(Equitwister)
Castration is common in working horses, both in developed and under developed countries. The procedure is easily handled in the developed countries,with all the tools necessary. The possible post operative complications such as hemorrhaging,swelling , evisceration and infection are taken into considerations and steps are outlined to prevent these or deal with any complication if they arise. The common field practice is the emasculator method, where the spermatic cords are clamped and crushed,the most common complication is hemorrhage. This down side of the procedure has been a major cause of concern,and other methods have evolved over the years.
The close castration technique was not so practicable in horses because of the size and contents of the vaginal tunics,as the emasculator could not achieve sufficient crush on the vessels to prevent hemorrhage,thus the Henderson tool was introduced .
The Henderson tool uses the clamp technique; this clamp can accommodate the entire cord its then attached to a battery powered drill and the testicles are twisted off.This twisting controls hemorrhage and prevents evisceration. This method is simple, fast with little or no complication,but use is limited because of cost and electricity supply.
This led to the innovation of the equitwister by Turner Wilson Equine Consulting, in Elk River, Minnesota. The tool as shown in picture is simple,cheap and easy to use. The equitwister is made of stainless steel rod, PVC pipe, and a crank. It uses a similar approach to the Henderson tool as it twists the spermatic cord, but it’s manual and requires little effort. This is very valuable as it can be used in places where low income earners are a larger percentage of the community.
(Equitwister)
Castration is common in working horses, both in developed and under developed countries. The procedure is easily handled in the developed countries,with all the tools necessary. The possible post operative complications such as hemorrhaging,swelling , evisceration and infection are taken into considerations and steps are outlined to prevent these or deal with any complication if they arise. The common field practice is the emasculator method, where the spermatic cords are clamped and crushed,the most common complication is hemorrhage. This down side of the procedure has been a major cause of concern,and other methods have evolved over the years.
The close castration technique was not so practicable in horses because of the size and contents of the vaginal tunics,as the emasculator could not achieve sufficient crush on the vessels to prevent hemorrhage,thus the Henderson tool was introduced .
The Henderson tool uses the clamp technique; this clamp can accommodate the entire cord its then attached to a battery powered drill and the testicles are twisted off.This twisting controls hemorrhage and prevents evisceration. This method is simple, fast with little or no complication,but use is limited because of cost and electricity supply.
This led to the innovation of the equitwister by Turner Wilson Equine Consulting, in Elk River, Minnesota. The tool as shown in picture is simple,cheap and easy to use. The equitwister is made of stainless steel rod, PVC pipe, and a crank. It uses a similar approach to the Henderson tool as it twists the spermatic cord, but it’s manual and requires little effort. This is very valuable as it can be used in places where low income earners are a larger percentage of the community.
