Castrations
Equine castration or “gelding” is a common surgery performed either in the clinic or in the field. At Sunrise Equine, castrations are typically performed in the field under standing sedation. This allows for a smooth recovery with minimal complications. Following a castration, owners will be advised to trot the horse for 15 minutes, 2 times a day EVERY DAY for two weeks to help decrease swelling and promote drainage from the castration site.
Below are the aftercare instructions following a castration:
Post-Operative Instructions for Geldings
-
Keep confined the day of surgery.
-
Bed on straw because shavings or sawdust can get into incisions.
-
Exercise your horse starting the day after surgery. Trot for 15 minutes 2 times a day EVERY DAY for two weeks. This helps keep the incisions open for drainage and helps prevent infection. Lunge, pony him along side another horse or free lunge, but get him moving for 14 days.
-
Cold hose the area if the weather is appropriate. This keeps the area clean, keeps flies away and helps reduce swelling.
-
The worst swelling happens around day 5. As long as the gelding is still eating and moving well, this is normal.
-
Geldings can be fertile for up to 60 days, so keep him away from mares. He may still continue stallionlike behavior for a few months. A good rule of thumb would be a month for every year for which they have been a stallion. For example, a 10 year old stallion may need 10 months for a behavior change. If he has been used extensively for breeding, it may take longer or the behavior may not ever change.
-
Please call our office if you have any questions or if you see anything hanging out of the incision.