Ridgelings - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

cj's dad · 07-06-2009, 10:55 AM

I believe it was Saturday when checking the scratches from Belmont that there were two listed in the same race as being "ridgelings", a male with an undescended testicle.

I don't remember seeing that designation before.

Would being a ridgeling have a negative effect on racing ability?

Why would NYRA feel it necessary to point that out. Is it considered a negative medical condition?

Help Joanie !

Dave Schwartz · 07-06-2009, 11:05 AM

Only if you think being "half-gelded" is a disadvantage.

jotb · 07-06-2009, 11:24 AM

A ridgling means he has one undescended testical. The undescended can hurt them and they don't learn as they should. Two ridgling's that comes to mine were A.P. INDY. and FUNNY CIDE.

Joe

cj's dad · 07-06-2009, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jotb

A ridgling means he has one undescended testical. It rarely causes a problem for a racehorse or stallion. Two ridgling's that comes to mine were A.P. INDY. and FUNNY CIDE.

Joe

Hi Joe,

A ridgeling has yet to be gelded, correct?

And if it causes no problem (and I trust your opinion here) then why list it under "changes" at the NYRA web site?

Funny Cide was gelded prior to racing as a 3year old , correct ?

jotb · 07-06-2009, 11:42 AM

Funny Cide was gelded before he was 3. They gelded him because he was a ridgling.

OTM Al · 07-06-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj's dad

Hi Joe,

A ridgeling has yet to be gelded, correct?

And if it causes no problem (and I trust your opinion here) then why list it under "changes" at the NYRA web site?

Funny Cide was gelded prior to racing as a 3year old , correct ?

They don't have to be gelded. A.P. Indy certainly was not. It just depends on how it affects the horse, which can range from painful to no affect at all depending how the plumbing is tied up. Just falls under accuracy in reporting what condition the animal is in I guess.

As an aside, recently I read of a trotter who had been racing as a female. After a post race tox screen there were abnormally high levels of testosterone found. Trainer swore he wasn't giving steroids and as it turns out the horse was actually a male, but none of the genetalia had ever descended. He's reclassified as a male now and still allowed to race with no penalties imposed, but is classified that he can't breed, if such would even be fixable. The found another one like him with a very similar breeding, so they think it was a genetic abnormality.

joanied · 07-06-2009, 12:44 PM

"As an aside, recently I read of a trotter who had been racing as a female. After a post race tox screen there were abnormally high levels of testosterone found. Trainer swore he wasn't giving steroids and as it turns out the horse was actually a male, but none of the genetalia had ever descended. He's reclassified as a male now and still allowed to race with no penalties imposed, but is classified that he can't breed, if such would even be fixable. The found another one like him with a very similar breeding, so they think it was a genetic abnormality."

OTMAl...now wait a minute...that sounds crazy to me...maybe this trotter's genetalia never descended...but he must have had a sheath..even a small one...how in hell did this trotter urinate

cj's dad · 07-06-2009, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joanied

"As an aside, recently I read of a trotter who had been racing as a female. After a post race tox screen there were abnormally high levels of testosterone found. Trainer swore he wasn't giving steroids and as it turns out the horse was actually a male, but none of the genetalia had ever descended. He's reclassified as a male now and still allowed to race with no penalties imposed, but is classified that he can't breed, if such would even be fixable. The found another one like him with a very similar breeding, so they think it was a genetic abnormality."

OTMAl...now wait a minute...that sounds crazy to me...maybe this trotter's genetalia never descended...but he must have had a sheath..even a small one...how in hell did this trotter urinate

I'm guessing standing up !

macguy · 07-06-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Why would NYRA feel it necessary to point that out. Is it considered a negative medical condition?

Ridgling (for racing purposes) is a type of sex a horse can be classified as.

Horses are usually one of the following.

Gelding - Castrated male of any age.
Colt - Male, 4 years or younger.
Horse - Male, 5 years or older.
Ridgling - Male, with an undescended testicle.

Filly - Female, 4 years or younger.
Mare - Female, 5 years or older.

Funny Cide was born (or rather matured into) a Ridgling, but had both testicles removed, and therefore raced as a gelding.

OTM Al · 07-06-2009, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joanied

"As an aside, recently I read of a trotter who had been racing as a female. After a post race tox screen there were abnormally high levels of testosterone found. Trainer swore he wasn't giving steroids and as it turns out the horse was actually a male, but none of the genetalia had ever descended. He's reclassified as a male now and still allowed to race with no penalties imposed, but is classified that he can't breed, if such would even be fixable. The found another one like him with a very similar breeding, so they think it was a genetic abnormality."

OTMAl...now wait a minute...that sounds crazy to me...maybe this trotter's genetalia never descended...but he must have had a sheath..even a small one...how in hell did this trotter urinate

The interesting case of Martha Maxine....

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/new...ot-a-mare.html

matthewsiv · 07-06-2009, 01:24 PM

Most ridgeling are castrated as it generally effects it's racing.

Sometimes they have to be operated on as the testicle is stuck way up near the stomach.

joanied · 07-06-2009, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj's dad

I'm guessing standing up !

joanied · 07-06-2009, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTM Al

The interesting case of Martha Maxine....

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/new...ot-a-mare.html

Thanks for posting the story link...now it makes sense

...this trotter was racing as a female...so...she'd have no sheath

in my own dufas way I saw:

"horse was actually a male, but none of the genetalia had ever descended."

I have no excuse

as to why I got got confused

...maybe I've been working too hard out in the Sun and my brain isn't in full function mode

stu · 07-07-2009, 08:29 AM

Cryptorchids often have fertility problems.

I would speculate history of denoting the condition stems from alert prospect buyers that the ability to breed is suspect.

Now in the era of steroid testing, the notation is important as the levels of testosterone allowed in ridgelings is larger than that of geldings. If a double ridgeling was classified as a gelding by mistake, he would test positive for hormone levels of his hidden organs.

The testes apparently can affect racing ability in all kinds of ways. We have a horse running at Colonial that races with "stud support" equipment.

Greyfox · 07-07-2009, 08:46 AM

What a nutty subject.