Letter from Orsisi on geldings

[George S. Patton]

I'd like to thank the Athletic Department for cheapening our tradition by agreeing to some useless promotion brought to you by a bored botox queen.

All this letter did was throw more flammable liquid on this situation. This letter pretty much tells you, "You're getting these two horses and like it.''

Whatever, Steve. You screwed this up -- no matter what the schills in the Varsity Shop (which I won't ever patronize. But then again, I never bought anything from Varsity Shop anyway.) -- kiss up to you.

[mustangbill67]

Food for thought

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/sport ... efore.html

[ponyscott]

They aren't Mustangs...they have no balls and will be tamed....

My mascot is Peruna...

I am stepping into the mine field here and I love Peruna as well, but really the extra horses to be introduced on Saturday are still Mustangs and will always be Mustangs even though they have no balls, just gelded Mustangs and not stallions....but there are many reasons to have geldings..as below from Wikopedia.

[edit] History
The Scythians are thought to have been the first people to geld their horses.[2][3] They valued geldings as war horses because they were quiet; without mating urges, they were less prone to call out to other horses, easier to keep in groups, and less likely to fight with one another.

[edit] Famous geldings
Famous racehorse geldings include Red Rum and Desert Orchid, who raced in the UK; Arkle, from Ireland; Phar Lap, who raced in Australia; and American geldings Exterminator, Kelso, Forego, John Henry, Lava Man, The Tin Man, 1985 Belmont Stakes winner Creme Fraiche, 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, Funny Cide, his half brother Commentator, winner of the 2005 Whitney Handicap, and 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. Famous geldings in movies and television include Mister Ed (Bamboo Harvester), and the two geldings that played the Lone Ranger's horse "Silver."

[edit] Reasons for gelding
See also: Horse behavior and horse breeding
A male horse is often gelded to make him better-behaved and easier to control. Gelding can also remove lower-quality animals from the gene pool.[4] Ideally, horse breeders choose to leave only their best animals as stallions; lesser specimens are gelded, to improve the overall quality of the breed.[citation needed]

To allow only the finest animals to breed on, while preserving adequate genetic diversity, it is recommended that only a small percentage of all male horses should remain stallions. Some sources place the percentage of stallions considered unacceptable breeding stock at about 90%,[5] while others would be more radical and state that only 0.5% should be bred.[6] In wild herds, the 10% ratio is largely maintained, though via a different mechanism, as a single stallion usually protects and breeds a herd of up to 10 or 12 mares, though may permit a less dominant junior stallion to live at the fringes of the herd.[7] There are more males than just herd stallions, but unattached male horses group together for protection in small all-male "bachelor herds," where, in the absence of mares, they tend to behave much like geldings.[8]


Gelding a male horse can reduce potential conflicts within domestic horse herds.Geldings are preferred over stallions for working purposes because they are calmer, easier to handle, and more tractable.[9] Geldings are therefore a favorite for many equestrians, especially amateurs. In many horse shows, due to the dangers inherent in handling stallions, requiring experienced handlers, youth exhibitors (and occasionally, women) are not permitted to show stallions in classes limited to just those riders.[10]

Geldings are often preferred over mares, because some mares become temperamental when in heat. Also, the use of mares may be limited during the later months of pregnancy and while caring for a young foal.

In horse racing, castrating a stallion may be considered worthwhile if the animal is easily distracted by other horses, difficult to handle, or otherwise not running to his full potential due to behavioral issues.[9] While this means the horse loses any breeding value, a successful track career can often be a boost to the value of the stallion that sired the gelding.

Sometimes a stallion used for breeding is castrated later in life, possibly due to sterility, or because the offspring of the stallion are not up to expectations, or simply because the horse is not used much for breeding, due to shifting fashion in pedigree or phenotype. Castration may allow a stallion to live peacefully with other horses, allowing a more social and comfortable existence.[11]

In North American Thoroughbred racing, geldings are allowed in any race open to intact males.


....these Mustangs will just be easier to handle especially around other horses and other wild Mustangs they save will be for breeding purposes to perpetuate the breed under special care and housing and hey so they lose their balls...its better than leaving them to die.....

Proud Peruna's will always here at SMU and who knows how they use these special Mustangs at SMU, but I hope they live a long life.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

This presentation of "Great Moments in Gelding History" was brought to you by the Eunuch Corporation.

[HB Pony Dad]

With our game against Navy just days away, I wanted to take a moment to address the concerns several of you have voiced in recent days involving our beloved live mascot, Peruna.

WTF are they planning?

[ponyscott]

This presentation of "Great Moments in Gelding History" was brought to you by the Eunuch Corporation.

LOL....

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Coming from a current student, I think it's a great idea. Embrace change. We have had to change things with June Jones. If the next coach doesn't like it, we can do away with it. I'm not advocating that JJ has free reign over things, no, I'm just saying that perhaps it's time for some changes. We can always do a 'throw-back' Peruna somewhere in the future haha JUST KIDDING. I think it's fine to represent both ponies and mustangs - anyways, Peruna is like a flippin' Shetland Pony (but not) I think we can do better than that...That's just how I feel and I know people are going to bash me for it but personally, I think we could do a better job of embracing change. Or at least compromise. However, like @ponydawg says...Just win.

EDIT - I didn't know Peruna really was a Shetland Pony...I have a different image of Shetland ponies (with more furriness...go google Shetland Pony) but I guess I was correct. All those years in the stables did me some good apaprently, thanks Mom.

Nice to know you have such a respect for the school mascot that you 1)didn't even realize was a Shetland Pony and 2)describe as a "flippin' Shetland Pony." That right there basically makes anything you have to say on the subject completely useless. To be honest, I'm surprised you even knew our Mascot's name. Of course, it's not hard to embrace change when it is obvious that you've never had any respect for the history and tradition of our mascot.

[George S. Patton]

This letter represents more bad PR than anything else. They just can't get out of their own way.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Thank you for posting this wonderful letter from SMU Athletic Director Steve Orsini.

How do you manage to post on ponyfans when you have your head so far up JJ and Orsini's backsides? Surely, it makes for a difficult time to see the screen.

[Stallion]

Not only that but Steve Orsini is in fact his boss. He is an employee of the SMU Athletic Department. Coming on here and saluting "Great Job Boss"

http://smu.edu/athletics/staff_directory.asp

How about some full disclosure? Anyone else.

[George S. Patton]

Hi I'm Varsity Shop and I'm doing this because I want to keep my job. What a suckwod!

I think someone who comes up to his boss and puckers up his lips and presses them against his bosses buttocks and smooches is an [deleted] kisser.

[jtstang]

I think this is a stupid idea and I could make jokes about it (which write themselves, no less) until the cows come home (yes Inane, a Bevo reference--just kidding). But like I told the head Special D guy on Saturday, there's nothing I or anybody can do about it. So, like losing regularly over the last twenty years, I guess I'll have to get used to it. Besides, maybe things do change for the better eventually after all....

[KnuckleStang]

Dooby made this point very well a couple days ago, but the 800 lb. gorilla in the room here is June Jones, who has wanted to send Peruna to the glue factory from the beginning. None of this would be happening if not for him. That, and the unfortunate fact that no one in our athletic department has the guts to tell him leave our 77-yr traditions alone, and worry about the football team like you're being paid to do
Hawaii would have still gone to the Sugar Bowl had they not dropped "Rainbow." Had nothing to do with anything. And it would have been a lot cooler, too, had they kept that name. Killing college football tradition for no reason is so stupid

[Treadway21]

While I agree this is happening whether I like it or not, I don't have to take it quietly and for that matter, while I don't spend a lot on SMU, I vote with what little I can contribute, and I will be watching how the administration handles this going forward. This school has not given me much to be happy about in athletics in a long time, so I can walk away at any time, much like most of our fans have over the last 20 years. I played for SMU - but I can spend my time and money on lots of other things.

[Hoop Fan]

orsini says the "mustangs will be a welcome addition to SMU". No, not so much. don't appreciate the use of the old presumptive close either.