Sedation for AI and scans

[Horses_and_ponies]

Hi all
I’m going to inseminate my mare in hopefully the next week but she is genuinely terrified of vets. I had her sedated for last scan to check cervix and ovaries but can they be sedated for AI and more importantly, pregnancy scans without putting the foal at risk?

 

[TheMule]

Yes, it's perfectly fine

 

[Horses_and_ponies]

Ah great thank you, puts my mind at ease as scanning would have been next to impossible if we didn’t sedate her ?

 

[SusieT]

Why would you breed a mare terrified of vets? How is this animal welfarE?

 

[TheMule]

Why would you breed a mare terrified of vets? How is this animal welfarE?

In theory the mare will need a small number of visits to inseminate/ scan and then 1 foal check post birth. I'm not seeing any welfare issue here?

 

[SusieT]

Complete welfare issue - there is no benefit health wise to the mare from these veteirnary exams which create extreme stress. Being stressed may mean she is less likely to concieve hence more visits. Mare who is stressed by vets is unlikely to be an easy mare to do any post natal care with if any sort of problems whatsoever. We have a responsibility as animal keepers/breeders to choose suitable horses to mate and there are plenty to choose from so not like it is an endangered species etc.
Let the mare have a nice life out at grass if she can't be ridden if you plan to keep her. Treat her as if she is a gelding

 

[Tiddlypom]

^^^ Agree with SusieT.

AI, even when successful at first take, does involve a few vet interventions and the mare may well need the vet again if there are issues during or after foaling.

I wouldn't put a vet phobic mare through it.

 

[Bellaboo18]

Another that wouldn't breed from a vet phobic mare....

 

[Horses_and_ponies]

In theory the mare will need a small number of visits to inseminate/ scan and then 1 foal check post birth. I'm not seeing any welfare issue here?

thank you @the Mule for this comment. I agree I do not see a welfare issue. Anyone who knows the situation knows that this mare is the apple of my eye, is very very well bred and has a good competition record.

I appreciate the concern that others have for the situation, however I have been in discussion with my vet today about it all and she is a breeding specialist. She has no issue and said that she chose the sedation for the pre breeding exam so as to minimise stress for the mare. She feels she may not necessarily need it in future due to how she behaved that day but the potential to use it is there should it be needed. Her fear stems from an injury many years ago where a “professional” rider caused an injury to her resulting in a huge number of visits from her then vet to get her right which , to be fair, he did and she has had a good career since.

As I say I understand everyone’s concern but rest assured there will never be an issue regarding the welfare of this mare for as long as she lives. I purely asked the question as I am aware that some drugs can’t be used in pregnancy and i wasn’t sure if those that are used for sedation were part of that category.

 

[SusieT]

The mare is the apple of your eye yet you wish to put he through extreme stress with vet visits? If she is the apple of your eye why don't you retired her if you are unable to compete her?
It's selfish, pure and simple.

 

[Horses_and_ponies]

SusieT I have not said I cannot compete her any longer. She is sound and works well and If I wanted to compete her I could.

I didn’t post the question to have a backlash of people telling me I am being selfish or putting my mares welfare at risk. I have acknowledged everyone’s concerns but no one has full knowledge of the entire situation as it is not possible to portray everything in a single forum post. It can be said that every person breeding their mare who is not impeccably bred or has any one small issue is selfish.

I firmly believe her welfare is not at risk and if I felt it was I would not be putting her in foal. If I felt for one moment that she was under too much stress I would not put her through it and i will be monitoring her closely throughout. I feel it is safe and worthwhile to try to breed her, if you disagree that is your prerogative but please do not assume I do not care deeply about this horse.

 

[SusieT]

So instead of keeping her in a job she is good at you are putting her into a situation so stressful you are going to sedate her for her to cope with it. Excellent.

 

[Horses_and_ponies]

I do not have to justify my reasoning and thoughts on this. We clearly have very differing opinions and i know my mare and mine and her situation. I am not going to let what was a simple question descend into an argument on an online forum particularly when neither of us will change our view. Have a nice evening

 

[TheMule]

So instead of keeping her in a job she is good at you are putting her into a situation so stressful you are going to sedate her for her to cope with it. Excellent.

So you don’t agree with people who sedate their horses to clip them? They just shouldn’t ride in the winter months I guess? Or how about horses which need sedating for 6 monthly dental work?

To the OP, we had a needle phobic mare inseminated and flushed for ET. She coped with it fine with a bit of oral sedation first.