Castration Aftercare Instructions

Day 1:

Keep your horse very quiet in a stall or small paddock for the first 18-24 hours after surgery. A quiet environment greatly decreases the chances of postsurgical bleeding.

Check the horse hourly for bleeding during the first six hours after surgery. Some bleeding is normal. A rule of thumb is that the dripping should be slow enough that you can easily count the drops. If the blood is dripping very quickly or is streaming from the incision, or if it persists for more than three hours, call the clinic.

Day 2:

Turn the horse out in the paddock or pasture as much as possible. Force exercise (lunge or chase around the pasture) at a trot or canter for 20 minutes twice a day, for a minimum of two weeks. Some swelling is normal, but exercise will increase circulation in the area of the incision and minimize swelling and discomfort which in turn helps prevent infection of the surgical site. Greatest swelling usually occurs 4-5 days following the surgery.

CALL THE CLINIC IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OCCUR:

0. Excessive bleeding, swelling, or discharge from the incision. Large blood clots may occur at the incision site and are normal.
1. Depressed attitude with a fever greater than 101.5 degreees.
2. Decreased appetite or thirst.
3. Extreme stiffness or refusal to move.
4. Drainage still present three weeks after surgery.
5. A loop of intestine appearing at the incision site. This is very rare, but it is an emergency.

Your horse will still be fertile (able to impregnate mares) for up to fourteen days after castration. Avoid pasturing him with mares at this time. Studies show that approximately 25% of properly castrated geldings will show some degree of stallion-like behavior after castration, with no difference in incidence of this behavior between those castrated before and after puberty.

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