One of the most common (and some might say important) surgical procedures veterinarians perform on working equids is castration. While it’s generally considered a quick, easy, and inexpensive procedure in developed countries, where horse owners have the resources to ensure all goes as well as possible, castration can be cost-prohibitive and/or lead to complications in rural communities.

So Tracy Turner, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, of Turner Wilson Equine Consulting, in Elk River, Minnesota, developed a simple, cheap castration tool for use in equitarian—or volunteer equine veterinary–work: the Equitwister. He described its use during a presentation at the 2015 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas.

Castration is important in developing countries, said Turner, for improved equine behavior and handler safety; to prevent pregnancies in working mares; and to promote more selective breeding for better animals