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I have just looked at a Thoroughbred mare to purchase. She is very nice except for her genital conformation, which is the worst I have ever seen. At what point does the Caslick operation not work, and where should I draw the line? Once the Caslick operation is performed, can natural cover by a stallion or artificial insemination be performed?
Last Updated: January 05, 2010
A Caslick operation will not totally correct the problem when the vulva needs to be closed so far that the mare cannot urinate with a full stream. (If closed too far, she will pool urine and have problems associated with urine pooling.) A Caslick operation is normally stopped just below the brim of the pelvis.
If you really like the mare, you could have a reproductive veterinarian examine the mare and make sure that her uterus has not been damaged by her poor conformation. Also, if her conformation is too bad for a Caslick operation to fully correct, there is another surgery that can be done to free up the vulvar and rectal connection, thus reducing the pull of the rectum on the vulva.
As to breeding, once a Caslick operation is in place, she will need to be bred by artificial insemination or bred naturally and a Caslick operation performed after breeding.
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