The Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition will offer a free, one-day stallion castration clinic on Saturday, April 16, 2011 in Cold Spring, MN at Siete Leguas Equine Vet Services.  The goal of the clinic is to reduce the number of unwanted horses in Minnesota.

To be eligible, stallion owners must be referred by a certified horse rescue, humane agent or their veterinarian based on an economic hardship.  Stallions must be halter broken, have two descended testicles, be in good health, and be held off feed for 12 hours prior to the procedure. Colts must be at least 4 months old. University of Minnesota veterinary students will perform the procedures under close supervision of equine veterinarians. Owners of jacks (male donkeys) are also eligible.

The clinic is the third in a series that takes place in different regions of Minnesota through the Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition's Gelding Project. The project was launched in 2009 in response to the growing number of horse-related animal humane society investigations and provides equine castration assistance to owners with hardships.

The Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition is a collaborative effort between members of the Minnesota Horse Council, Animal Humane Society, University of Minnesota Extension, Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners, and certified equine rescues.

Interested stallion owners can contact Krishona Martinson with the University of Minnesota at 612-625-6776 or krishona@umn.edu. Castrations must be scheduled in advance and appointments are limited.

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