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Castrating a male horse, called gelding, can be done at a veterinary hospital but is often done in the field. When gelding is done on the premises where the horse lives, there is no need to transport the horse and the animal can wake up in familiar surroundings rather than in a confined space. If the skin around the surgical site is properly disinfected, rates of infection for field castration are very low.

In a standing castration, the horse is sedated but is not laid down. One disadvantage of standing castration is that it is not quite as easy for the veterinarian to see and maneuver. There are, however, several advantages: the testicles are easily felt, the wound drains freely, and the horse does not have to be as heavily sedated and therefore returns to an aware state more quickly.

An alternative is to anesthetize the horse so that he ends up lying on the ground. During the surgery, he can be left on one side with the upper hind leg pulled out of the way. An alternative is to roll the horse onto his back and stabilize him in this position with straw bales placed along each side of the ribcage. The surgical area is disinfected, the testicles are palpated, and an incision is made through the skin of the scrotum. The first testicle is lifted out and clamps are placed on the muscles and ducts. An emasculator is used as a clamp that crushes the blood vessels and spermatic ducts. The first testicle is cut away, and the same procedure is followed for the second testicle. The clamps are removed after several minutes and the crushed vessels are checked to be sure that bleeding has been blocked. The initial incisions are stretched to allow the surgical site to drain during the next several days. Blood and fluids are rinsed from the horse’s skin and an antibiotic injection is given. Another injection can be given to reverse the action of the anesthetic, the straw bales are pulled away, and the horse is allowed to regain consciousness and stand.

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.

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