Wry-neck in the Foal 747 



tracture by tenotomy or myotomy, and remove the fetus in an 

 otherwise normal manner. 



Wry-neck in the Foal. In the foal the abnormality known 

 as " wry-neck " is comparatively common as a cause of dystokia. 

 Wry-neck is usually described as a contracture, with the implica- 

 tion that the deformation is induced by contraction or abnormal 

 shortening of fetal muscles, but the actual cause is unknown. 

 Usually the bones themselves are bent. The anomaly is possibly 

 due to the anterior feet occupying one horn, into which the head 

 has failed to enter and becomes reflected back along the fetal body 

 in the body of the uterus, there to be held firmly. If the neck of 

 an equine fetus becomes accidentally caught in lateral deviation, 

 and is so held, the muscles on the concave side naturally shorten 

 as a result. This abnormality is most frequent, or practically 

 confined to the foal, apparently because of the great length of 

 its neck. 



Wry-neck constitutes one of the most common and formidable 

 obstacles to delivery in the foal. In these cases the neck is bent 

 abruptly backward at its base, and the head lies in the flank of 

 the foal. The deviation has existed throughout a long period of 

 time, as is shown by the curvature of the head upon its long 

 axis. If the neck is curved to the left side of the foal, so that 

 the head rests in its left flank, then the left side of the head and 

 face is concave and moulded to the surface of the body, while 

 the right side is convex. 



In our experience, wry-necked foals usually present either an- 

 teriorly, with the two forefeet more or less extended in the pas- 

 sage and the head out of reach, or transversely, with the ventral 

 surface of the body toward the pelvic inlet and several or all four 

 of the feet extended in the vaginal canal. 



In the anterior presentation, the operator may not be able to 

 reach the head because of its extreme deviation, favored by the 

 great length of the neck. If he can reach the head, it will be 

 found exceedingly difficult or impossible to bring it into the va- 

 gina, because when the fetus is repelled the head recedes, instead 

 of tending to become extended as in case of a normally developed 

 head and neck, where the head has recently become deviated. 

 If the head is secured by means of hook or cord or other device, 

 it is still found exceedingly difficult to bring about its extension 

 in the genital passages, because of the contraction of the muscles 



