The euphemism for a horse with both of his testicles is “intact.” The logical connotative sense, then, I guess, is that a horse that is gelded is “broken.”

In reality, they are anything but; in fact, they are often the most beloved horses on the racetrack. Generally gelded when they’re young to address obstreperous behavior, they lack the testosterone-fueled antics of their intact brethren, and because no valuable stud deal awaits them, they are often raced longer than horses who achieve early success, who are retired when their value is highest and before bad form can bring their stud fees down.

Although in the not-too-distant past America’s biggest races forbade geldings from racing in them—the races were meant to make stallions, after all—that practice exists now only in history, and some of this country’s best and most memorable runners are those unable to pass on their talents to progeny.

Continue reading at Forbes.com…