Can someone explain to me how a caslick "doesn't take"?

[RacetrackReject]

I’m asking because of this ad I saw on my local classifieds.

Free APHA Mare
Eowyn (aka -Playgirl Olena-) is an 8yo APHA mare. She was meant for barrel racing, but I didn’t realize she needed a Caslick-s. I had the procedure done twice, but it didn’t take. The vet said she needs surgery which costs app. $600. I cannot afford it, but if you can, she will make a great horse. She knows the barrel pattern, loves people, and is extremely smart. She is an easy keeper as evidenced by her fatness and grain intake of only - lb a day. Her bloodlines include: Doc, Olena, playboy

[Somermist]

No idea? I wonder what kind of $600 surgery she needs. Weird ad.

[TrueColours]

I would THINK that if a lot of caslick’s have been done on her in the past and then opened for breeding, closed again, opened for foaling, closed again and so on, a lot of scar tissue would have built up so the stitched edges wouldnt stay together any more

I knew one mare in her late teens that had had 8 or 10 foals and that was the state she was in. She needed a Caslick’s but the vet said once she was opened for Live Cover that would be it - he didnt feel it would be possible to stitch her up again successfully so his opinion was to forego the TB to TB breeding and find a suitable WB stallion for her, leave the Caslicks in and inseminate with just the rod without sticking an arm in there

[BaroquePony]

Personally, I don;t think mare that need the procedure should be used as breeding stock.

[Charmb]

Caslick’s fixed

We had a mare that was caslicked after breeding. One foaling, the Vet did not remove the caslick thoroughly and she ripped a bit. We then had her at the WCVM, and they took out the scar tissue and effected a lovely new look to her,and we never caslicked her again. The scarring was not just from the last time, but from a number of caslicks over the years prior to us having her. It was not $600.00 to do this. Think around the $200.00 range, but that was a few years ago.

[Equine_Reproduction]

[QUOTE=RacetrackReject;5500792]
I’m asking because of this ad I saw on my local classifieds.[/QUOTE]

I can only speculate without seeing or talking to the individuals involved. My best guess is that the mare was Caslicked for possibly pooling fluid with the idea that the Caslick would help the issue. In reality, if the mare is a urine pooler, it acts as a “backsplash” and the urine is essentially funneled back towards the cervix. If that’s the case, they may be thinking she needs a urethral extension. But, that’s just a guess…

Personally, I don;t think mare that need the procedure should be used as breeding stock.

If it’s a young, healthy mare, I would agree. But, we see lots of older mares that have loss muscle tone as well as thin mares. Both types will often require a Caslick that probably has nothing to do with genetics.

[coloredcowhorse]

[QUOTE=RacetrackReject;5500792]
I’m asking because of this ad I saw on my local classifieds.

Free APHA Mare
Eowyn (aka -Playgirl Olena-) is an 8yo APHA mare. She was meant for barrel racing, but I didn’t realize she needed a Caslick-s. I had the procedure done twice, but it didn’t take. The vet said she needs surgery which costs app. $600. I cannot afford it, but if you can, she will make a great horse. She knows the barrel pattern, loves people, and is extremely smart. She is an easy keeper as evidenced by her fatness and grain intake of only - lb a day. Her bloodlines include: Doc, Olena, playboy[/QUOTE]

Checked her records with APHA…she’s had one foal. Not that unusual for barrel racers to be Caslicked…don’t understand the idea of it “not taking”. Well bred mare…

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

I have a mare that her caslicks needed to be repeated several times to get one that would stay in long enough to heal closed for the year. This went on for about 5 years.

When I changed vets, I had no more problem, in fact, when I told Dr Ley that it may not last, he said he would guarantee it. I told him he may want to rethink that, and he just grinned. She was good to go!

[RacetrackReject]

Thanks for all the information!

I didn’t know that caslicks could fail and it seemed like they were saying it caused issue with her being ridden hence why she could no longer be a barrel horse without surgery. I’m guessing, even without being bred, that she would have issues with infection, so that is the real reason she would need a proper caslick or to have surgery?

Thanks again. I learn something new every day on this forum.

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

She is probably a windsucker and needs to be caslicksed for that, but I would also guess for breeding. Just try to find a vet that is good at doing caslicks. Sometimes if the mare is scratching her tail, etc it can tear open before it is healed. I don’t like caslicks down tight, still leaving barely enough room that a small armed vet can inseminate, flush, etc with it in.

[Kyzteke]

Not sure if this is still the thing to do, but years ago when I was working on the track ALL the fillies were Caslicked.

They felt all fillies were going to be
“windsuckers” when they raced, so I suspect this might be the current trend in barrel racing as well.

But could be as ER suggested, that the mare actually suffers from chronic infection(s) due to the urine backsplash.

And I’ve never known a Caslick’s “not to take.” Maybe the poster meant the Caslick didn’t cure the issue, which would make sense given ER’s guess of the situation.

[Equine_Reproduction]

[QUOTE=Kyzteke;5501633]

And I’ve never known a Caslick’s “not to take.” Maybe the poster meant the Caslick didn’t cure the issue, which would make sense given ER’s guess of the situation.[/QUOTE]

This was “my” thought. It’s not a difficult procedure and even with a mare that rubs, I’ve never had one come “out”. And the $600 “repair” bill just left me totally puzzled. But, this is armchair quarterbacking at its best

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

[QUOTE=Equine Reproduction;5501636]
It’s not a difficult procedure and even with a mare that rubs, I’ve never had one come “out”. [/QUOTE]

I never even notice that my mare rubs her tail, but was trying to give the “repro” speciallist vet the benefit of the doubt. She had to repeat the caslicks at least 2-3 times each year, every couple of weeks it would be open again, or sometimes half open again. Finally, it would be ok, and last the pregnancy.

I questioned the vet several times on thread, etc but I don’t know what she was doing - I was holding the horse. I know she did trim before sutering. Lesson to be learned is that not all, even “repro” vets are created equal.

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

Also, it would be pretty easy to ask about the caslicks to see if it appears to be in, and then possibly a urine pooler, or if she appears open, and they just need to find a better vet to just put in a standard caslicks.

[coloredcowhorse]

[QUOTE=TrueColours;5501056]
I would THINK that if a lot of caslick’s have been done on her in the past and then opened for breeding, closed again, opened for foaling, closed again and so on, a lot of scar tissue would have built up so the stitched edges wouldnt stay together any more[/QUOTE]

Mare is only 8 and according to APHA records has had one foal.

[coloredcowhorse]

[QUOTE=BaroquePony;5501156]
Personally, I don;t think mare that need the procedure should be used as breeding stock.[/QUOTE]

In general I would agree but it is fairly common for mares in speed events to avoid wind-sucking.

[Molly_Malone]

Slightly off topic, but couldn’t one use medical superglue on mares?

[Equine_Reproduction]

[QUOTE=Molly Malone;5502004]
Slightly off topic, but couldn’t one use medical superglue on mares?[/QUOTE]

THAT doesn’t hold :). We actually attempted to use it in another way, as well, just to keep the mare “closed” until after she was confirmed in foal in order to not have to open and close a Caslick. It would “hold” for maybe a day and would have to be redone. Ultimately, using sutures or staples and making sure the incision lines match up is the best method.

[Hillside_H_Ranch]

When we are breeding on a mare that needs a Caslick, we just use a temporary Caslick. i.e. suture the labia closed without removing any tissue. That way you don’t have to keep cutting and re-suturing throughout the cycle/until pregnancy confirmation. Once they are pregnant then we remove a bit of tissue and suture the edges together.

[Equine_Reproduction]

[QUOTE=Hillside H Ranch;5502195]
When we are breeding on a mare that needs a Caslick, we just use a temporary Caslick. i.e. suture the labia closed without removing any tissue. That way you don’t have to keep cutting and re-suturing throughout the cycle/until pregnancy confirmation. Once they are pregnant then we remove a bit of tissue and suture the edges together.[/QUOTE]

This is called a breeding stitch for those that may not be familiar with it. Just to clarify Liz’s post ;).