Pregnant mares kept with geldings?

[Santi]

Am i risking my mare's pregnancy by keeping her with a gelding? I kept her seperate for a few weeks after she went to the vets and had AI - she was lonely so i put her in a field right next to her field companion who's a gelding.
I've heard people say they shouldn't be with them as it brings them back in to season - i don't think she has come back in to season since june. Surely in the wild the stallion is always there? She thinks she belongs to that gelding, he doesn't hassle her but he rounds her up gently and she follows him everywhere.

[kianjoseph]

Hiya. Congrats on your mare's pregnancy. :D

I have absolutely no idea about horses reproduction so don't pretend to be an expert, but from a biological point of view it doesn't sound possible to bring a pregnant female back in to season. If they get on well, I can't see a problem. What does your vet think?

[Jessey]

I know my friend asked her vet just the same question, and she was told to keep her seperate for a few weeks, then they could go back together fine.

I think the difference in this situation is that in the wild it would be the mate who would be around, not AN Other male horse who may or may not have any interest. I think the concern is for resorbtion.

Ask your vet for their opinion of you are worried.

J x

[Afellpony]

I dont see how a gelding, being a neuter can bring a mare back into season.
They dont omit any 'male' signals/smells. I know they can poof around and prance about snorting but that's all, unless of course the 'gelding' is a rigHowever on saying that I had a friend who who breed pedigree cats and one of teh queens reabsorbed, she believed, because of the neuter male cats that were around at the time.

[Afellpony]

I dont know much about horse breeding as I've never done it but a friend who used to breed pedigree cats used to leave her queens with the neutered boys and one of the reabsorbed.

[Afellpony]

Sorry for the repeat msg the site wont let me delete it as it seys message too short!

[Rafflesmoose]

We kept our mare with our gelding right the way through! As long as he is well-behaved - ie. will not kick her, or upset her a lot, then it should be fine! :)
Congrats!;)
Vicky x

[FudgieFoo]

I had the same problem when I brought my mare back from stud 16 days pregnant last month. I spoke to my vet who said that as long as the gelding won't try and mount her there was no reason why she couldn't go out with him. I think the reason that they say to keep them away from geldings is because if the mare was mounted while pregnant, esp the early stages, it can cause damage to her foal.

[capalldubh]

It sounds as though the gelding is her close friend, so she'll probably feel safer and less anxious if he's there than if he's nearby and she can't get to him. I'd say he'd probably be a reassuring presence, more of a benefit than a risk.

Afellpony - exposure to geldings is all it takes to bring my share mare into season, it would be interesting to work out why, since it's unlikely that they have much more testosterone in their system than she does...

[Santi]

Thanks - that makes me feel better. She really likes being with him, they are a pair bond and he is very quiet with her, he never mounted her or anything. She did flirt with him earlier this year when she was in season.

I was so pleased when she was in foal from her first try on AI - phew as its expensive to keep trying! Shes in foal to a 16hh coloured jumping stallion (shes a 14.2 welsh D chestnut) so fingers crossed for a coloured but chestnut is good too!

Only fly in ointment is i am going to have to sell her i think (!) as i'm going to have to work more this winter (OH being sniffy about all my money going on horses... Where else should it go?!!!)
Sorry just needed a quick winge - sigh.