Equid Castration with a Motorized Device: Decreasing Risk and Complications in Routine Surgery. The Henderson Castration Tool in Action

Castration of equids is a practice as old as the domestication of horses by man. It was one of the earliest attempts at behavior modification and continues to this day for that reason. Techniques are varied and dependent on training, culture and availability of medications for restraint. As access to modern surgical techniques grows, the surgery can be less complicated but more costly. Complications are well known and include hemorrhage, infection and eventration as the most likely and potentially deadly. The technique described here will address efforts to reduce those complications and perhaps make this surgery more accessible to all equids subjected to it by operators of varying skill. It is a simple technique well adapted to both surgical suites or field situations. The use of a mechanical power drill attached to a specialized surgical clamping device has been well documented and described. A modified technique is presented here that has been used in the most rural of settings as well as in well equipped hospitals with excellent results. […]