HAULING HORSES?

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-Sreplien Eckert
La Veta, CO

It always pays off to be well informed and prepared when anticipating parturition (birthing). Dystocia (difficult birthing) can be dealt with systematically in animals and not all species are treated the same.

In cattle dystocias are fairly common. Luckily, a cow or heifer can go for some time without risking the life of the calf or mother. Horses, on the other hand, rarely have dystocias, but when they do, it almost always requires the assistance of a veterinarian. In order to know when a vet should be summoned, we need to understand the different stages of labor.

Stage I, cervical dilation, usually lasts two to six hours in cows and other small ruminants. In horses the time is much less, probably two to three hours from the first signs until the breaking of the amniotic sac. Litter-bearing animals (pigs, etc.) usually have a four- to five-hour Stage 1. Signs associated with this stage are: attempts at seclusion, colic or agitation, and the loss of the cervical plug.

Stage II is the actual delivery of the baby. In cows signs of Stage II labor are abdominal pressing (visible straining), restlessness, and protrusion of fetal membranes from the vulva. Stage II in cows is initiated when fetal parts contact the birth canal and dilated cervix. In most cows, once the amniotic sac is visible, delivery will ensue within two hours. If membranes are visible for longer than two hours without delivery, a vet should be called.

In most instances Stage II is interrupted because the calf is in the wrong position. The most correct position for calves and foals is to have both front hooves coming first with the nose and head closely following. Most cows will strain for two or three minutes then rest two or three minutes. If the resting periods are lengthening (20-30 minutes) without any signs of progress, the cow should be examined.

Common causes for inappropriate Stage II labor are: legs or head not presented correctly, tail coming first, or calves coming upside down. Many heifers have difficulty birthing due to inadequate dilation of the cervix and calves too large for the birth canal. If you feel comfortable repositioning calves and pulling them, remember to limit your efforts to only about 30 minutes. If you can't reposition and extract the calf in this time, a Cesarean section may be in order. Also, when pulling calves, don't apply pressure greater than three strong men. Improper use of "calf jacks" can injure both calf and mother. A calf can survive about eight to 10 hours once Stage II labor has started. Don't waste too much time if you know problems exist. It has been shown that the longer a cow spends in labor, the longer it will take her to normalize and come back in heat after birthing.

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