Riding mare with foal at foot?

MileAMinute

MileAMinute

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On a FB group I frequent, there is a post of a mare being 'taken for a stroll' with her foal at foot.
It was a surprise foal and was ridden the day before foal arrived, and apparently had an easy birth.
I personally was a bit shocked, what ever happened to letting horses be horses?! Or am I just being a soft touch? I know when I had my daughter the last thing I wanted to was mobilise!
I don't have much experience in the way of breeding though so maybe this is the done thing, if someone could please enlighten me. Someone replied to me saying it's the same as them walking around a field, but again, why not let them do exactly that rather than tack up and potentially distress both mum and foal?

ETA - foal looks to be only a few days old.
 
It's not unusual across the world to be riding mares with foals at foot, less common in the UK. So soon after birth is just plain selfish and daft IMO. I briefly considered whether I could bring my mare back to work while foal was still on her at 4ish months but decided it would achieve little and be too much hassle and just better all round to wait until after weaning.
A girl at my old yard did hack her mare out with foal loose at foot. Primarily in woods at back of yard, but it was open to the public highway and I thought it was the most idiotic risk to take,but kept quiet as none of my business
 
I was back on mine with foal at foot after about a month. She has an old leg injury that benefits greatly from regular gentle ridden work. Vet was happy with it (said to give it at least a week after birth but he couldn't see why not to ride after that), mare didn't seem bothered, foal thought it was another great exciting adventure. For safety of the foal I wouldn't have hacked, but I can't really see a problem with having a potter round the school.
She was physically capable of being ridden (and actually going as well as I've ever seen her), foal was safe and not overtaxed, and it was a very short break from the rest of their day of grazing in the field and just being horses. Have I missed what the problem is?
 
I have ridden mares with foals at foot, no problems, a bit of a bimble around does no-one harm. I imagine in the UK it is the exception rather than the rule, I only knew a couple of people who took foals out.
They are tough old birds on the whole not the delicate little fairies we like to believe they are, ditto the foals. Mares are also covered in their foal heat, I think they recover well from labour if it has been normal.
 
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MileAMinute said:
No problem. I expressed that I don't have a lot of experience in this field and wanted to know if it was normal. Personally it felt a bit off to me, but wanted to know what others thought :)
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As long as it's in a safe environment, and the mare and foal are physically ok then it really shouldn't be a real problem. It's more having the set up to be able to do it really. I think my mare would be over the moon to do a bit of work!
 
In the uk brood mares tend to be more pampered. I know many Americans who ride for quite a while and ride a few weeks after foaling or drive with foal at foot but tied to the mare so basically they learn to drive before they drive.

Not something I would personally do but I can't dictate others beliefs. No one would do it if they felt any harm would befall the animals.
 
It's was normal for farm horse to work with foals at foot ,that foal would be up travelling with the herd in nature a mosey about in safe conditions won't harm .
They will have to watch for the bones growing faster than the soft tissues though which can be an issue with mares who do their foals well .
 
in the us is seems to be more common for horses doing trail riding to be ridden with foal following. I can see how it might educate the foal in new enviroments etc, but its not something i'd personally do.
 
I know of a yard who used a mare in lessons the day after she'd given birth to a stillborn :rolleyes:

As for foal following the ride, I have very limited knowledge on such matters, but I don't see how it could be harmful as long as the environment was safe and the foal didn't find it too taxing. I would leave it a while before riding though - let horses be horses and enjoy the relief from birth!
 
A lady I knew in The New Forest rode her mare out with the foal at foot, she had immediate access to the forest from her home. At the time I was truly amazed at this and did not know whether to think it absolutely a wonderful experience or total madness! Since then I have owned a mare who had a nice strong foal, I decided to at least try out riding with foal at foot. Result: one foal who thought it would be great fun to go in the other direction and very distressed mare!! I hasten to add this was on the farm where they lived, not out in any public space. I can understand that in some cultures it would be necessary to have the foal along with the mare in a working situation.
 
A potter in the arena is ok aslong as both are healthy. Depending on how adventerous your foal is depends on whether you risk going out for a hack.. I personally wouldn't. I'd amble around a secure field or arena but thats it really.
 
Have known someone who brought a mare back into work when the foal was about 10 weeks old - just pottering around the field really but it didn't seem to do either any harm at all. That foal stuck pretty close to mum but, as they were ambling around, really didn't do any more than it did in the average day anyway.
 
I went on a 'safari ride' in south africa and one of the lead horses had a foal at foot. She was maybe a few months old. The hack was about 2 hours long and mostly walk, it didn't seem to stress the foal at all, she was an absolute sweetheart and seemed to enjoy it, jumping little logs along the way and being generally adored. There were lots of pauses to look at wildlife.

I wouldn't do it myself I think, just because I don't see much need, but it didn't appear to be stressful or do her harm. It's probably a great way to start off their education in hacking out and seeing the world in a herd environment. Obviously would be different if roads were involved.
 
I've done this, just a wander round the farm to get foaly used to being out and about. Makes a huge difference to their confidence when they're weaned I've found.
 
I rode my mare until about a month before she foaled, still jumping at shows/fun rides etc, my vet knew and was happy with it.
Started lunging her and long reins about 2 weeks after birth and riding in fields from about a month, foal initially followed closely then after a few days realised we stayed insight so would hang out in the middle of field or in the corner once I realised this I also let my mini donkey tag along and the 2 would play together while I schooled, after about a month of this I started leaving foal and donks in paddock while I rode in adjoining paddock. I then started going out of sight for a few mins and increased it by 3 months I was hacking out leaving foal for up to 2 hours with companion donkey, never had any calling or stupidness.
At 5 months I went off jumping for the day and foal was fine with her friend, I finally weaned at 12 months and it was a complete non event just took donk and foal to friends yard and turned them out in a big herd and brought donk home couple days later leaving her to hang out with the other yearling for about 6 months.
Foal has just turned 4 and has the most brilliant working attitude I have ever dealt with she just accepts work as part of life, if I ever breed again I would certainly do similar.
 
I don't understand this idea of 'letting horses be horses". What else are they?

Foals start to learn as soon as they hit the ground and, in the wild, if they don't, they die. That is the same with many species. The early years are when learning is the most rapid and you waste them at your peril.

Provided they are not involved in something that would occur in Nature, I don't see the problem? I don't start working with foals until they are weaned, but that is just because the mares are sometimes foal proud and I prefer to avoid upsetting them. But foals naturally follow their mothers and still do that if their mothers are ridden or in harness? So what's the problem? Wish I could do it here!
 
i follow a fb group that had the mare being ridden literally about 2 days after birth. wasn't sure how i felt about it, but .. :l
 
Ditto Dry Rot - when I worked at stud, from day 1 little foalies got headcollar on and off, feet picked up and tapped and pulled forward (building this up from just lifting an inch off the floor to picking up, stretching out and tapping as they aren't so steady on their feet at first), touched all over, lead from either side. We just did this in the field with mum, a lap a day, swapping sides each day. Its not really so different to mum having an amble around an arena really.

By the time first farrier visit came around for a little pretend trim, they were well handled, used to having a headcollar on, been touched everywhere, and feet picked up. Complete non event, no stress and no fuss (apart from trying to nibble the farrier).

I am gobsmacked at the people who "let horses be horses" to the point that when it comes to things like farrier visits, vets visits, or just catching the foal its a completely traumatic experience for the mare and foal when that is completely avoidable.
 
When I was teaching in America I was very surprised to go to teach at a property, and there was an approx 6 week old foal at foot. It was for a schooling lesson, dressage, with a fair bit of trot.

I would have been more uncomfortable, but the owner was an equine vet at a major hospital, and she said it was common practice there.

The foal just followed when we were walking, and when we trotted circles the baby laid down and dozed! It was used to the situation, and all was well. It was in an arena. The mare did about 20 mins of trot in all, with breaks in between. The foaling had been uneventful.
 
Girl I know had a mare with foal which she rode, only hacking round fields, from the foal being (I think) a couple of weeks old. Mare and foal seemed very happy with it although I know she got a lot of grief on fb from people who were concerned she was going to knacker the foal's joints. My only concern was that she was riding and leading the foal........
 
Some friends of mine bought a young mare to share and a week later she popped out a lovely foal. I don't know how long they waited but they certainly rode with the foal tootling along beside his mum. From there they moved to ride and lead when he was a bit older. When it came to breaking him in he totally accepted having someone on his back because he was used to seeing his mum like that. He gave them no trouble at all and was a really gorgeous young man. A freebie anyone would be happy to have. Plus he turned out a bit bigger than his mum so the couple were able to ride one each, the boyfriend being tall and lanky.
 
What I am not entirely comfortable about is the fad for imprinting foals. I have experience of imprinting in raptors for falconry and in theory it is a great idea -- but things can go badly wrong, as I believe they can with horses too.

But early handling is just socialisation and not going to create huge changes in behaviour. Imprinting and the hand rearing of orphans are something else. They are still horses, not maladjusted and thinking they are humans!

Surely, this is another case of commonsense applying? If owners are stupid enough to over do these things so the animal suffers, it is a no brainer.
 
Once tried to hack out a Highland mare with a foal at foot. From what I remember the foal spent most of the time galloping around having a whale of a time and I spent the entire ride thinking it was going to run away. I was about 15 at the time.

These days, I can see the benefit in the foal seeing things (so long as its mother has a sensible attitude for it to learn good reactions!) but I'm not sure I could be bothered with the hassle and risk and I've got others to ride.

The main risk would be to the joints, forced prolonged exercise isn't good for any baby animal and since the mare is being ridden she isn't choosing the pace either. As with everything, common sense would be needed.
 
FfionWinnie said:
The main risk would be to the joints, forced prolonged exercise isn't good for any baby animal and since the mare is being ridden she isn't choosing the pace either. As with everything, common sense would be needed.
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what about foals in the wild? The mustang foals are up, running and have to keep up with the herd. That may be slow or it may be fast as circumstances dictate. If wild foals can keep up with herd, otherwise they would be someone's dinner why shouldn't a domestic foal be able to go out riding with it's mother? The only thing limiting this is the UK is traffic and road safety. We used to take our 4mo foal (weaned, long story) out with our 2 geldings riding. The foal travelled loose, followed us on the roads and ran around on the common. He always came home with us. He seemed to enjoy it and people loved seeing him. At no time was he forced and for most of it he was going a lot faster than we were.
 
I have no idea why I thought this, but its something I have always thought so someone must have told me it at some point! I always thought you werent supposed to ride a mare until 6 months after foaling, because foaling caused all their ligaments etc to slacken off and they didnt recover until 6 months ish. Like I said I have no idea why I thought that, it was just one of those things I "knew" was true. Has anyone else heard that or have I completely made it up??
 
paddy555 said:
what about foals in the wild? The mustang foals are up, running and have to keep up with the herd. That may be slow or it may be fast as circumstances dictate. If wild foals can keep up with herd, otherwise they would be someone's dinner why shouldn't a domestic foal be able to go out riding with it's mother? The only thing limiting this is the UK is traffic and road safety. We used to take our 4mo foal (weaned, long story) out with our 2 geldings riding. The foal travelled loose, followed us on the roads and ran around on the common. He always came home with us. He seemed to enjoy it and people loved seeing him. At no time was he forced and for most of it he was going a lot faster than we were.
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The same reason dragging a Labrador puppy along on Tarmac will damage the joints unlike a wild wolf pup running with its mother.

As I said, it's common sense, I'm not saying never do it, but that is the thing to consider. It is forced exercise because the mare isn't setting the pace and nor is the foal. However if you're ambling along for an hour and the foal is out running you, then obviously, it's unlikely to cause any issue.
 
I rode my mare when the foal was about 3 months old, got the foal used to all sorts along side her well behaved, traffic proof mum. When she was about 5 months I would leave her with our other mare whilst I took mum out just for about half hour at a time. Think they both enjoyed the break from each other.
 
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