Yet, there is this mentality that someone owns "just" a gelding, as if that horse is not as important as the stallions and mares. Such thinking could not be further from the truth! When it comes to introducing the public to the breed, the geldings are the ones that make the difference. They are the ones ridden by children, hauled to the camp grounds, and sauntering down the side of the street. Geldings are the face of the breed.
Those who cannot be involved in breeding - whether due to time,
funds, or location - can be involved in representing the breed with their geldings. This brings the community
together, both inside and outside the breed. They give the average person a way to make a difference and be involved with saving the breed without getting into an unrealitic situation.
We all love when someone adores our horse; and, most horse owners are very happy to talk for hours about their beloved companion. In reality, that bragging is just as vital for the future of any breed as the hours spent waiting for the next foal to be born.
Horse breeds exist only with owners and fans. Without people to own them, there is no breed. Without young girls hanging pictures on their walls, and little boys scribbling doodles of their favorite horse, there is no future of the breed, and it is the average horse owner, not the breeders, who make those dreams feel a bit closer to reality. It is the geldings that bring a rare breed from a listing on a Web site to a reality that can be touched, hugged, and fawned over. Geldings are the true ambassadors of the breed, and should be given as much respect for what they represent as any stallion or mare. The reality is, without them, a rare breed cannot become a desired breed.
The Hitching Post/February, 2014 17
3
O Stop Looking (Daltrey)
owned by Leah Fry
SHC Charlie D (Charlie)
owned by Tanya Hoss