Gelding

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Thanks!

     You all remember Jack, right?  The gorgeous horse that I saw on Fri?  The one who was sent to Mexico to be trained and the people attempted to breed him.  The lucky lady didn't want to be bred apparently and kicked him in the testicles.  This morning Jack was gelded (like neutering a dog), and I got to watch! : ) 

     First he was sedated with Xyloxene (pronounced Zylozene) to relax him, and another sedative to make him fall asleep.  Doc then led him into the grass by the Stock (mini stall that makes it easy to check up on the horse). That horse looked drunk.  Before he fell completely asleep he was wobbling around and stumbling.  That was pretty funny.  Then Doc did something interesting with the lead rope, so that when Whitney held the rope taunt, Jack's head was still on the grass but his back legs were spread and one was being held away by Whitney.  Doc made a quick incision and pulled the testicle out of the skin that covered it and used this tool to cut it off, and seal the wound, while he did the same process to the other one.  For such an important organ to the survival of the species, it's not very well protected.  It was amazing to look at the testicles and compare them, because one was filled with scar tissue on the inside, so it was according to Doc, 3 times larger than it was supposed to be, while the mare that kicked him completely decimated the other one.  It was pulp-like and surrounded by scar tissue. Poor guy.

     After that, all that was left to do was wait for Jack to wake up.  When he did he was making low noises that sounded like he was complaining.  My vote goes to that he was telling Whitney and I how bad he has it.  Whitney also pointed out something that I hadn't considered before; when you breed a mare you usually hobble them, or tie their legs together so that they cant do anything about being bred.  Whitney has always objected to it, but she realized that without hobbling the mare, the breeder could lose themselves a good stallion.

     I'll write up tomorrow's activities tomorrow, and I'll try to put Day 2 up as well. Until then,

~Rebecca