DIY castration - Anyone ever heard of it?

meleeka

meleeka

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Has anyone ever heard of this being done before?! I wouldn’t have thought anyone who had horses could be that sadistic but I wonder if it happens more than we think?
I know there’s a good trade for unqualified farriers shoeing horses round here but this is on another level ?

eta link didn’t work so have attached a screenshot 3C4C4CBA-4085-48B8-9CCF-C5348C249060.png
 
I can recall in 50's Uk seeing horses castrated without any analgesia or a vet in attendance - usually a few hefty a*holes sit on the horse's head and neck (front feet generally tied together but not back legs for obvious reasons) and hold it down while yet another a*hole cut the balls out of the poor animal. Those I witnessed being castrated this way were generally instantly turned into a subdued, dead eyed shadow of the fiery young colts they once were. Perhaps that was part of the intention - who knows? :(

Here in Ireland I am the proud owner of a donkey that I rescued at about 18 months - he has one ball completely removed and one still in the sac but crushed. My vet judged it safer to leave well alone as the remaining butchered ball does not bother him and is not infected - he was also subjected to the barbaric method of home castration. Even after 10 years he is still very timid and frightened of anyone other than direct family.

I would like to say this no longer happens here - but sadly I have it on very good authority it does, particularly with donkeys as their value as a youngster is very little and not deemed worth the cost of a vet doing the job humanely. :(
 
Quigleyandme said:
Do the BHS really run castration clinics for the cash strapped? Really?
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They do. Aimed mostly at travellers I think, the idea is it’s better for horse welfare to have them cut. They normally do passports and chipping at the same time.

I know Cats Protection do similar schemes for cat owners.

I don’t know if it reduces breeding levels much, you only need one stallion after all!
 
As much as it doesn’t sit well with me, I think it’s a horse welfare thing - lots of the coloured cobs run out in big groups and it’s probably safer for them to be geldings than entires. They didn’t ask to be born in that set up and I’d rather some charity money went to improving their lot.
 
Quigleyandme said:
Dear God, now I’ve heard everything.
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I don't think the clinics actually show them how to castrate Quigleyandme. Probably not what you meant but had to clarify in case. ;) They offer them the castration for their animals for free along with micro chipping and passports etc. At least they do here, mainly rescues etc. set it up. I dont think it makes one difference to the breeding levels here though......all the rest of their herd just roam around together entire males with fillys etc.. drop int he ocean as far as i can see.
 
I have heard of something to do with biting things off in Mongolia but not over here. Anyways I am about to have sunday dinner and this is all a bit sickening!!
A vet near here will geld travellers horses for cheap if they all bring them to the same place, and it seems to work well.
 
it does sound barbaric and unnecessary nowadays!

But when was castration 'invented'? What was done before anaesthetic?

I can well believe that the Mongolian method is to bite them off - I know the Sami do the same to reindeer - but I presume at a fairly young age?
 
When I was young back in the 60s it wasn't uncommon for a pony to be a rig because of an incomplete castration.
I've got an idea that before anaesthetic that the cord was crushed, like young bulls are done now with a metal tool, but with anaesthetic/by the vet, but with horses with 2 pieces of wood tied together. No wonder horses were ill tempered.
 
Makes my stomach churn. Its gruesome enough with anesthetic never mind with out.

You'd have to have some 'ball' (excuse the pun) to put your head near back legs while welding a scalpel down there.

A local vet does castration days every couple of months at a reduced rate. I would of thought the couple of hundred quid was an easier option than potentially having your head kicked off.
 
I understand that some people who live in caravans consider it abuse to have a colt castrated at all. They either have stallions or mares, no geldings. It’s the same with their dogs. Given that probably 50% of foals born are colts, it’s probably easy to guess where the excess end up :(
 
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