was good if duration of dystocia was less than 90 minutes and the mare was less than 16 years old at the time of surgery. Fetotomy is reserved for dystocia when the foal is confirmed dead and vaginal manipulation does not result in successful delivery of the foal. Fetotomy should be performed by experienced personnel. The complications with a fetotomy are potential lac- eration of the uterus either with the fetotomy wire or the sharp ends of a bone. For example, when the head and neck are resected a hand should be placed on the remaining vertebrae and held there during the extraction of the remaining fetus.
4. Most Common Presentations Most Common Anterior Presentations
Incomplete Elbow Extension At the incomplete elbow extension position, fetal hooves lie at the same level as the muzzle (Fig. 2). The procedure to correct this is to repel the fetal trunk as far as possible and then apply traction on
one limb at a time, thereby introducing the foal in a more normal position. The foal’s head should then be pulled into and through the birth canal and at this time the foal may be pulled with gentle traction.
Dog Sitting/Hurdling Position
In a dog sitting/hurdling position (Fig. 3) your first clue that something is wrong will be the apparent normal position of the foal that seemingly will not move. Upon further palpation, you will find one or two hind feet up. The mare should be placed in the Trendelenburg position. This is a very critical sit- uation and should be handled with utmost caution. It is occasionally possible to push the foal back into the uterus far enough to allow for one or both of the hind legs to be positioned cranial to the pelvic brim (Fig. 4). If you manage to do this then the foal can be pulled. If this maneuver is unsuccessful you should move to a C-section.
Carpal Flexion/Contracture Carpal flexion/contracture (Fig. 5) is a very common
