This is a very common procedure referred to as a "Caslick's ",he being the veterinarian that first developed the idea and promoted it. A very thin layer of tissue is removed from either side of the female genitalia,essentially creating a wound that,when closed by sutures or staples will soon heal, extending below the floor of the birth canal, greatly decreasing the size of the opening of the external portion of the vagina. It's felt that some female horses can't maintain a good "seal"when running and the aspirated air can be very irritating,leading to problems such as colic,uterine inflammation,etc,.Most riders maintain they can hear when a filly is "sucking wind". This is also done to broodmares to help minimize infection during the breeding season and to maintain the pregnancy afterwards.They are "opened up" shortly before delivery and "closed" again soon thereafter. Cheers.



Post Edited (12-11-03 16:34)