Early castration in foals: Consequences on physical and behavioural development

Abstract

Background The impact of very early castration of foals has not yet been studied despite the many positive effects observed in dogs and cats. Objectives The objective of the study was to compare castration at 3 days and 18 months and assess their subsequent morphological and behavioural development. Study design This was a randomised, blinded clinical study. Methods Twenty‐two Welsh ponies underwent either early (3‐day old, EC group, n = 11) or traditional (18‐month old, TC group, n = 11) castration. Animals were followed up to 3 years of age. All ponies were castrated using a primary closure technique under general anaesthesia. Weight and morphometric measurements were monitored monthly from birth until 8 months of age in both groups. Then, measurements were taken every 3 months until 2 years of age and then every 6 months until 3 years of age. Temperament tests were performed on all animals when they were 1‐ and 3‐years old. Results No differences were observed between the EC and TC groups in terms of physical development from birth until 40 months of age or in terms of temperament and behaviour at either 1 or 3 years of age. Main limitations The study included only one breed (Welsh ponies) and only 22 animals that were castrated before 2 years of age, precluding comparison with castration performed at older ages. Conclusions We demonstrate that early castration at 3 days does not interfere with morphological or behavioural development.

Minimally invasive repair of congenital inguinal hernias in nine foals using an automated laparoscopic suturing device and barbed suture

“…As it was recommended before (Mariën et al, 2001;Schumacher & Perkins, 2010), we advise against breeding with males that suffered from a congenital inguinal hernia, because of the possible heritability of the condition. Although the limited data from our study does not allow robust conclusions to be drawn regarding the development of early castrated foals, recent data suggest that castration at 3 days of age does not interfere with morphological or behavioural development (Cognie et al, 2022).…”

Is There a Difference in the Prevalence of Gastric Ulcers between Stallions Used for Breeding and Those Not Used for Breeding?

“…This reflects the normal situation, where younger horses are not gelded, when they have good pedigree, and their sport potential is still unknown. When they get older, owners may decide to geld them, due to behavioral or health concerns, especially when not approved as breeding stallions by their stud book [ 25 ].…”