 For the horse owner who is
considering castration, it is usually a good choice to have the operation done
at an early age. The colt is much easier to handle, the incision site will be
able to be closed off with sutures, and obviously the testicles are much
smaller. All these conditions translate into a much reduced incident of
swelling, as well as cosmetically more handsome features. For example, horses
castrated this young will refrain from developing some muscle masses that cause
them to have thicker necks. If you wait for the horse to be a bit older – say
between one and two years of age – the testicles will be much larger, and the
incision site will not be closeable. Healing is much slower, and it is important
to keep parasites away from the open wound.
The surgical procedure itself may be performed in one of two ways, depending on
the veterinarian’s and owner’s choice. First is the “up” castration which simply
refers to the fact that the horse will be standing up. After being anesthetized,
the horse’s testicles are removed and the blood vessel is crimped as well as
sealed. A “down” castration refers to the animal’s laying down during the
procedure. This requires a general anesthetic as well tying up of the animals’
hind leg. There is now a new methodology that is not yet approved but that is
being tested for effectiveness. It involves the application of a clamp to the
testicular cord which is then attached to a power drill. The goal is to spin the
clamp until the cord is severed. While this may seem a bit odd, it has been
shown that the blood vessels are being sealed off and that there is less
swelling following the procedure.
Once in a while there may be a longer recovery time required, such as when the
horse’s testicles have not fully descended. This will require the veterinarian
to actually remove the testicles from the abdomen, and will sometimes also spell
longer recovery periods.
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