Managing horse in late pregnancy - what to do

D

Daniel_Jack

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 August 2017
Messages
255
Visit site
I'm currently 7 1/2 months pregnant and am really starting to struggle to manage my horse.

Horse is a good doer and currently muzzled pm and stabled with hay during the day. This means that every day she needs mucked out/nets done etc.

I'm lucky that my YO is able to help out so I've been effectively putting her on full livery 3 to 4 days a week and doing the other days myself.

The issue is that I've been diagnosed with a few minor but problematic conditions in the later stages of pregnancy that make the simple act of mucking out etc very uncomfortable and advised against.

I'm trying to consider my options and would appreciate some advise!

Option 1 - pay the yard owner to do her every day. There are cost issues with this as it costs more in the summer than the winter for full livery. Yard owner also can't always do it as she's got some holidays/long weekends booked.

Option 2 - turn her out 24/7. I can either muzzle permanently (don't want to do this), take the muzzle off (really don't want to do this) or have her out muzzled at night with muzzle off for maybe 8 hours during the day. This will however cause her to put weight on. Was also maybe considering still having her brought in a couple of days a week to manage weight.

From a really selfish perspective, chucking her out with alternating muzzle on and off is the best option as it will cut costs and make it easier for me to manage but I know that it's not the best thing for her.

What do you think?

Sharer/loaner is not an option - believe me I've tried but can't find anyone.

Strip grazing etc is also not feasible and neither is moving yard. My yard is the best in the area and the field is specifically for fatties - 8 acres of mixed grazing i.e. lots of gorse bushes, reeds etc and field is never fertilized.

Help!!
 
I think you need to look at what will work best slightly longer term, post birth you need a routine that fits in easily as well for a while so out 24/7 and risk a bit of weight gain in the knowledge it will come off over winter if you need it to.

Just a thought rather than paying for being kept on full livery can you pay for a few days exercise each week instead, that would probably be more beneficial than being in a few days, even a 20 min lunge would burn off calories, if the YO or a freelancer can hack out that would be even better.
 
Thanks.
They come in and go onto full livery on 1st November anyway which makes it easier.

YO currently exercising once a week but I could probably afford more if horse was living out so that is a good option
 
I would agree with thinking about a 6 month plan - with some options for unforeseen variables. (c section, poorly baby etc.)

I would look into other local 'services' providers - equi nanny types who will come to your yard if you need them to when your yard owner is unavailable. (what happens if the weekend you give birth is one where the YO is away) - these are normally £10 per hour ish + travel and will do whatever you need them to on a flexible basis. Good local dog walkers often will offer simple muck out/ hay net if you ask them and they are horsey.

We will be into lower risk grass in a month or so and bad weather will get a bit of excess weight off.

Me personally I would pay YO / outside help to do the best weight management routine for your horse for a month then get rid of muzzle and chuck out 24/7 until March if YO other liveries keep a vague eye on those turned out. (if no sharer options realistic)

I would do as Drs advise - having had a poorly baby and spent 3 months in hospital with him - it is worth listening to or in the long run it will cost you more time / £'s.
 
I would turn her out and muzzle overnight and accept a bit of weight gain - it's the least bad time of year to put on a bit as she'll lose it over the winter. It sounds like your field is well set up for her and the autumn flush of grass will be over soon.
 
you just have one more month of grass flush hopefully. can they live out over winter? unless they have a history of laminitis I would try not to worry and just let them stay out and eat. especially as you said it is a nice mixed field, not a tiny rich patch.

pregnancy is tough but babies are even harder! I had 4 when my first was born (on own rented land but with friends with horses for emergencies) and they roughed out over the winter just fine (had baby in September). had 3 including a very sick one when I had second child and had vet doing bloods day before I gave birth and pony was on box rest with lots of medication (liver failure). I was mucking him out and lifted water container when a bit of my waters went- woops- had baby the next morning....

all the best
 
I am from the school of tough love and would plan to turnout full time over the winter with no rugs an hope it’s cold and she loses weight.
If you think the tiredness now is bad by 9 months it will be worse, and after delivery with broken nights you may be barely human.
I loaned my horse for my first pregnancy, the second he was just turned away 24/7. I used to go and check him with a baby and toddler in the car, it was tough. My husband wasn’t home till 7, so there was no chance I could ride.
So plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Best wishes with the pregnancy, it will be worth it.
 
Turn her out - as long as she doesn't have health issues related to weight gain then just suck it up for a bit. I say that as I had SPD during pregnancy, was carrying a 4kg baby, and decided to tough it out. Mine live out but I thought I was well 'ard ignoring the pain and lugging hay bales and shovelling sheep crap off the yard for the farrier at 8 months pregnant and some days barely able to walk. I ended up in a brace and wearing a tens machine for the last 3 weeks.

When baby was 14 months I had to have an umbilical hernia repair, almost certainly caused by my own stupidity. I've just finished physio for ongoing pregnancy-related hip and knee pain - and "baby" was 3 in June. It's not worth it!
 
Thanks for the replies.

Our yard is DIY in summer and full livery in the winter so from November to May its a doddle!!

I think I'll aim to have her turned out and muzzled overnight with a break from the muzzle during the day and a couple of days coming in off the grass. Not perfect but best I can manage.

Plan is to be back on board before Christmas. This is my second child and I've got lots of support and I was able to get riding again quickly so hoping for the same this time :)
 
Hi, out of interest how have you found mucking out up to this point? I'm currently 4 months pregnant and horse will be coming in at the end of October and we're on a DIY livery yard. I can pay for services if needed but worried about this extra cost when I'm on maternity pay so would like to try and do as much as I can myself. I too am trying to find a loaner/sharer with little success.
 
I'm only mucking out 3 or 4 times a week. It's OK but my back is starting to ache now so between that and filling/hanging haynets it is becoming uncomfortable.
 
If you truly expect to be fine on full livery and riding again before Christmas, then I would turn out 24/7 until they come in in November. We are getting into September and a bit of weight gain between now and then is unlikely to be problematic. Your current regimes sounds unnecessarily high maintenance to me for a horse which is not in work.
 
zola89 said:
Hi, out of interest how have you found mucking out up to this point? I'm currently 4 months pregnant and horse will be coming in at the end of October and we're on a DIY livery yard. I can pay for services if needed but worried about this extra cost when I'm on maternity pay so would like to try and do as much as I can myself. I too am trying to find a loaner/sharer with little success.
Click to expand...

I think it depends on the individuals and complications like trapped nerves and pelvic pain can make it much harder. But I had a 4kg baby and was running around after his older brother and mucking out and turning out horses the evening before he was born (a few days over due). I had two days ‘off’- one the day he was born and the next day and then I was back to the yard (they were living out)

But my friend had a c section so had a groom booked for a month to do her horses and helpful partner
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top