Equine Castration

Equine castration, also referred to as gelding, is the surgical removal of the testicles from a male horse. This procedure is typically performed to eliminate undesirable behaviors associated with intact stallions. Additionally, castration may be undertaken to prevent unwanted breeding and to enhance the horse’s focus and trainability for specific disciplines, such as performance or pleasure riding. 

Behaviors associated with intact stallions can include aggression, mounting, and distractibility, which can pose safety risks to both humans and other horses.  

Castration offers several benefits for both horses and their owners: 

• Behavioral Modification: Castration helps reduce aggressive tendencies, dominant behavior, and sexual urges in male horses, making them easier to handle, train, and integrate into social groups. This behavioral modification enhances safety and improves the overall management of the horse, particularly in multi-horse environments. 
• Preventing Unwanted Breeding: By eliminating the stallion’s ability to reproduce, castration helps prevent accidental or unwanted pregnancies, thereby mitigating the risks associated with overpopulation and irresponsible breeding practices.  
• Performance Enhancement: Geldings, or castrated male horses, are often preferred for various equestrian disciplines due to their improved focus, temperament, and trainability compared to intact stallions. Whether used for pleasure riding, competition, or recreational activities, castrated horses tend to exhibit greater consistency and reliability in their performance, enhancing the overall riding experience for both horse and rider. 

Prior to castration, your veterinarian will perform a full physical exam, including assessment for both testicles within the scrotum of the horse. They may also perform pre-surgical bloodwork. Preoperative assessment is important to ensure your horse is healthy prior to undergoing surgery. 

 If both testicles are not visible or palpable, the horse is considered a cryptorchid and requires cryptorchid castration. An ACVS board-certified veterinary surgeon should perform the identification and surgical removal of undescended testicles. 

Types of Castration: 

There are two primary methods of castration in horses: surgical and non-surgical. 

Surgical Castration: Surgical castration involves making one or two incisions to remove the testicles. This procedure can be performed using standing sedation and local anesthesia, short-acting injectable anesthesia, or general anesthesia, depending on the horse’s temperament, facilities, whether both testicles are easily palpable in the scrotum, and the surgeon’s preference. Castration should only be performed by a qualified veterinarian in a controlled setting, which may be in a clinic setting or a clean, safe location on the farm. Incisions may be located in the scrotum or higher on the flank where the testicles exit the abdomen. Incisions may be sutured closed or left open to allow for drainage.  

Non-Surgical Castration: Non-surgical castration, also known as chemical castration, involves the injection of chemical agents into the testicles to disrupt hormonal function and induce sterility. While this method may offer certain advantages, such as reduced surgical risks and faster recovery times, it is not as widely practiced as surgical castration and may not be suitable for all horses. 

Aftercare following surgical castration:  

Postoperative management may involve antibiotic and/or anti-inflammatory medications and ensuring the incisions stay clean. If the incisions were left open, light exercise is often recommended after several days to encourage drainage, as fluid accumulation (seroma) is a common complication following castration. Your veterinarian will create a restricted exercise plan dependent on your individual horse and the type of surgical castration. 

While castration is generally considered a safe and routine procedure, it is not without potential risks and considerations: 

• Surgical Complications: Like any surgical procedure, castration carries inherent risks, some of which are life-threatening, including swelling/edema, bleeding, infection, evisceration (protrusion of abdominal organs through a wound or surgical incision), and adverse reactions to anesthesia. To minimize these risks, it is essential to select a skilled and experienced veterinarian, ensure proper pre-operative evaluation and preparation, and provide appropriate post-operative care and monitoring. 
• Behavioral Changes: While castration can help modify undesirable behaviors in male horses, it is important to recognize that individual temperament and training play significant roles in shaping behavior. While most horses experience positive changes following castration, learned stallion behaviors often take a period of time and training to change, and could persist indefinitely depending on the horse.