ers that keeping a horse entire has a tendency 

 to develop his shoulders; and it certainly does 

 increase the size of the neck. It also gives a 

 different expression to the head, so that the 

 experienced horseman can usually distinguish 

 between a stallion and gelding, simply by see- 

 ing the heads, almost as readily as a cattle- 

 dealer can tell a steer from a bull by the head 

 and horns. It is also thought by most breed- 

 ers that this unusual development of the neck 

 and shoulders in the stallion is at the expense 

 of development of the hind quarters. 



It is the usual custom to castrate at two 

 years old, but if the colt appears to be timid 

 and skittish a greater degree of courage will 

 be developed by leaving him entire for a longer 

 period. If he is inclined to be vicious the 

 earlier the operation is performed the better; 

 and horses that as stallions are so vicious as to 

 be positively dangerous usually become docile 

 and obedient after having been castrated. But 

 the stallion that is timid and "flighty" will 

 become so much more so when castrated that 



