What is a gelding?

A gelding is a male horse that's been castrated, usually while young, which is why most riding and leisure horses you'll meet at a yard are geldings. The procedure typically settles temperament, removing the hormonal drive that can make an entire male harder to manage, especially around mares.

The other terms are worth knowing too: a stallion is an entire (uncastrated) male kept for breeding or showing, a mare is an adult female, and colts and fillies are young males and females who haven't yet reached maturity. Which of these an owner keeps says a lot about what the horse is for — breeding, competing, or simply being ridden. Whatever the answer, our gifts for horse owners work regardless, and it's worth knowing how a horse's height is actually measured too.

Written by Craig Fearn, Stable & Hoof.