I've been crying all morning. She was an absolutely wonderful mare.

I am so sorry Pat
Purrs, Hugs and you are in our prayers

[Snip]

Please call Lynda.  She hasn't been able to reach you for a week and is
worried.

Thanks,

Stephen

I know some folks who raise horses who do sonograms (the vet has a
mobile machine) on first-time births or for some reason they suspect a
problem. Or sometimes just routine, particularly for high-dollar
thoroughbreds or just people who care very much about their horses.
Other than that, there are people who just treat their horses like the
ranchers do the cattle -- let nature take its course and hope for the
best.

Sherry

If you know about it early enough in the mare's labor (no easy feat), and if
the mare is cooperative (also a tricky proposition), and the foaling
attendant is exceptionally knowledgeable and has a long enough arm and
enough strength and is very quick, sometimes a breech foal can be delivered
alive without having to do an emergency C-section. The procedure involves
reaching into the mare's uterus and finding the foal's feet and getting them
into the birth canal without accidentally puncturing the uterus in the
process, and then pulling the foal out quickly enough that it does not
suffocate. Normally the head is out and the foal can breathe before the back
part of its body is born but when it's coming feet-first the oxygen supply
from the umbilicus will be cut off due to pressure, so the whole process of
pulling the breech foal must be done extremely fast in order to save the
foal and spare it from brain damage due to oxygen deprivation.

In this case Gloria was out there in plenty of time and Gerda was very
cooperative but according to the vet one of the baby's feet had probably
already perforated the uterus before she even started trying to help,
because her intestine was wrapped around the foal's legs.