Temperament change in Mare after Foaling

[JanetGeorge]

Surely you treat a mare in foal differently to one that isnt in respect of riding and so forth, ie. worming and things like that. If it was stillbirth it could of been because she was treated as if she wasn't in foal.

Normally you do - but in most cases it doesn't make a lot of difference. Horses have raced days before giving birth, and they've worked in riding schools until the day they gave birth!! Many mares will get grumpy about being ridden/girthed up when they're in foal - but many don't care!

A brood mare doesn't require different worming - the only thing one MIGHT do for a brood mare and not for a riding horses is to vaccinate against EHV (but then a lot of breeders don't bother with that anyway!)

The FACT is that some mares abort - no matter how well you care for them as brood mares! There are dozens of reasons - a few are preventable - most are not! They are - effectively - accidents!

If an in-foal mare tolerates being ridden, it is actually GOOD for her as it keeps her reasonably fit and makes for easier delivery!

 

[Workspace]

Seems to be sidetacked a little as to who did what and not did what and I was looking for answers, views, opinions on her temperament and why it has changed. I beg to disagree and do take the opinion that professional bodies have a part to play in this, I am not looking for any compensation or recompense other than something should be put in place to stop this happening. I thought I paid for advice on a PPE and in my view did not get it, a mere mention of 'have you thought she may be pregnant' would have gone a long way. I will continue with this and maybe campaign for regulations to be put in place that either the vet has to include a pregnancy test in a PPE or that breeders have to check before selling on.

I will take the advice and not ride her and then see how it goes from there and put this on the breeders section as recommended. Thank you all.

 

[saddleup78]

You were told by numerous very experienced breeders and horse owners on another forum not to ride for 6-8 weeks at the time it happened and you chose to ignore all that and do it anyway.

You say the vet said to ride but why ask experienced owners and breeders if you are going to ignore the responses if they are not what you want to hear.

Give her a break and let her recover. Doubt you will though.

 

[ridefast]

Unless you spoke to a stud vet with years of experience you can hardly blame them, it doesnt matter how qualified you are with animals it's the experience that makes the difference. Has her udder been checked for milk? She could very well have mastitis, has she been scanned to check there's no womb infection, has she been washed out, was the afterbirth checked to make sure it had all been passed? And if it's only 2 weeks after the birth she is very likely still in her foaling heat which will make her hormonal. stillborns happen I've worked on stud since I left school, a mare can carry a foal to full term and give birth to a perfectly healthy but dead foal, even with the best care. I think she probably had the foal taken away too soon aswell, but not a lot you can do about that now. I agree with everyone else, turn her away for a month/2 months, bring her back into work slowly, she may still not be the horse for you but atleast you have given her a chance.

 

[AmyMay]

I was looking for answers, views, opinions on her temperament and why it has changed.

I think that is what you've got: the general opinion and view is that you've received poor veterinary advice, and don't ride your mare for several weeks.

And in answer to the direct question regarding her temperament, nothing you have written indicates a change in temperament - merely a mare who's recently foaled, and is clearly not yet ready to be exercised and is giving you this message loud and clear.

Good luck with her.

 

[Miss L Toe]

I can't understand why people ask for advice, and then when they get it want to argue, but I know when I was in one yard, there seemed to be some idea that you were asked for advice, and then everyone else would also be asked, then the owner would do what they wanted to do anyway, usually nothing,.
I was asked to help with a WB with mud fever and spent a week sorting it out, [also had a sore bum due to a dirty tail], I advised the owner [ an otherwise intelligent person] that the condition would return if they started treating it as before, . and so it came to pass.......
I did not even get my tail bandage returned. I was thanked for sorting the problem out, but no offer to pay for the ointments or other stuff from my first aid kit.

 

[Workspace]

You were told by numerous very experienced breeders and horse owners on another forum not to ride for 6-8 weeks at the time it happened and you chose to ignore all that and do it anyway.

You say the vet said to ride but why ask experienced owners and breeders if you are going to ignore the responses if they are not what you want to hear.

Give her a break and let her recover. Doubt you will though.

The reason I came on this forum (my daughter as you know posted the one on the other site) was to see what opinions across the country have to say about the matter as she was at first happy and fine going out so it did seem that we had made the right decision. Then 5-6 days after taking this route her temperament changed so I decided that perhaps we had taken the wrong advice and thus went on here to gather more information before deciding on the next step. I have also received a personal message from a lady on here saying she had the exactly the same thing happen and this has proved invaluable unlike your digs and pointless remarks.

I am concerned and ONLY concerned about the welfare of the pony and NOT how soon we can ride. We thought long and hard on what was the right thing to do given the information available and decided to take the advice of the vets' we had spoken too not just one vet's opinion. I am out of my depth here and only want what's best for the pony even if that means giving her back - that's the whole point of this thread.

I have taken the comments on board of the more concerned opinions from this thread and from people who have genuinely come across as concerned and wanting to help unlike you who seems intent on trying for some reason to make people feel worse than they already do. I thought threads were for opinions and advice and not personal attacks which is how you come across and what you seem intent on doing to me and my daughter and to other people for that matter.

 

[Workspace]

Unless you spoke to a stud vet with years of experience you can hardly blame them, it doesnt matter how qualified you are with animals it's the experience that makes the difference. Has her udder been checked for milk? She could very well have mastitis, has she been scanned to check there's no womb infection, has she been washed out, was the afterbirth checked to make sure it had all been passed? And if it's only 2 weeks after the birth she is very likely still in her foaling heat which will make her hormonal. stillborns happen I've worked on stud since I left school, a mare can carry a foal to full term and give birth to a perfectly healthy but dead foal, even with the best care. I think she probably had the foal taken away too soon aswell, but not a lot you can do about that now. I agree with everyone else, turn her away for a month/2 months, bring her back into work slowly, she may still not be the horse for you but atleast you have given her a chance.

Thank you for your advice. I will certainly try this now as from the signs she is showing realise we took the wrong route.

 

[Workspace]

I think that is what you've got: the general opinion and view is that you've received poor veterinary advice, and don't ride your mare for several weeks.

And in answer to the direct question regarding her temperament, nothing you have written indicates a change in temperament - merely a mare who's recently foaled, and is clearly not yet ready to be exercised and is giving you this message loud and clear.

Good luck with her.

Thank you for your consistent and sound advice throughout this thread. I have certainly taken your advice on board and realise from this that I had taken the wrong route.

 

[AmyMay]

Thank you for your consistent and sound advice throughout this thread. I have certainly taken your advice on board and realise from this that I had taken the wrong route.

You're really welcome.

Please let us know how you get on with her after her break.