By using a simple rope harness to gently squeeze the foal and mimic the pressure normally experienced in the birth canal, the young
horse can recover. Joe Proudman/UC Davis photo
Just a few hours after its birth, the long-legged brown foal
stands in its stall, appearing on first glance to be sound,
sturdy and healthy. But something is very wrong with this
newborn horse.
The foal seems detached, stumbles towards people and
doesn’t seem to recognise its mother or have any interest
in nursing. It even tries to climb into the corner feeder.
The bizarre symptoms are characteristic of a syndrome
that has puzzled horse owners and veterinarians for
a century. But recently, UC Davis researchers have
discovered a surprising clue to the syndrome and
intriguing similarities to childhood autism in humans.
Resembles children with autism
“The behavioural abnormalities in these foals seem to resemble some of
the symptoms in children with autism,” said John Madigan, a UC
Davis veterinary professor and an expert in equine.
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