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Gender identification

3K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  EliRose 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I've been a lurker here but haven't posted much. Anyway, saw a picture on a new album coming out soon and thought I'd ask the experts: Do you all identify this horse as male or female? I can't tell if that's an udder or a sheath or what. Anyway, thanks for any info!
 

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#18 ·
Here's a very large, super hi-res version of the album cover: http://music.mxdwn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/austra-album.jpg

Seems you can see some of the freeze-firing effect discussed above pretty easily.

Also you can see the, erm -- gendered area more clearly. You guys still positive about it being a boy? Looks like you're probably right.

I read up on the making of the album a little -- pic was taken in Mexico, not sure the band had much choice in the horse that was used.
 
#19 ·
Very evident that's a sheath aka a boy.

Probably the only picture I could find where a mare in foal looks as if she has a "sheath" but the album cover you shared is definitely at minimum a gelding.
 
#22 ·
Just looks like scars to me.. shrug.

And yes, if you see "bits" there it's a boy 99% of the time, esp if you see them well. As said, it is VERY uncommon to be able to see even a very full udder from the side like that. Bits = boy almost always...especially when it's that noticeable.

As far as the picture I think a lot of non horse people want to add a horse to things but don't really get how to do it. I'm sure we've all seen the super awkward modeling pics that they try to get horses into? Same thing.
 
#24 ·
Shape and connection to belly, as well as how forward it is tells me it's a sheath and male.

The mare has a leg back, which exposes a teat. If it wasn't mentioned that it was a mare, I would take a second look to check further details, like that leg position, veins thicker feeding to teats and position under hip.
 
#25 ·
I agree with the others. Definitely male.

As a general rule, a sheath is positioned further forward. A mare's teats are usually well tucked up between her back legs and cannot be seen at all from a side view. A gelding or stallion's sheath runs along a posterior section of abdomen. Full udders are generally slightly rounded, with large nipples, while a sheath is triangular in shape.

Here's a side view of my mare. She's never had a foal. Her udders aren't visible at all.


This is my dad's mare. She's had two foals, and her udders are more than twice the size of my draft cross's udders. You can only sorta see them on a side view but you can see they're more half-moon shaped instead of triangle shaped.


Unless a mare has unusually large udders or is currently lactating, you won't see her udders in a photo. As a general rule, if you see something, it's a gelding or stallion. If you don't, it's either a female, or a male where the angle of the photo hides the sheath.
 
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