Pre‐partum uterine rupture with successful delivery of a live foal from the abdominal cavity

Summary The current report documents the antemortem diagnosis of a pre‐partum uterine rupture in a late gestation mare. Diagnosis was made on the basis of transrectal palpation and transabdominal ultrasound, with evaluation of fetal heart rate confirming a live fetus. This prompted emergency laparotomy and a live foal was delivered from the amnion, which was free‐floating in the abdominal cavity. The low economic value of the mare and the advice not to use her again as an embryo recipient prompted humane euthanasia under general anaesthesia at the request of the owners. The foal was clinically normal at birth, with the exception of minor orthopaedic abnormalities (primarily flexor laxity) and, at the time of writing, is a normal 2‐year‐old. This is the first known report of a live fetus being delivered from an extra‐uterine location in a large domestic animal species.