48 The Practical Stud Groom. 



descent of the foal." And, again: "Sometimes the mare, 

 from debility or other cause, foals while lying down.'* 

 These two statements are so utterly at variance with the 

 author's experience, that he is at a loss to decide, in view 

 of Professor Axe's eminence in the veterinary profession, 

 whether the Professor is mistaken, or the author's 

 experience is unique. Although no actual record ha& been 

 kept, the author has officiated at not less than 400 foalings, 

 and in one solitary instance only has the foal been expelled 

 while the mare was standing up cases of malpresentation 

 always excepted. This solitary instance, curiously enough, 

 in view of the second quoted statement of the Professor's, 

 was the result of debility in the mare, and occurred no later 

 than May, 1911. 



The particulars of this case are, perhaps, worth quoting 

 in detail. A month before she was due to foal it was noticed 

 that the mare, a four-year-old filly carrying her first foal, 

 experienced great difficulty in regaining her feet after a 

 roll in the paddock. The trouble seemed to be loss of power 

 in the loins and hind quarters. She had full use of her fore 

 part, but would sit up on her haunches like a dog, and only 

 got her hind quarters off the ground with great efforts, and 

 after many failures to do so. She was kept under close 

 observation by the night watchman for the ensuing three 

 weeks. That functionary reported each morning that the 

 mare had not lain down, but had slept standing up, with her 

 hind quarters against the wall of her box. However, just a 

 week before the mare was due to foal, the author was called 

 up during the night to learn that the mare was down in a 

 corner of her box, and knocking herself about in her futile 

 efforts to get up. By the united efforts of eight men and a 

 sharp application of the whip, she was eventually got on to 

 her legs. She made no attempt to lie down during the next 



