38 THE HORSE OWNER's 



CASTRATITiTG. 



The plan usually adopted for throwing and castrating 

 the colt has been attended with more or less danger, time 

 and trouble. The operator has prepared a rope about one 

 inch and a half in diameter, and some twenty feet in 

 length. In the centre is made a loop, which is slipped 

 over his head and neck down to the shoulders, the ends 

 carried back and around the ankles of the hind feet. One 

 man is placed on each side of the colt, holding the ends of 

 said rope ; the third man at his head. The two men hold- 

 ing the ends of the rope, pull, while the man at his head 

 endeavors to back him. After some severe struggling, he 

 is thrown back upon his haunches. I must say the plan 

 is not only cruel, but attended with a great amount of dan- 

 ger ; the colt does not recover from his injuries for some 

 time. Two valuable colts to our certain knowledge, were 

 rendered worthless by the use of the above mentioned step 

 in throwing them ; one had his thigh broken, the other was 

 so injured across the loin that he became useless. By the use 

 of the surcingle, as described on a previous page, any boy 

 fifteen years of age can lay down a horse easily, and place 

 him in any position for performing surgical operations of 

 any kind, without the assistance of any one. In sections 

 where I travel in the spring season, colts are sent to me 

 daily to be castrated, and not in a single case, have I occu- 

 pied more than ten minutes in performing the opr^ration, 

 without any assistance. By the use of the surcingle it can 

 be accomplished in ten minutes (alone), easier than adopt 

 the old fashion way, with half a dozen assistants. 



