rearing mare please help ?

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kadger

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:mad:I bought my 15hh Andalusian mare last December under weight and under nourished. My vet gave me a feed plan for her and told me not to start work until Feb 2012 as she had very little muscle. However I noticed come Feb that she seemed to be putting alot of weight on her tummy area and low and behold she foaled March 28th.

I weaned her 5 weeks ago and put her back into light work as I knew very little of what she could do. I got to the stage of being able to get on her only walk and stop, and leg yield her over and she is very responsive, however. yesterday I lunged her as I always do first but over trotting poles both in walk and trot and she loved it, then got on her, thankfully still on the lunge. She took one step and reared up vertical with me. I lunged her again for a further 10 mins and got back on, but before I did I took her saddle off and pressed all along her back and she never flinched. I put the saddle back on her with a loose girth, this time I managed about 5 steps before she went up again.

On both occasions she did not try to bolt off after rearing she just stood there and looked back at me with her ears forward.

She is very short backed and I have had to buy a 16.5" saddle for her which does not rest on her kidneys so I couldn't put it down to that.

I have since been told that "once a rearer always a rearer" and also that Mares who have had foals have a tendency to rear due to pelvic pain. She does seem to rest her back left leg when you ask her to stand. I thought that maybe she may have pulled something whilst in the field, but she is not lame and is sound when working her.

I really don't want to give up on her but I can't have a horse that is going to rear without warning !!
 
If you pressed quite firmly along her spine she should "give" a little, but if she doesn't it could be that the muscles are in spasm and, as you say, this could be caused during foaling. Before doing any more with her I would get her checked out by a reputable chiro, generally speaking horses don't rear for no reason.
 
Especially as she has had a foal I would have her looked at by a vet as its possible that she had felt pain after the extra effort of doing the trot poles as they could have caused something to hurt in her hocks or possibly suspensory areas Once the vet has seen her and ruled that out a chiro or osteo type person would probably be recommended.
 
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I'd assume it was a a pain response, or if not a mental way of saying she needs to go slower.4 months is pretty early to wean a foal & return to work, especially for a horse who wasn't in good condition for the majority of the pregnancy. Usually when foals are weaned at 4mnths, its because they are whacking great healthy things who are draining the mare. And if that was your reason for weaning early, then imo the mare isn't ready to be worked. So I'd do all the checks for pain, back, saddle, teeth etc, but either way just give her a break for now.
 
I agree with little legs it's quite sharp back to work ,
I would be tempted to get a vet to look at her now I would continue lunging her until the vet comes and see what if anything they find.
What do you know about the horses history ?
 
thankyou all so so much, yes I have an instructor. I weaned the foal bang on 5months old because he was a big boy and was bullying his mum. He was eating hard feed, grazing well and drinking so I saw no reason for them to be seperated. Both Mare and foal were great at seperation. I have rang the vet and she is coming out to see my mare. Her teeth were done in December so I will have a back specialist come and look at her. Thankyou once again. I have grown very attached to my girl and really dont want to give up on her:o
 
littlelegs said:
Sorry if I sound like I'm nit picking, but isn't the end of march to early august just over 4months?
Click to expand...

ITs not even 4 1/2 months.

Anyway, your foal, your choice.

As others have said, get the chiropractor out firstly, that way you an start eliminating things till you come up trumps.

As you said it was a big foal, could also be that foal was playing rough with mum and walloped her on the back?
 
Just to add to stick up slightly for OP, weaning at 4 months is not ideal by any choice, but not the end of the world. We've had to do this previously with a mare who threw an absolutely huge foal and started dragging the mare down far too much at 4 months, despite feed etc. Vet was involved and said how it wasn't ideal, but the foal would be fine. And he was.

Seeing the mare was in poor condition to start with before foaling, it sounds like having to wean early was fairly probable for her.
 
Exactly cs, which kind of supports my first post. If a foal has to be weaned at 4mnths for the mares health, it stands to reason the mare isn't physically ready to work either.
 
Personally I would turn her away for the winter and start again in the spring. In the meantime, i would do as the others say, and get her backed checked.


How old is she ?
 
I would turn away to relax over winter and resart in the spring. I just dont believe in starting mares back riding the same year as folaing/weaning.

Just my take on things but if its a big foal shes thrown then give her the next 6 months to chill and recover then hopefully she will be fine :)
 
Thankyou all.. Ive checked my diary and I weaned my colt 11th Aug. He was 20wks. He has been mounting and biting her full on for some time and had stop_oed
 
Thankyou all for your comments. Ive checked my diary and I weaned my foal 11th Aug it seemed longer than that. He had been mounting her for some time and basically bullied her. He was fit and healthy and is coming on great so I think I made the right choice. As for the mare I only do 10 mins only 3 times a wk as I am aware she is unfit. She loves to learn, andalusians have very responsive brains and are very willing. However I wil be going even slower with her now. Not taking anymore chances of breaking my little girl. Got a back specialist coming on tues. I have a 16.5" narrow wintec which I had checked and its fine. Her teeth are fine as per the dentist so im praying its something and nothing but turning her out over winter might not be a bad idea thanks x
 
I would definately have her pelvis checked as she recently had a foal. Maybe if she is in some pain the lunging will aggravate the problem. Where in the country are you? superb chiro based in oxfordshire but works a lot in hampshire and surrey
 
get her teeth checked again. December was 9 months ago. a lot coud have changed since then.

Get vet and chiro and even phsio to check her. but really a few months turned away would be great.

Don't forget she will change shape alot as she begins to work so keep checking the saddle.
see physio regularly.
 
And definitely double check the saddle. 95% of horses nowadays will never fit narrow treed saddles...Most andalsuians I've known have been at least m/w tree. If she's underweight to need a N, then I'd hold off doing any work in a saddle with her till she's filled in more.

But again, I don't know the mare and am not questioning your judgement etc, just making a general comment. She could fall into the 5% who does need a narrow :)

Mentally, she has to get over being weaned off her foal too. We've had mares in who have had their foals taken off who have needed 2 months or more to finally 'settle' again. I'd have left it till it would have been 6months after having the foal, then another 4 weeks, then start bringing back into work gradually :) My little mare had all sorts of pelvic problems after foaling and coming into ridden work.
 
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We have the dentist coming to our yard so I,ll book in. im gunna have her pelvis checked on friday wen my vet comes to see her. She has been reading her back leg when stood but she isnt lame whatsoever. My instructor thinks its further up the leg as there is no swelling or heat anywere so maybe it could be pelvic.
 
Christmas sparkles I have taken everything on board what you have said and yes I would have liked to have left mare and foal together for longer but it want fair on her she,d had enough. And thats the reason I got a wintec because I know shes going to fill out alot more yet. But shes deffo a narrow at prez x
 
No sorry, I didn't mean should have left the foal on her till 6 months....I said I agreed with weaning early if the mare needs it before, we've done that with a few before who have thrown too bigger foals to manage :) I just meant I'd leave it until the 6 months before bringing back into work, like it would be normally if that makes sense. But again, only personal preference :)

All the best.
 
Oh sorry right im with you. this is my first experience with foals,weaning,working etc... I,d read so bloody much on the net on it all my head was spinning. After various forums and sites I chose to do light work with her. She has accepted everything asked of her a nb d really enjoys it BUT alas I think I rushed the getting on board bit. I feel really bad but we learn and move in rhe rifht direction next time x
 
I am also concerned that your saddle might still be an issue. Did you have it checked by a saddler? I am banging on about this because I have just had to get a saddle with a hooped tree for a P/B Iberian, He was too wide/wrong shape for the widest saddle.
I do think it might be worth double checking. Post a pic of horse with saddle on & off if it helps, there are a few people on here who could probs offer advice.
 
Kadger - how long after weaning did you start working your mare?

And I have to say a narrow saddle on your type of horse is unlikely to fit.
 
I'd give her the winter off and come back to it in Spring - let her start to feel like herself again , its a bit of a pain when you bought the horse expecting to bring her into work and then her having a year off but I think she will thank you or it.

That said I see nothing wrong with doing ground work - long reining will only help build your relationship and trust

Agree with all the checks first though

Good luck
 
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