Media Contact: Catherine Dehdashti, U of M Extension (612) 625-0237, ced@umn.edu

The Gelding Project: Helping the unwanted horse one stallion at a time

ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/27/2009) — The Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition, the Minnesota Horse Council, the Animal Humane Society, and the University of Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners are launching ‘The Gelding Project.’ This program is designed as a key step to reduce the number of unwanted horses in Minnesota.

The first aspect of the project, ‘Education Earns Stallions to Geldings,’ will encourage horse owners to choose to make stallions into geldings through education and financial incentives. An interested horse owner who enrolls in the program will be eligible for a voucher to cover the cost of castration surgery by a participating veterinarian (includes the University of Minnesota Large Animal Hospital), once the owner attends eight horse health and management educational sessions.

Here’s how the program works:

Get an official voucher from participating veterinarians, the Minnesota Horse Council, or members of the Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition (more information listed on www.mnhorsecouncil.org ). Vouchers cost $5.
Attend eight horse health and management educational sessions, including: General Horse Care, Reproduction, Nutrition, Facilities/Manure Management, Equine Dentistry, Vaccinations and/or De-worming, Horse Behavior, and a Lecture on the Unwanted Horse or volunteer 2 hours at a Minnesota Horse Rescue.
Contact a participating veterinarian to arrange castration of the stallion

The stallion must be halter broke
The stallion must have 2 descended testicles
Farm calls are not covered by the voucher

The voucher covers the cost of castration, anesthesia, post operative antibiotic and tetanus vaccination or anti-toxin.
Complete ‘The Gelding Project’ evaluation before you leave the clinic.
You must be at least 18 years old and a Minnesota resident to participate.

For more information, contact Krishona Martinson at krishona@umn.edu or (612) 625-6776 or Julie Wilson at wilso011@umn.edu or (612) 625-3745.

Source: Krishona Martinson, equine specialist with University of Minnesota Extension

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URL: http:// www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2009/gelding-project.html This page was updated May 4, 2009 .
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