This article first appeared in the November 2021 digital edition of Equestrian Life. To see what’s in the current issue, click here.

A quick guide to castration

By Dr Maxine Brain

Gelding a colt or a stallion is the most common routine surgery performed on a horse. It is a simple procedure, but a surgery that can have its share of complications despite the frequency with which it is done.

The most common method of castration is the surgical removal of both testicles using a tool called an emasculator. These come in a variety of forms but are basically an instrument that clamps and crushes the cord including the blood vessels, above the testicle, before the testicle is removed. In many cases the emasculators have a cutting edge that cuts the testicle off at the same time it crushes the cord. Some practitioners prefer not to use the cutting edge on the emasculators and manually sever the testicle after the cord has been crushed.  

Another tool used for gelding is the Henderson equine castration instrument, which clamps on the cord above the testicle and, like a drill, causes the cord to twist round and round until the cord breaks, effectively sealing the blood vessels as it goes. Some veterinarians prefer to ligate or tie off the testicular vessels prior to cutting the testicle off, as they believe this reduces the risk of excessive bleeding. Other vets are happy to just emasculate the cord including the blood vessels and not use suture material in the site…

Read the full article in the November 2021 issue of Equestrian Life magazine here.