TIO, Dianne Nicole E.

Tio
BSAE-III
EQUINE CASTRATION
(ROUTINE CASTRATION)

Castration is a surgical procedure performed by a veterinarian that is defined as the

removal of the testicles of a male horse. The procedure can be accomplished through
sedation and local anesthesia in a standing position or through general anesthesia and the
horse lying on its side (lateral recumbency). This procedure is typically performed once the
horse is skeletally mature to reap the beneficial effects of testosterone.

Why Castration may be Necessary?

This procedure is typically performed on colts to make them more manageable and
easier to train. Castration is also necessary if the horse has minimal breeding value. In horses
with potential breeding value, castration may be delayed determining if the horse has
enough performance ability to make him attractive as a future sire.

A growing concern for the unwanted horse has also increased the need for castration.
The goal, as a horse owner, is to act responsibly. The plight of the unwanted horse is a growing
welfare issue. The Unwanted Horse Coalition, a broad alliance of national equine
organizations joined together under the American Horse Council, is working to educate
industry groups and help people learn to “own responsibly.” Colts that possess undesirable
traits should be gelded as to not pass these traits on to their offspring.

When to Castrate?
Horses can be castrated at any age. I have castrated foals at one day of age and
stallions into their 20s. Although both of these extreme situations were emergencies where
the horses had developed scrotal hernias (the small intestine had herniated or protruded into
the scrotal sac), all recovered well. Most veterinarians will agree that castrating horses at a
young age (less than one year old) is ideal.
 Procedures

1.Prepare for surgery prior to the patient becoming recumbent. Check

that you have;
a. Surgery bucket filled 1/3 to ½ way with water and nolvasan or betadine
b.Gloves
c. Blade
d.Suture (always be prepared to ligate. Don’t open the suture, someone can pass it to you,
but verify that it is available)
e. Emasculators
f. Needle drivers
g. Scissors
h. Large clamp (bronchial clamp or Ochsners)
2.Position your equipment behind the
patient’s leg, within your reach.
3.Incise
Squat or kneel (on one knee) behind the
patient. Place your shoulder against the inside of
the patient’s leg. Identify two testes (NEVER
INCISE IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO). Use your
non-dominant hand to stretch the skin taught. If
the testes are large, place your hand in front of
the testis and push them back into the scrotum.
If your hand is too small to manage both, do one
at a time. If testes are small, simply spread the
skin taught over the testis. Identify the median
raphe. Make two incisions ~ 1 inch apart on either
side of the median raphe. The incision should be;

•Made through all layers in a single pass

•Long enough to expose the testis
•At the lowest point on the scrotum
•Parallel to one another
4. Exteriorize the testis
Start with the down testis. “Pop” it through the incision as if you were popping a grape out
of it’s skin. Secure the testis. Make a ½ inch incision at the proximal end (nearest the cord) to
use as a finger hold or Place a clamp (we use a bronchial clamp. A towel clamp is also
effective).

CLAMP HOLD FINGER HOLD

5. Strip
Hold the testis in your non-dominant hand. With your dominant hand grasp the cord firmly
and stroke the length of the cord. Initially it will feel as if you are not affecting the facia.
Continue stroking and it will fall away all at once.

This is a well stripped cord. This cord will be much

easier to crush than a poorly stripped cord.

6. Emasculate
Face the nuts of the emasculator up (nut to nut). Open
the emasculator jaws. Check that the ratchet is open.
Make sure there is at least 1 inch of space between the
emasculator and ligature. Place the jaw around the cord
with the handles: Facing to the back of the horse; Parallel
to the patient’s body; Perpendicular to the cord. Close the
handles only until they just begin to “bite” the cord. Lie the
testis down. This release of all tension on the cord improves
the quality of the crush, which reduces the incidence of
bleeding. Using both hands, close the emasculators
smoothly and completely. Check the ratchet is locked.
7. Stretch the incision
Place your index fingers or thumbs in the front
and back of the incision. Stretch the incision
until you feel it tear. You must mean this when
you do it.

8. Repeat the process on the up

testis.
9. Reduce the tension on the leg rope
and Allow the leg to drop almost to
the lower limb.
Allowing the leg to drop to the ground may
inadvertently release the leg from the rope.
Wait: One minute per year of age—Longer is
better.

10. Remove the emasculators

Raise the leg. Open the emasculators
perpendicular to the cord and parallel to the
body.

11. Check for bleeding as the cord slips back into the patient.
12. Trim any tissue that will hang down from the incision after the
patient stands up.
13. Clean the scrotum
14. Remove the leg rope
15. Pull the down forelimb forward. This will prevent the radial nerve
from falling asleep.
In the days after gelding, some swelling, drainage, and stiffness are commonly seen.
The horse should be hand-walked and then encouraged to move around on his own. Cold-
water hosing of the surgical site will rinse drainage off the skin and ease discomfort and
swelling. Gelding should be done during a cool season when there are not many flies around
to irritate the healing incision.

After gelding, it may be a month or two before all the male hormones subside to a
level where the horse loses stallion-like behavior.

Retrieved from: http://www.r-vets.org/Castration-Basics.html