what to turn out with my mare in foal

[the watcher]

Just want to check what you all think. We will be having a change around at the yard in the next couple of weeks, the ginger gelding will be going off to a loan home and in his place I will be getting a Highland gelding (subject to loan contract, etc,etc) so we can do some shows next year

At the moment pregnant highland mare is out with another mare who is coming back into work after foaling - but I can see there might be an expectation that I throw both the highlands in together for ease of handling. In spite of the fact that I already know they do get on very well there is the danger that the gelding might 'bother' the mare and risk the pregnancy.

Am I right in this assumption or am I being over cautious?

 

[amandathepanda]

My in foal mare is happy in a field of 6 boys. It very much depends on the mare and the geldings temperament as to whether or not you will have problems. My mare would be very upset if I was to seperate her from her friends just because she is in foal, but if you've got a gelding that likes to play a bit rough then it would be sensible to seperate them.

 

[Faithkat]

Depends on the gelding really. If he's one of those who is a real pain and insists on mounting anything remotely female, then I wouldn't let him near her. I know Iz had times when she obviously didn't feel very well when she was pregnant and as times goes on they do have very "sensitive" days, especially when the foal starts moving around, so need to be out with a companion that doesn't bother them. . Can you not leave her out with Iz if they get on OK together?

 

[the watcher]

Staying with Iz is probably the answer - however there is no guarantee that the new gelding will bond with Binky, but then again it isn't that likely that Iz would get on with her either - just thinking through the options really.

Probably these two mares will stay together and the others will have individual but neighbouring paddocks

 

[luckilotti]

My little one is out with 5 other mares and 3 geldings - they range from shetland to shires and are from 4 to 26 years old, she knows how to handle herself so to speak and is really happy but having said that - she has pretty much been turned out with the majority of them since a foal herself. I wouldnt risk turning her out with a new gelding who i dont know.

 

[CrazyMare]

My infoal mare (13.1) is out with her previous fieldmate, they had been together a year before she went to stud, he is a 16h warmblood gelding.

I think it really depends on the horses, as last years mare wasn't very happy being out with anything else towards the end of her pregnancy, but she was enourmous!!