Working A Mare Infoal

[kerrylou123]

Hi
To those of you with with mares infoal, if you work them, what sort of workdo you do with them (or level), and at what stage of the pregnancy do you start slowing things down??

Just curious
Thanks

Kerry xx

 

[machannah]

I rode mine up until the end of Jan, she foaled in May. Lighter work from Dec onwards, however she did a hunter trial in Oct being a lead for a young horse, if they are fit and healthy already then i dont think its an issue, you could ride them for longer, however i decided when her normal girth wouldnt fit easily, enough was enough

 

[chevs]

Hi

I had the exact same question when my mare was confirmed in foal.

My mare is 12 weeks pregnant. I'm riding her 4-5 times a week. mainly hacking with the occassional canter. Hacking out for 2 hours at a time. She's full of beans and she pretty much tells me what she's up for. I'm aiming to keep her going til christmas by which time she'll be 6 1/2 months then i'll let her chill.

The problem with my mare is that she's an exceptionally good doer so really needs to be kept going to stay slim(ish)!!

It is a worry knowing what to do for the best but when i see her flying round the field with the others i think riding her is doing far less to her body. My mare is a big 16hh hanoverian and i'm only 7 1/2 stones so i dont think she feels me too much.

I wouldn't jump her or travel her if it's not essential, just incase. I know lots of people who do without any problems but this is my mares first foal and she's 15 so i'm playing it safe.

Hope this helps

 

[CrazyMare]

I rode mine up to 6months, I only stopped beacuse I couldn't sedate her to clip her.

I eased off on the difficult work and did lots of slow hacks and the odd schooling session. She told me this was boring by insisting on cantering everywhere, taking off with me on several occasions so I upped her work again!!! Didn't jump her though.

 

[Foxfolly]

Our cob mare was scanned NOT IN FOAL so we bought her back into work to be sold. She was got fit ridden fairly regularly, did a XC in October, some RC lessons before Xmas, she was also tried out by 2 people who found her too full of beans for them... she was really keen with her jumping which she's always been quite lazy about... Nearly took her hunting too but just didn't get round to it!

She had been doing really well throughout the winter and was pretty tubby but thats not unusual for her....but by Easter time she was looking a bit of a funny shape, so we got her checked out and it was confirmed she was actually in foal!!
She had a healthy colt foal at the end of May!

Obviously not an ideal way to exercise but it did her no harm!

 

[ASM2]

I have a pic at home of me and my mare out jumping with the CUDH, both of us 5 months pregnant

. I could hardly hold her and know which one of us was fitter that's for sure! We did then stop completely afterwards though - both of us

 

[CrazyMare]

Post it!!!

 

[ASM2]

ahhh the days before digital - CAN'T WON'T!! I also have a rather unnecessary pic of me picking out her front foot - both of us at 9 months.

 

[competitiondiva]

I've had this thought since my mare was scanned in foal too!! I've heard so many people tell me they competed throughout the pregnancy but I kept thinking what if!! If on the way to a show something happened and she lost it would I forgive myself!! The answer for me was no so we haven't done any competitions but I do agree with keeping her fit as this will help with carrying the foal and the foaling so she either hacks out for 1 to 2 hrs twice a week or does some dressage work at home on one of those occassions, we still go for the odd gallop and have done some jumping, but I haven't done anything with her that I didn't do before the pregnancy so therefore not pushing her physically or risking injury.

 

[competitiondiva]

My mare had a 5 month scan this weekend (to confirm pregnancy before 1st oct nffr cut off) and I was advised by my stud vet to avoid riding due to the size of the womb now causing discomfort under hard/medium work. A plod up the lane would still be ok but that's all. So my mare is now on holiday!! (maternity leave!!) oh and mare and foal doing well, the foal head butted the scanner whilst being scanned!! At 5 months the foal is now approx the size of a cat! ahhhh!!!