I am interested in people's thoughts with regard to gelding young horses. We all understand some of the reasons for gelding can relate to difficult or colty young horses, making them easier to handle in a racing stable environment. Also where to keep them, can't have them in with fillies etc.

I am more interested in people's thoughts on what benefits there are in keeping their knackers in? Physiological growth and development?

Is there any trending towards horses that can be kept as colts being better racehorses than those that are gelded early?

Not sure if there are any stats around to say more geldings win group races than do colts and horses. Obviously there are more geldings getting around so that may skew the figures anyway.

I have never posted here before but I have read long enough to know there are many knowledgable horse folk here that might have an opinion on this?

For example, if you have a colt who has a beautiful temperament nice and calm and controllable is there any benefit to keeping his nuts in for his racing career? Obviously he can realise he is a boy at some point, and I'm sure a lot depends on how much ability he has as to how much slack you cut him.

But if you have one that can run then do people think it is worth keeping him intact or will he turn out just as good if he is kept intact or gelded?

Forgetting the stallion aspect as that is usually pie in the sky I am only wondering about the physical benefits or downsides to gelding young colts and if there are, then when is the best time to do it?

Do you geld as an early yearling? Do you wait until you know if they have a motor or not?

Opinions?