Above  I didnt get very as many pictures of the castrations as I might have, particularily the recovery, because I was usually to busy doing somthing. This first picture is the weanling we did. He is completely anesthetized and cant feel a thing. The towel over his head is because the Ketamine sensitizes them to light stimulus. We're just getting him prepped and Christina is monitoring his vital signs. The second pic is of one of the two yearlings we did. Obviously a larger horse. That is the tool Dr. Blair uses to do the actual castration. It clamps on at the base of the testicle where it joins the spermatic cord, and then you turn the drill on and it literally twists it right off, no suturing required because it's wound up so tight. It's a lovely tool, far better than the scalple and having to ligate with suture. Those two pups are waiting patiently for the testicles. The fourth picture is of James, a horse at a different ranch we visited after the castrations. Those are porcupine quills in his muzzle, poor guy.

Above More of James and his quills. After he was sedated, I held his head while Megs and Claire pulled them out with forceps. I wanted to keep one but I never managed to grab one from the bucket before they were taken away. Next couple of pics are of the sole abscess Dr.Blair was fixing. I never got to see that because I was still outside the barn keeping an eye on James while he recovered. A sole abscess is very painfull because all the puss and everything is trapped inside the hoof, creating a great deal of pressure with no where to go.

Above The hoof with the abscess drained all duct taped up to keep it clean, Me still hanging out with James, he's just about ready to be put back in his stall, and a lump removal we did on a third horse at the same ranch. (Like I said, it was an interesting and varried day!)


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