- … and we witness exactly what happens in dystocia when malpresentation, malposture, or malposition develops. It is ...

FoalinMare: Insights Inside the Foaling Mare

A delightful addition to equine obstetrics

As an agricultural equine practitioner, I am well aware of the challenges that we all

face in managing dystocia. Assisted parturition of a mare that easily weighs 800 kg can

be a tremendous effort for someone like me, short in height with short arms, when

malposture or malposition occurs. How can I hold on to the forelimbs or reach the eye

socket and muzzle when the foal is presenting lateral deviation of the head?

Furthermore, there is only a small window of opportunity to gain experience and learn,

given that foaling is seasonal and dystocia is a rare event. Whenever I receive an

emergency call, I have always rushed to the scene and tried to do the right job in the

early spring chill, wishing that I only had a good textbook to rely on.

My wish has come true because Drs. Jan L. Govaere, Katrien Martens, and Prof.

Aart de Kruif at Ghent University in Belgium have produced an educational DVD

entitled FoalinMare: Insights Inside the Foaling Mare. By using three-dimensional

animation, this DVD beautifully demonstrates intrauterine fetal development, the

foaling process, and various treatment options for malpositions. It is as if we were

exploring inside the mare, watching as the fetus grows and goes through the stages of

labor and we witness exactly what happens in dystocia when malpresentation,

malposture, or malposition develops. It is beautifully colored and a pleasure to watch.

In the section of development of foetus, the animation is devised to facilitate so

that we can understand foetal maturation, which starts from about day 150 of

pregnancy and ends just before foaling. Additionally, mechanism of abortion caused by

umbilical cord torsions, which occurs especially in horse, is also well exhibited.

In following section about aspects of the foal during labour, starting at correct

foetal positions, prodromi and three stages of labour, i.e. activation, stimulation and

afterbirth periods, are well exhibited. Then how mares and new foals behave after

foaling, and what is required for farmers and veterinarians are carefully explained.

In the section of dystocia, abnormal foetal positions, presentations and postures in

the uterus are depicted in detail. Explanation of dystocia starts at dispostures of the

head, lateral deviation, ventral retroflexion and dorsal retroflexion, following carpal

flextion, shoulder flexion, Johne’s position, dog sitting position and foot nape are

shown. Also, abnormal foetal positions, i.e. anterior dorsoilial and anterior dorsoventral

position, and abnormal foetal presentations, i.e. posterior, dorsal transverse and

ventral transverse presentation are shown. And the others, posterior dorso ilial, hock

flexion and hip flexion are shown as mixed type of position and presentation for former

or presentation and posture for latter two.

The advanced points in this section are that how farmers and veterinarians should

treat animals in each dystocia. For example, it explains that in order to reposition

lateral deviation of the head, one major abnormal posture, repulsing the foetus and

creating more intra uterine space by flexing the foal’s forelimbs in the carpus is

important. Then, assisting methods like following are exhibited. They are, grasp an ear

of the foal to pull the head closer, place a finger or eye hook in the foal’s eye to

rotate the head and finally grasp the nose and place snare through the mouth and

around the foal’s head.

Additionally, there are remarkable explanations of specific foetotomy or Caesarean

section in detail corresponding to various faulty foetal dispositions as treatment at

dystocia. Within here, the usage of Foetotomy wire, Foetotome, Ring of Marlot and

Krey hook are explained with easy-to-follow animations.

In the final section, inversion/prolapsus vesicae, rectal prolapse and torsio uteri are

shown as coexisting trouble of foaling and how to prevent accident of mares are well

explained.

In Japan, there is a classic textbook that was published in 1976 by Hara, Kaseki, and

Matsuura (Guidebook to Dairy Calving Management: New Edition [in Japanese]) that

depicts normal and abnormal presentations, postures, and positions of bovine fetuses.

Although it is aimed at bovine practitioners, it is a good book and provides a

comprehensible classification of malpositions that I have applied to bovine practice

and education. However, no reliable textbook has been available for assisted

parturition in horses. The graphics depicting malpositions in FoalinMare are amazingly

realistic and are accompanied by a clear narrative that is very easy to follow. I am

certain that this DVD will make a significant contribution to veterinary medicine and

hope that it will be utilized as a valuable educational tool for veterinary students and

professionals alike.

Meanwhile, to our delight, the PDF translated to Japanese language by M. Matsui

(Associate Professor) and S. Haneda (Assistant professor) in Obihiro University of

Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine is attached to the DVD. I’m grateful to their

efforts and pay my respects for them.

Written by Yoh-Ichi Miyake (The Former Professor of Lab. of Theriogenology,

Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine)