370 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



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 experienced 

 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 opera- 

 tion is performed, this consideration being kept in view, 

 that the earlier it is done the lighter will the horse be in 

 his forehand, 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, par- 

 ticularly at the ages of twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four 

 months ; at either of which times, according to circumstances 

 or to fancy, provided the forehand 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 till 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 forehand be the consequence ; perhaps, 

 also, the temper may suffer. 



In regard to season and weather, the operator should — 

 where he can — object to castrate either during very cold or 

 very sultry weather, or while the horse is shedding his 

 coat, or in the season when, or situation where, flies prevail. 

 These precautions will especially demand attention when 

 our subject is an aged horse, or one that has been highly 

 groomed or fed. The time to be preferred is late in the 

 spring, after the horse has shed his coat, and before the flies 

 have made their appearance. 



The colt should be prepared for castration by being kept 

 on short diet for a few days, and his system slightly lowered, 

 but by no means to a state of debility. 



There are several methods of castration ; the commonest 

 with us is that of castration by cauterisation. The opera- 

 tion being one entirely for the surgeon, it need not be 

 treated here. 



