>>>> I am a believer that when you alter physiology you can hurt gait. Like >>>> if you breed for tallness or a long neck, gait can suffer. Makes me >>>> wonder if gelding early to make an icelandic taller can make >>>> temperament different?
Did you say you have the impression that it's an "Icelandic thing" to push to geld early? Wow, I never heard that at all. In fact, I was sort of surprised to find out how many Icelandic's are gelded "late" by the practices I'm used to. Typically, most people I know of geld their other-breed colts sometime between 6 months and a year, give or take a little. I hear of MANY Icelandic colts who aren't gelded until after they are two, many not until much later. I seriously doubt that the age of gelding has anything to do with the spookiness/non-spookiness of the breed. My mares are typically just as brave and curious as my geldings, and as Melnir was as a stallion. No horse is braver than Sina - she ain't skeered of nuthin'. Sure, all Icelandic's aren't equally non-spooky, but when I look at the breed as a whole, this is the bravest, least spooky breed I've ever met - by a long shot. And I've always tried to pick non-spooky horses! I think Landi is going to be as bombproof as any Icelandic, and for practical purposes he never had, or never will have, any hormones to speak of. Karen Thomas, NC
