Riding Pregnant Mares - what are your opinions??

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ClaireT

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As soon as my mare has another scan next week, I am intending to put her shoes straight back on and begin riding her again. She is a very onward bound ride, and I am wary of her overdoing it!
What's your advice/opinions when it comes to exercise? I am planning to ride her all the way through her pregnancy, minus the jumping, though
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Upside of this is that OH has realised I'm going to need a new 'proper' horse to ride
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Definately, carry on as normal until 8 months or so. When she gets bigger and begins to get uncomfortable or blow then it's maybe time to stop. My mare was jumping foxhunters when 6 months in foal.
 
we rode sarah right up until the day....

the vet had scanned her THREE times and said she wasnt in foal

and out popped Fin.....

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I know of three cobby pony mares who have been bought by riding schools without knowing they were in foal, and been in full riding school work, including small jumping lessons, at least until the YOs realised they were pregnant. I know for sure none of the mares are any the worse for it, and neither are the 2 foals that I know about.
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we rode sarah right up until the day....

the vet had scanned her THREE times and said she wasnt in foal

and out popped Fin.....

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Lol I think your vet needs to go to the opticians too!
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Horses for courses alot of my mares seem perfectly happy to carry on working through the first half of their pregnancy, we usually ride them up until October/November. I have only had one hang up her tendon boots, I turned her away straight away no point in upsetting her. I have a number of mares that enjoy being ridden with foal at foot as well!

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Aww!!


I would say if the mare is happy with it, then its ok..

the only theing I can see that is wrong with it is that the muscles can be tighter around the back end making giving birth more uncomfortable!

Im glad Im a man!!
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Good point, we do only ride the ones with foals at foot occassionally and we do stop riding pregnant mares with no foals by October/November so i theory they shouldn't be too muscled and if you think about it on the flip side being fitter and better muscled should help with the pushing part (well thats what my sister reckoned anyway when she gave birth - am I making you cringe even more yet??
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Apparently her baby came out so fast (because of how fit she had kept herself) the midwife needed a baseball glove to catch the baby......
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Ooooo and that was when the baby decided to finally make an appearance after 2 and a half days in labour....
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I think I remember AndyPandy saying it's safe to ride up until 150 days but then either stop or cut it down to gentle excercise so as not to damage mother and/or baby. I'm still competing my mare up to 1m until september 30th, roughly be 130ish days, though will just do the 85cm class at that last show.
 
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Apparently her baby came out so fast (because of how fit she had kept herself) the midwife needed a baseball glove to catch the baby......
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Ooooo and that was when the baby decided to finally make an appearance after 2 and a half days in labour....
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Child birth is def easier if you are fit imo, my girls flew out
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not sure with the mares as mine have always been turned away for there new jobs
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Sometimes wish i had stuck to horse breeding only too...says through gritted teeth first quater of summer hols over lmao
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"mischieviously taunting bbmat" isnt that what he is here for
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Sometimes wish i had stuck to horse breeding only too...says through gritted teeth first quater of summer hols over lmao
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"mischieviously taunting bbmat" isnt that what he is here for
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Yes watching birth is far less painful that giving birth and I don't envy anyone with kids in the summer hols.... I definitely wouldn't cope with the human kind of baby....
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Lol most definitely, its his dedicated job
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Mara rode Mo until Jan, but she is a light weight & as we got closer the work was mainly in walk. Mo foaled 6 Jun & came back into gentle walk work a month later. By Jan Mo was quiet round & my daughter did not feel comfortable riding her, so apart from the odd bare back ride to the field she let her be. I think you just have to listen to your mare & common sense really.
 
Teazle was ridden 4/5 times a week up until 6 months, and also driven. Bramble was driven about 3/4 times a week and occassionally ridden up until about 5 months. It really does depend on the mare, but I see no problem with it.
 
I always ride my pregnant mares until they don't want to be ridden any longer - generally up to a month or two before foaling. Never ever had any problems foaling.
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I've always been told it was beneficial for mares to be kept in work. I continued to ride PF normally (although this was still only light work) until she was about 6mths, and started riding her again gently with foal at foot.
I plan to do the same this time round
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