Hygiene of Pregnant Animals 405 



also be in danger. Any form of violence which might bring 

 about a sudden and severe impact upon the abdominal walls 

 should be avoided. 



Mares used for draft work should be carefully guarded against 

 violent pulling, because this tends constantly to increase the 

 intra-abdominal pressure and thereby to greatly interfere with 

 the circulation in the uterus and to disturb the placental attach- 

 ments of the fetus. Abortion, following very severe pulling, is 

 not rare. We observe precisely the same danger at times when 

 the animal is free in the pasture and becomes accidently mired 

 in deep mud. 



Pregnant animals which are used for labor may continue at 

 quiet work to the end of pregnancy, but, if the labor is of a 

 somewhat strenuous character, it is best to omit it at an earlier 

 period. A brood mare put to gentle farm work or other labor 

 of a similar character may be continued at it without disadvant- 

 age and, in many cases, rather with advantage, up to the time of 

 parturition. It is not at all rare in agricultural communities to 

 have mares stop in the plow and give birth to a foal without any 

 accident and in a very prompt and successful way. We have 

 personally observed cases where the mare has dropped in the 

 harness and has scarcely permitted time for being unharnessed 

 before the foal was expelled. Yet, no harm has come from it. 

 We have seen the same occurrence in mares which have been 

 used for driving purposes and where parturition came on so 

 suddenly that it was impossible to return the mare to the stable 

 and she has foaled upon the roadside. We have never observed 

 any untoward effect to either the mother or fetus from such an 

 occurrence. 



Anything which is liable to cause the gravid uterus to be 

 violently thrown about in the abdominal cavity has a constant 

 tendency to bring about injury to the placenta or displacements 

 of the uterus which may prove more or less serious. It is not 

 safe to drive a mare, well advanced in pregnancy, at a rapid 

 pace, because of the unavoidable displacements of the uterus 

 with its heavy contents. Consequently, rapid trotting, galloping 

 and jumping should be avoided as far as practicable. When 

 pregnant animals are free in the pasture they usually guard 

 against these excesses and move with care, at a comparatively 



