Who has all done a caslick? What were the benefits and why did you preform the surgery on your mare? Did you ever have to undo it in order to foal in later years?

I suspect my mare is sucking air. I cannot hear it while running but she will swish her tail and awkwardly hold it down while running. We have vet checked numerous times and cannot find anything else. My vet brought up a caslick, wondering if I should go through with it? I personally have never done it before. Thanks in advance. I tried searching the forum but it turns out that this is not a recent topic!

If you are running a mare its the smart thing to do as in having a caslick done on her if you're thinking they are sucking air. It will help them to stay healthy and comfortable and yes you undo the caslick when having a foal. 

Thank you! I have read some informational articles but they mainly reference broodmares and not performance mares.

All the mares/fillys that I knew that ran on the track had them done and alot of barrel mares too.

How long does it take them to recover? 

Doing a caslick is not a surgery. The vet gives them a mild seditive & just sews up the vulva & leaves a small opening at the bottom of the vulva for peeing. Very simple & doesn't take long. My mares were ready to compete the next day. 

All of our mares are done. Whenever you are dealing with an event that has a high rate of speed and splitting the back legs, a caslick’s is just good preventative maintenance. 

Yes, if you breed a mare, it needs removed prior to foaling or you’ll kill the mare and baby because she won’t be able to give birth. All our broodmares get them after being bred. Then they are removed a few weeks prior to foaling.

I'm always shocked at how many barrel racers don’t get it done. Every mare at the racetrack has a caslick’s.

You can ride them the next day.

I would get her palpated and possibly cultured by a good repro vet if you believe she may already be having issues. I believe it is probably more important to do a caslicks on a barrel mare than it is for a racehorse considering what we expect them to do.

I agree. If she is sucking air and has an infection, that needs to be cleared up. Otherwise you are just wasting time and money.

Caslicks are done all the time and are usually not a big deal.  If you breed her in the future, we try to keep the caslicks in during the breeding process UNLESS you are doing live cover, and then you most definitely have to cut the caslicks before they foal or the mare will tear during labor.  But caslicks are routinely done in broodmares, for breeding purposes, so its again not a big deal, just don't forget the caslicks is in when she gets a few weeks from labor.  

You would likely not hear her suck air when youre riding, but your vet can do a speculum exam and see if shes a wind sucker.  Some fillies just have a poor seal and suck air easily.  It's definitely uncomfortable for them to have air in their vagina as well.  

I've seen three year old maiden fillies be infected due to wind sucking.  I follow the same protocol- culture, treat, then after the last treatment place the caslicks.  If its a filly who the owner has no complaints about, just wants a caslicks, I'll put a caslicks in without doing a culture.  

Every barrel mare I've had for the past 20 years has had a caslick.

Is there any signs they are windsucking or have an infection?

Not trying to take over but had this question pop up while reading this thread. Do they have to be done yearly or is it like once its in leave it alone until you need it out? (ie having a foal)

It's just like getting wolf teeth pulled or teeth floated before and during their career. A caslicks in a performance mare is more about prevention than anything else.  Every filly that goes to the track should have one and I think all speed event mares should have one as well.  The edges of the vulva are trimmed just slightly and they are sewn together. The stitches will come out or you take them out after it heals.  I got a 20 year old mare in to breed early this year that still had hers in.  I had to get it opened before live cover.   

It’s a one time deal unless you need it removed for foaling. It’s not an annual maintenance type of thing.

Thank you so much!!! Usually have geldings but my yearling is a filly so glad to learn

My daughters mare is now 12. We bought her when she was 2. I had her caslick’s done then. Last year my daughter bred her. It was AI so the caslick’s was left in. It was removed a few weeks before she foaled. About a month after the baby was born she got sick and spent 4 days at the vet’s. We had the caslick’s put back in.