A
gelding is a
castrated horse or other
equine, such as a
donkey or a
mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven
behavior associated with a
stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday
working animal. As a
verb, "gelding" or "to geld" refers to the castration procedure itself.