Safe tranquilizer for geldings

[wsmoak]

I’ve heard of male horses having problems after receiving Acepromazine and found this paper

proceedings-09proceedings-z9100109000020.pdf

Does Dormosedan have the same issue?
https://www.vetfolio.com/learn/article/dormosedan-gel-in-the-horse lists penile relaxation as a possible side effect, but also says “No long-term or serious side effects were reported”

Is there a safe tranquilizer that can be given under the tongue that a vet might be willing to let an owner administer? Or should I plan to have a vet present if we get into a situation where we need it?

I’ve got a three year old who has only been on a trailer once before as a yearling, and that time they just loaded the mare and took her along to drop him off. He’s 8 hours away and due to this plague I have not been able to get up there to work with him. The barn owner can do some, but that is really an imposition as he is on pasture board. And the weather up there is atrocious right now anyway.

I need to go up there and bring him home. He leads, he stands for the farrier, he’s not feral. But I’m trying to prepare for a possible “better living through chemistry” situation where we just really really need to get him on the trailer.

Any advice?

[JB]

Penile relaxation isn’t the same as the inability to retract. The latter is a potential side effect of Ace, but typically only with regular use, or maybe too high a dose. A small dose continues to be a drug of choice for a lot of vets to get the boys dropping penises for cleaning if they aren’t already dropped from sedation (ie for getting teeth done)

I’d just talk to your vet about oral dorm, understanding the risks to you if it gets on your skin. But I don’t know if you want that level of chemistry for what you want. Maybe it’s jut a matter of a pretty small dose