Pregnant Mare

[Lindsay]

I have a pregnant TB mare that is due at the end of April. I am curious as to when I should stop riding her?

[dreamer]

Well, I've been told (by other people, never had a mare that was pregnat) that you can ride them right up until they foal if they're comfortable and in shape, I don't know if I would or not, I guess it would depend on the horse. I think your mare will tell you when she doesn't feel comfortable being ridden anymore. You don't want to do anything too strenuous though, and you deffenaly don't want to take a horse that's use to walking around an arena at a slow pase and take her suddenly out on a trail with lots of hills and galloping :eek:

[intouch]

My TB mare was due to foal last year end of April, I stopped schooling about Christmas, rode her up to mid Feb, just hacking out at walk. She stopped her usual bouncing about by then so I felt it was getting a bit much for her. Incidentally she didn't produce until May 16, 10 days short of a year, she could hardly get in her stable door. I did work with Argentinian polo ponies years ago, one of them played until 3 weeks before her foal, no-one knew anything about it till she slowed down her game! But they are very fit.

[Allie]

your best bet is to ask your vet when he reccomends you stop. I would think that by now you should have stopped any strenuous work, but could keep riding her at a walk for another month or so. I definitely wouldn't go into March. Basically, your mare will probably let you know through her attitude when it is uncomfortable. This spring, a friend of mine had a pregnant horse, and he stopped riding her strenuously after about 8 months. After that, his daughter only rode the horse bareback on trails at a walk for another month or so. Incidentally, the horse is still pregnant (yes, she actually is pregnant- has been checked several times), the vet has now decided that she somehow must be due next year and gotten bred without them knowing it. I have no idea how that happened, but needless to say, I don't use that vet anymore.

Allie :)

[allison]

Hi
I was in much the same position as you I was scared to do anything with my mare except let her go into a field and graze. I was in Germany at the time and the owner of the stables told me I was very foolish and should walk her out every day since I was a teeny bit scared of him I took his advice and the difference was incredible she perked up straight away and was more like my beautiful horse than she had been for a long time. the birth was fast and she did not seem to notice any pain she was so supple with the walking and I stress walking only.
I hope you have a beautiful baby
love
allison
:D