The British Horse Society (BHS) is organising castration clinics all around the UK, in a bid to prevent unplanned breeding.
Unwanted equines
The first clinic, which wasatrial run for further clinics over the coming year,was held at a site near Southampton last month. It saw seven volunteer vets from the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) castrate 28 colts and stallions.
Julian Samuelson, chairman of the BEVA Trust Committee said: “By castrating colts and stallions together with microchipping we are directly helping to reduce breeding and improve traceability.”
The initiative is supported by the RSPCA, World Horse Welfare, Blue Cross and Redwings, who have seen first hand the implications of unwanted equines in the UK.
Overpopulation
“We cannot stand by and ignore the problems that overpopulation and indiscriminate breeding cause,” said Lee Hacket. “Over the next 18 months we hope to run clinics all over Britain and castrate as many horses as we can.
“The 28 castrations we performed in one day in Southampton was a fantastic achievement. When you consider how many foals a stallion can produce in a lifetime we could, in just one day, have prevented the birth of literally hundreds, if not thousands of potential foals, many of whom would have faced a very uncertain future.”
Quality of life
As well preventing unwanted foals, geldings are usually easier to handle than stallions, which gives them a greater chance of finding a home.
“Horses with a job to do are far less likely to fall into the spiral of neglect and abandonment than those who are difficult to handle and untrained,” said Lee. “Castration can directly improve a horse’s quality of life.”