Kicks and Fractures 209 



latory thrust, to lift his feet entirely from the ground, so 

 that they glide forward, he falls backward, and may break 

 his spine in either dorsal, lumbar, or sacral region. In one 

 case brought to my attention, a similar accident occurred to 

 a cow which, being in heat, mounted one of her mates, 

 slipped, fell, and fractured her spine so that she had to be 

 destroyed. The danger of falling when the ground is slip- 

 pery or copulation is undertaken upon a concrete or other 

 smooth floor, is to be obviated by the removal of the causes. 

 In females mated with too large a male, fractures of the 

 spine, pelvis, and limbs occur. The danger is greatly ag- 

 gravated by slippery or uneven ground or by other unfavor- 

 able surroundings. Injuries to the female because of the 

 great weight of the male are not rare though far less com- 

 mon than one would be inclined to expect when the disparity 

 in size is considered. It is not rare to see females served by 

 males two, three, or more times as heavy, and yet escape in- 

 jury. In the smaller species, as the pig and dog, the female 

 can quite readily drop to the ground under excessive weight 

 and escape injury, but in the cow and mare there is danger 

 of serious injury when the weight of the male becomes too 

 great. Fractures from this source are most common in 

 cattle and generally the result of a fall at the moment the 

 bull makes the violent copulatory thrust. Some breeders 

 overcome this danger by using a breeding rack or cage, as 

 described above, so that the heifer can not be forced for- 

 ward and down. Each side of the rack presents a shelf 

 upon which the fore feet of the bull rest, preventing his en- 

 tire weight from falling upon the heifer. Sometimes an 

 awkward helper holds the head of the cow to one side and, 

 when she moves forward, draws firmly on the halter, bend- 

 ing her head sharply to one side and causing her to fall. 

 Either she should be left free or any restraint should be ex- 

 erted by two men, one on either side, thus pushing directly 

 backward. Nymphomaniac cows suffer frequently from pel- 

 vic fractures, which will be discussed under Cystic Degen- 

 eration of the Ovaries. In one instance a heifer of about 

 five months and weighing about 400 pounds was served by 

 14 



