THINKING about gelding a mature horse? We all should pause for thought. Will it achieve what I, the human, wish for him, the horse – e.g. a reduction in ‘unwanted’ behaviours? Will the procedure be safe – for him as well as me? Do I need to travel to a specialist clinic or can it be performed literally ‘in-the-field’? Is a general anaesthetic (GA) necessary or could my horse stay standing?

Vets, just like doctors, differ in their opinion and their practice: they can achieve the same excellent outcome by varying routes, but here are my thoughts.

Many well-handled, tall horse-colts are castrated using a ‘standing-sedated’ procedure. I caution against this approach in mature stallions. Why? When operating in less than sterile conditions I was taught to ‘touch no tissue you intend to leave behind’. Ideally therefore, no suture material in a standing castration and thus no tying-off of the cord, increasing the risks in mature stallions.

With donkeys, there are additional complications. Again, they are not small horses with big ears! Donkeys:

  • Stand on shorter legs - more difficult for a tall surgeon to work under
  • Lay down more fat – gets in the way and bleeds
  • Behave differently - behave a different mix of fight, flight, freeze and appease
  • Metabolise drugs more efficiently - need higher and/or more frequent doses
  • Are more prone to bleeding afterwards from the scrotum.

    • In mature horses and in all donkeys I advise GA and a ‘closed surgical technique’, performed either in an operating theatre or a clean, grassy field with no flies. ‘Closed’ in this instance does not mean bloodless or without incisions, it means to close off any connection to the abdomen and thus prevent anything herniating after surgery.

    In my experience, it is best to:

  • Lay the animal on his side with the upper leg pulled forward
  • Cover the upper eye with a cloth
  • Eliminate unnecessary noise
  • Clip excess hair from the scrotum and inner thighs while still dry
  • Double-check that both testicles are palpable – it is vital not to create a rig by removing only one!

    • After an initial surgical scrub, I inject lignocaine/lidocaine solution – it provides local pain relief and improves the efficacy of the GA drugs. I then prep the area for sterile surgery, open my instruments, don gloves and drape the area. I make two incisions, place a ligature on each cord and squeeze each with an emasculator.

    I leave the incisions open to drain (unless in a sterile theatre when suturing is an option); I don’t apply any wound dressing, but I do wash blood from the inner thigh region and consider using fly repellents.

    Note: Remove the excess fat that donkeys tend to lay down more: otherwise this pokes out when the donkey stands. Complications ensue!

    Stress - anything that reduces the animal’s stress reduces it for us too. Keep him in a manner as like as possible after as before the procedure - ideally monitored with equine companions in a grassy field.

    Analgesia – some have a cultural blind-spot when it comes to preventing and relieving pain and distress in animals. Administer pain relief, prescribed by your vet at an appropriate dose (different for donkeys!) - it is good welfare practice and encourages exercise after surgery.

    How about bleeding? In general, drips and drops that you can count are normal; a flow means you need a vet to investigate.

    ‘Something’ protruding from the scrotal area? If it’s fatty-looking tissue, it’s not an emergency but it will interfere with wound healing; if it’s intestine, urgent veterinary attention is required. Both are best prevented at the time of surgery.

    What about swelling? Exercise is the best antidote; cold water hosing of the scrotal area may also help.

    Castration of the mature equid should be cause for pause – fools rush in and all that! Work with your vet, respect their experience and expertise but ask them to check for sound information, e.g. about donkeys, from reliable sources so that everyone does their best by your animal.