Bye Bye Balls

I’m so sorry Amor. What can I say, it had to be done.

Exactly a month ago, as I was busy making the last preparations before the birth, Amor had his balls chopped off. Considering his temperament, current location and sales potential the answer gave itself really. It was not worth keeping him as a stallion.

As opposed to Richard who had his cut off under local anesthetic standing up one afternoon the summer he was two, Amor was put out completely before they were removed at the vets. Everything went by the book and he is now happily getting on with his new life as a gelding.

The mare’s owner’s ten year old daughter overheard me tell her mother that Amor had just been castrated and was not impressed.

“Promise that you won’t do it to him,” she said accusingly to me pointing at the little two days old sleeping creature in the corner of the stable.
“Well, it depends on…” I tried, but was interrupted by her most insistent little voice.
“No, promise!? Promise you won’t do it!”
“Hopefully, I won’t have to, and it certainly wouldn’t happen for years anyway,” I said quietly hoping this would satisfy her.
“Now you can give him a cuddle if you like,” I added to distract her as the owner of the balls in question woke up and looked at us.
Not totally convinced she nodded her head and quietly made her way over to him to pat his neck.

The thing is, unless you want to seriously breed from them there are lots of good reasons to castrate stallions. So to be able to keep my promise and keep him entire he would have to be extremely talented. Well, I can always hope.