One of my students is a vet, a gentleman about 57 years old, and an intelligent and caring man who really does care and does his best for the animals which come under his wing.

However sometimes he is left powerless when it comes to the wishes of the owner of an animal. For instance, he told me of a mare that was having problems giving birth to her foal. The vet suggested a caesarean section, which he felt was the best bet for both the mare and the foal. Unfortunately it was at this juncture that a neighbour told the owner of the mare that such a procedure would lead to the death of the mare, even if the foal should survive.

So the vet was sent on his way and they employed another specialist who basically cut the foal up into pieces whilst still inside the mare, and pulled it out piece by piece.I have never seen the horse, but it made me feel so sad, what an awful option to choose when the vet was so confident of saving them both.