You Tube: How not to help a mare giving birth

[cp1980]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ZbPU0YnOc

It starts off OK.

They mean well when they help pull it out.

BUT what the hell do they think they're doing once it's out!? Don't these people think the mare is capable of being a mother? I'm suprised the mare didn't reject it after their interfering

 

[monica123]

omg! i know what you mean!!!

 

[Patches]

Haven't watched it all, my connection is on the blink. I've seen to where she stands up as they go to mess with the foal before delivery.

I've not seen a mare foaling. Howver, if it's anything like a cow should calve, I have noticed that the foal only has one front leg forwards. If that was a calf being delivered we'd have attempted to push the calf's back in slightly to free the leg that is bent backwards. Just increases the chances of the calf getting stuck and the cow suffering complications from tearing and bleeding/infection post delivery.

Of course, might be totally normal for a mare to foal that way, I wouldn't know.


ETA: I have now seen the rest of it. Foal did have both front legs eventually, just not together. We would never pull a calf out like that against the cow's natural instinct to push. We always wait for them to have the pushing urge before we ratchet the calving aid another notch.

I can't quite understand why they were refusing to let the mare approach her foal for though. As soon as our cows calve and the calf is well, we leave well alone. Wondered if maybe Brandy had torn herself and needed some treatment ... who knows.

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
I have noticed that the foal only has one front leg forwards. If that was a calf being delivered we'd have attempted to push the calf's back in slightly to free the leg that is bent

[/ QUOTE ]

I noticed that too - what blooming muppets! We do exactly the same with horses as you do with your cows.

 

[cp1980]

Having one leg forward shouldn't be too problematic for a foal/mare (usually, I think - this one seemed OK). The foal comes out shaped like superman in mid-flight.

The problem with this clip is at the end they start fussing over the new born fall, petting it, covering it with towels and blankets.

Poor mare doens't get a chance to clean it or bond or go near to it, in fact.

 

[Patches]

I can't understand it really Tia. When I've seen the rest of it I did notice that the other leg was there but we always make sure the feet come out together and parallel, one each side of the nose. Just makes it easier for the cow to delivery without complication and less risk of injury to the calf too. Could've broken it's leg coming out like that.

They certainly seemed to be pulling willy-nilly and not just when the mare had a contraction and urge to push. Can do terrible damage to their cervix and tear their "foofy-doofy" too doing that.

 

[Tia]

It's not the forward leg that is the problem - it is the other leg which was still stuck inside the mother. Foals front legs should come out together, not one out and one still in.

 

[Skhosu]

and WHAT is the dog doing in the middle of it?!

 

[cp1980]

[ QUOTE ]
...tear their "foofy-doofy" too doing that.

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[Tia]

Well I think if I was as cack-handed as them I certainly wouldn't have put this video on the web - can't imagine it would be good for business!

 

[Tia]

Scrounging for scraps! LOL!!

 

[Patches]

One leg forward, one leg back?

As I say, I've never seen a foal delivered and have idea what is considered normal or not. But if that were a cow, she'd have had awful trouble delivering a calf presenting in that way. Just makes the foal a bigger size and more likely to get stuck.

We always get the calf out with both feet together in unison. We have to odd calf that comes backwards but that's obvious as soon as you see the way the feet are facing. The can get stuck at the hips and backwards increases the risk of stillbirth too if the calf attempts to breathe in response to the cold air.

 

[Folara]

Ewwwww and I just had my tea lol.

Surely this was a video of how NOT to foal!!??!!

 

[Patches]

I was just going to say, waiting for the cleansing!

LOL

 

[Patches]

I'm shy...that's about as explicit as I get!

Wonder if mares ever have to endure the indignity of an episiotomy? Not pleasant, I speak from experience!

 

[patchandloopy]

To me it looked like the mare was having trouble-i am no way near experience at all with this kinda thing-but she didnt seem to be able to cope with delivery..Although i must say maybe they were a little brutal and maybe should have waited for the mares contractions before pulling the foal!

 

[S_N]

Using quick reply!

OMFG - that has made me SO angry!!! That mare would have coped JUST fine if they had left her well alone!!! She started having problems because of the prat that walked behind her - therefore making her feel threatened, so she got up!! THEN they wouldn't let her lie down again!!

A good presentation of a foal, is one foot first (it breakes the placental star), followed by another foot (can be as much as 10 inches behind the first), with the head on top. This makes the shoulders come out at a slight angle through the cervix.

NO foal should be pulled out of a mare and esp. not with the mare standing!! I feel so bad for that poor mare! That must have hurt her like hell!! I'd be very suprised if she didn't need stitches!! If that mare ever has another foal, she's not going to know how to give birth!! I've had to foal several mares that haven't been allowed to push and they just quit on you!! It's bloody scarey, cos then you have the mare just lying there and you have to get that foal out sharpish!!

As for not letting the mare near the foal, well she might have shown vicious tendencies to previous foals immeadtiately after birth..... However, I doubt it judging by the prats who were attending - they didn't even clear the foals airways!!! And as for the dog - Jeezzzz

 

[Blackhawk]

Shocking video. SN I think you should write that in a comment in reply to the video!

 

[sugarnspice]

I don't even know the first thing about mares giving birth but that really shocked and angered me. Did that woman, actually stop the mother going over?
And the dog was doing what exactly?!

 

[K9Wendy]

They looked like they didn't have a clue!!!!!!!! They defend themselves on the video...

This is what they wrote...

You are only seeing a very little of what took place. Extremely difficult delivery. Without our help Angel and Brandy would both be gone. After we successfully dislodged the foal Brandy went into shock. She started thrashing with pain so we keept Angel safe. Brandy was shaking so hard she could not stand but she wanted to be with her filly. Banamine and a warm blankie helped. Drying Angel and keeping her warm was also important as it was very cold.

 

[S_N]

I might just do exactly that!! I just showed it to my Mum and it's nearly had her in tears!!

Also, what's with the fecking gate at the back of thata stall - talk about death trap for a wobbley new born!!! AAARRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cp1980]

[ QUOTE ]
They looked like they didn't have a clue!!!!!!!! They defend themselves on the video...

This is what they wrote...

You are only seeing a very little of what took place. Extremely difficult delivery. Without our help Angel and Brandy would both be gone. After we successfully dislodged the foal Brandy went into shock. She started thrashing with pain so we keept Angel safe. Brandy was shaking so hard she could not stand but she wanted to be with her filly. Banamine and a warm blankie helped. Drying Angel and keeping her warm was also important as it was very cold.

[/ QUOTE ]

That video was not cut or edited. They are the one's that put that mare and foal into shock!!!!!

 

[Blackhawk]

You could see how upset the mare was when approached as she stopped pushing and jumped up.

 

[S_N]

If they think that was potentially a difficult foaling, then my goodness I hope they NEVER have to witness some of the things that I have seen! IMO they F*CKED that up!! Every mare is different, some just get on and push, some get up, down, up, down before getting into it and even then make a big deal of it!

 

[Weezy]

OMFG I am actually speechless - that is appaulling - the mare would have delivered OK, I bet my house on it - and pushing the mare away after she has been forcibly birthed -

 

[cp1980]

An old horseman I knew used to left his mare in a field to foal on her own. Perhaps not totally wise, but a perfectly healthy foal and proud, happy mare.

 

[patchandloopy]

apologies-i stand corrected!

 

[_jetset_]

I can't believe someone has put that on YouTube... Please SN, write your comments in the box! They should never be allowed to breed again after antics like that.

GTs is right, the video has not been edited at all so what we are seeing IS the whole birth. It did not look difficult to me at first, only when she was approached did she start to fret a bit. Then stood up and really struggled. They just kept pulling, and not particularly pulling anywhere specific.

That poor poor mare... No wonder she went into shock. She was forcibly foaled and then not allowed near it while they fussed over the foal! You could see them keep pushing something away, and I can bet my money on it that it was the poor mare!

How awful!

 

[meandmyself]

Looks like cack handed 'imprinting' to me. Fecking muppets. Poor girlie!

 

[GinaB]

I don't have a clue about foaling, although I've seen clips of it, but that looked just terrible! That poor mare. Why did they feel the need to intefere quite so much?
I think someone should leave a comment and put them in their place as from what SN has said they seem to be totally in the wrong.