Broken Broodmare

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martha.75

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5 April 2010
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I have a friend with a 12 yo mare that is heavily in foal, she broke her fetlock to pieces last week. She is not insured and has had her leg patched up with a cast and is now tied up all the time. I have been told when she gives birth she will be put down. Do you think this is acceptable?
 
I have heard of similar. Mare got ripped in barb wire, was in bandages for weeks until she foaled. Couldn't have bute or anything to help her with the pain. Poor mare looked awful. Was PTS as soon as foaled. I didn't comment as the owners were sisters, one of which died of cancer just before mare foaled. I hate to say it but they had enough to deal with without people putting opinions in.
 
It's sad for the mare but if she's nearly due then they may aswell try to save one of them although if they don't have a foster mare it's probably a waste of time. I would say whether or not she is insured is irrelevant as no amount of money would fix her when she's heavily in foal as it would not be possible to operate - if the injury is even operable. She may well not be in a lot of pain if the leg is well cast, its probably just that the injury is unlikely to heal. Some horses will be more distressed by this situation than others, and if she is very distressed then she may well abort the foal/go into premature labour.
 
It is possible to raise a foal without a foster mare from a very young age, we did. A foster mare will probably be fairly easy to find at this time of year. Heartbreaking as it is, I would want to give that foal the best possible chance of survival, and so long as the mare is eating and not in huge amounts of pain, then I can't see any reason why the foal cannot have a chance. If the leg is well immoblised, then I cannot see the horse being severe pain, and if she is eating then that would be a good sign. I would put money on it that all the ponies with laminitis at this moment are in more pain. It's terribly upsetting for the owner to know that she will lose the mare, but that foal deserves a chance, and I'm sure with veterinary attendance, everything is being done to minimise the stress to the mare.

Very sad.
 
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