"The practice of geldings has been around for countless centuries," Cheerilee cheerily started her lesson for the entire class. "Most experts believe it began when ancient mares discovered their young colts were much easier to handle after their testicles had been stamped to oblivion."

There was a spattering of giggles from the students. The mare couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"The practice evolved from there, mares found it was sometimes difficult to hold down a young colt as they stamped his baby makers to paste, so the earliest recorded method was to strap the colt down to a log or rock," she pointed out, pulled up a picture for the class to see. "This allowed the mares to more easily remove his purpose. The most common method amongst earthponies was to stamp them with their hooves. While, for pegusi, the popular method was a pot of boiling water. This method is still a household occurance today. Finally, the unicorns enjoyed tieing thick cord about the scrotum until the testicals died from lack of blood flow. Today we use latex bands."

She showed images of each method in turn.

"The method eventually came to include surgical removal, a much more humane and gental method," she smiled sweetly. "It's very cheap and allows the gelding in question to be less bitter about his purpose in life."

A hoof was raised.

"Yes, Diamond Tiara?" Cheerilee called out the young filly.

"Why would it be bitter?" the filly asked. "It's a gelding. The lowest of the low. Shouldn't they know their place in life?"

Cheerilee nodded. "They should, Diamond. But, testosterone tends to linger for a while after the fact. Sometimes it seems like the colt never lost his bits to begin with. King Sombra was one such example of an embittered gelding."

"King Sombra was a gelding?"

The teacher nodded. "He was indeed. He fled from Equestria as a young colt and was accepted by the Crystal Empire, as they made a practice of aiding their kind. It proves their foolishness as Sombra grew up wanting revenge. He should have been strapped to a plow till the end of his days."

Another hoof was raised.

"Yes, Applebloom?" Cheerliee sighed, knowing the filly's view on such things.

"My sister says that King Sombra, while evil caused the Crystal Empire to Vanish so that Princess Celestia couldn'tclaim the empire for herself and indoctrinate them like she had Equestria," the apple filly pointed out. "He was a cruel king, but he didn't want the Crystal empire to wind up full of geldings and eunuchs as well. That's what my sister says, anyway."

Cheerilee rolled her eyes wearily. It was always the same with that filly whenever this kind of subject came up. "Well, your sister is just full of opinions, isn't she? Your whole family. Big Mac, for example, excellent stud material for sure. But, if cut, your family could easily up the productivity of your farm without him losing his head over mares. Or, at least, employ some geldings. It's nothing short of a miracle you haven't run up a list of alamony bills for illigitiment children he's sired."

"My brother don't mess around like that," Applebloom defended her family.

The mare rolled her eyes. "That you know of. He does seem to like making out of town deliveries. Who knows how many mistresses he's tangled with."

Applebloom scowled, she wanted to scream out in her brother's defense. But, she bit back her tongue.

Cheerilee smirked as though she were victorious. "Had the Crystal ponies treated him as geldings should be treated, none of that would have happened in the first place. You'd think they would understand that males are so much easier to handle when their fixed."

She waved a hoof about the interior of the school itself. "Like certain programs at our school, right here. We help parents evaluate whether or not their colts will grow into useful stallions, or whether they should cut and repurpose them. I have many a parent discover tht their son would be nothing but a failure in life."

"By making the slaves?"

Cheerilee snorted. "Filly, please. Servitude is the male's only purpose in life. Gelded or not."