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[RC] mare down after foaling - Ed Kilpatrickhi there, this percheron mare that had difficulty foaling is more likely suffering from a pinched nerve due to the foal being big and in the birth canal too long. this is not so common in horses, but does happen occassionally. it is far more common in cattle. they can recover. i would not put her down until after a few days have gone by. give her a chance to get over the shock of the events, get some food and water into her and if she is not fighting and thrashing around, then let her rest and try to get up when she is ready. there could be a leg injury from going over the fence. infection from a retained placenta takes a few days to begin showing symtoms and would not be the cause of the problem the day after foaling. also, the foal did not get "strangled by the cord", a common misconception. however, the cord, possibly wrapped around the neck, or otherwise kinked and twisted shuts off the lifeline (much like a kink in a waterhose shuts off the water). ; another common occurrance is the cord will break before the foal gets out of the birth canal. when the cord breaks, the foal starts breathing on its own, if it is still inside the mother, then it will suffocate or drown on amniotic fluid. and how did she get through the fence? if there are no broken boards or gaps, then she went over the top. edDo you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online
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