Not everything born with testicles needs to stay intact or stand at stud. Yep, I said it. Crazy, that the girl with five stallions would make this comment but we’re in a weird era of horse ownership where everyone wants to be a stallion owner so I feel it needs to be said.

Temperament, conformation, personality, and the way they behave around other horses matters most. And honestly, they can have it all, but if they can’t keep their head when they see other horses (not even smell, just see them from a distance), they don’t deserve to keep their 🥜(notice I didn’t even mention pedigree 🫢)

I have a gorgeous stallion that is dead broke, can and will do anything, but just can’t always switch off brain 2. I’ve given him every opportunity, sent him to multiple trainers when I couldn’t get through to him myself, and unfortunately he cares more about being studdy than being civilized. After two years of trying to work through things, he will be castrated next month.

I have another, young stud prospect I’ve been sitting on for the past year while he matured, who has started to understand what’s between his legs. That’s not to say that he won’t become a well minded boy, but I want him to have an incredible performance career, and in my opinion castrating him gives him the best chance at success in the future.

I have a young 2025 colt, who has it all- he’s conformationally correct, has an incredible temperament and personality and yet I’ve already planned to castrate him when we repair his umbilical hernia. Why? Because again, I want him to have a successful performance career, and that testosterone fueled brain 2 isn’t required in a good performer. Actually, more often than not it hinders their success. Now don’t get me wrong, I have another 2025 I’m keeping intact until he shows me he can’t handle the testosterone, but not every pretty colt is destined to be a stallion, nor should they automatically be called a stud prospect.

I have three in the barn that act like proper gentleman, one I’d still call a prospect, but that have given no indication of being or becoming menaces, that are well mannered, have incredible temperaments, and are conformationally perfect. Two of which I stand to the public. Both have earned their status as a stallion, both are able to decipher between being a gentleman and being a gentleman who also gets to collect/breed. Both also bring value to the industry, which is a high compliment they’ve both received from many outsiders this past year.

People need to remember that stallions are worth more than the *idea* of the potential for future income. Yep, I said it. They require a lot of time, attention, care, vetting, and love. At the end of the day, if you’re doing it all right, and doing right by the stallion, you really shouldn’t be profiting by standing a stallion. That money should go back to things that benefit them, therapies, chiropractic, Cavallo boots, wool phantom covers, new breeding halters specific for each stallion, upgrades to your breeding shed set up, etc. If you’re only interested in owning a stallion because you see dollar signs, the best thing you can do is castrate and move on from the idea entirely. I preach doing right by broodmares and recip mares, so you know I’m going to advocate for stallions too.

👏🏻 Stallions are worth more than the amount of money they *could* make you from their semen. 👏🏻

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