When would you stop riding an in-foal mare?

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I rode xena up untill about 2 weeks, also started riding her when xanthe was 2 weeks old ( only at walk, in the paddock!)
She was a lot better for it i think, kept her fit for the birth!
xx
 
i didnt know my horse was in foal when i bought her so it was only a few weeks before she had the foal that i actually stopped riding her we were only hackinmg and very lite schooling as i was learning to ride on her it never did her or the foal any harm
 
Both of my mares were ridden and driven in the early stages but only up to about 4 months in-foal, mainly because i didn't have time and because i wanted them to have a long rest which will mean that all muscle damage they have will repair itself by the time they come back into work.

TBH i don't see a problem with working an in-foal mare right up until a few weeks before they give birth as long as the mare is happy. It is properly better in a way as the mare will be fitter.
 
Ours are generally ridden up till 3 or 4 weeks before the foaling date. You can tell whether they still enjoy going out or not.....most do, but often about a month beforehand they do start to slow down.

Ours are only gently hacked out in the last 3 or 4 months of pregnancy.

I agree, I do think it keeps them fit and really does facilitate easier, stressfree births. Also helps them get right back into shape afterwards.
 
Was told by a vet that you can ride/compete up to 3 months before, after this you can ride bareback right up to the day they foal!
 
Interested in these as I want to put Donkey in foal next year, but hope to continue to show her for the summer season, want a late foal - a Donklett!!!!
 
A friend of mine bought a mare, neither parties knew she was in-foal so she showjumped her at Millstreet when she was 5 months pregnant and only noticed that she was pregnant at about 6 months. She stopped riding then and felt really sorry for the poor girl
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She really shouldn't have, there was that mare a couple of years ago that jumped in the Hickstead Derby at about 4/5 months in-foal. And if you think about a mare in the wild they would do a fair bit of galloping.
 
I was told by my vet that as one of the mares we are putting into foal this year is quite old, although extremely fit and well (heart lungs etc) and it's her first foal we should keep her in consistent work all the way through to the new year, she will be competing through till the end of August/September then I will take her work load down and probably just hack/school 4 times a week up until the new year.
 
Lol you can go bareback in the last 3 months, my mare gets the bridle on and looks forward to heading out. Shes only walked about but if she feels like trotting then she can have it.

Its my hubby thats riding her as i cannot go bareback, we play games with her and my other pregnant mare, so they think they arent bored and normally gets them to want to go faster.
 
5 months is nothing! A pony at my yard was jumped the day before she foaled, noone knew she was in foal until the YO had a late night phone call from a local resident to say there was a foal in the field and the other horses were trying to kill it
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My daughter is only just over 7st but she stopped riding Mo beginning of Jan because she felt the mare had got quiet big & she did not feel it was fair for her to carry her weight.
 
I think its vital for them to still be in exercise, they soon tell you when enough is enough, i was competing when the mares were 6months pregnant and they loved it!! Although the work did slow down as they got fatter.. x
 
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