Equine Matters Spring 2019

The skin is then cut and the testicles gently extracted. An instrument called an emasculator (Figure 4) is then used to simultaneously crush the spermatic cord, ligament and blood vessel and cut the testicle off. Depending on the technique used, a ligature of dissolvable suture material may or may not be placed around the cord. The emasculators are generally held in place for a few minutes. This procedure is repeated for the second testicle. Food should be withheld for a few hours until the horse is fully awake and owner should also monitor carefully for bleeding from the wound (Figure 5). A few drops are fine and often expected, but if this turns into a steady stream then veterinary attention should be sought immediately. The wound should also be examined for any tissue protruding from the incision. In most cases, it is abdominal fat but very occasionally may be the intestines (evisceration) which is a potentially fatal emergency situation. It is not uncommon for there to be a degree of swelling of the sheath in the few days after the procedure but this can usually be managed with plenty of movement, either from hand walking or turnout after the initial twenty-four hours. If at any stage there is any other discharge such as pus from the wound or the horse goes off their food, becomes lethargic or walks with a stiff gait, veterinary advice should be sought. It may just be a case of a longer course of antibiotics or anti-inflammatories are required, however, occasionally the infection can become quite nasty and require a further operation to remove infected tissue - this is referred to as a ‘scirrhous cord’ and can occur months or even years after the operation. Recovery The majority of horses and ponies recover surprisingly quickly and with very few complications. Often keeping them quiet for the first couple of weeks while they heal is the most challenging part. We would usually recommend waiting a minimum of four weeks before introducing to mares as, although they are no longer capable of producing sperm, some sperm can remain in the urethra and there have been cases of pregnancies resulting from early mixing, despite proper castration. Behavioural changes may take several months after castration while testosterone concentrations reduce. ‘Food should be withheld for a few hours until the horse is fully awake and owner should also monitor carefully for bleeding from the wound’ 07 Equine Matters Spring 2019 Figure 4: Using the emasculator during a standing castration Figure 5: Most horses recover well but closer monitoring is advised after the operation