Riding Pregnant Mares (Again, sorry)!

[TheresaW]

I took my mare out yesterday afternoon for what was meant to be a nice quiet hack. When we got out however, she was very up for it and forward going. We had some nice grassy stretches and she really wanted to go. I held her in a nice steady canter and all seems well, but I just want to know if it would have been ok to really let her go if she wanted to? I have read that it is fine to keep them lightly hacking, but what constitutes as "light" hacking. The pregnancy is very early at the moment. She's not due until next May.

It was a very exciting hack. We came across a man nude sunbathing! Didn't know quite where to look.

[tikino]

im not an expert but im sure if you had a healthy scan andshe is quite happy she would be fine. my horse just wouldn't let me ride her once she was in foal and ditched me twice first day i tried to ride her once she came back from stud.

[TangoCurly]

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We came across a man nude sunbathing! Didn't know quite where to look.

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Did your mare point and snigger and mutter something about having seen something a lot larger than that recently?

[TheresaW]

Sorry to hear your mare ditched you! Hope it didn't hurt.

She seems more than happy to be ridden, although is very laid back and chilled about everything. Was quite surprised how she perked up once we got out yesterday.

[TheresaW]

[ QUOTE ]
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We came across a man nude sunbathing! Didn't know quite where to look.

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Did your mare point and snigger and mutter something about having seen something a lot larger than that recently?

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She's a lady and averted her gaze! lol

[tikino]

yeh i was fine she was just happy to be pregnant and that was that. the vet said she was pssibly a bit sore hormone injuced. so we just let her be and she produced a lovely but huge bay filly so was worth it

[kerilli]

years ago a lady i knew who ran a small stud breeding tbs had a v well bred mare who they couldn't get in foal. the owner eventually gave up and gave it to her as a hunter. she hunted it all season and one sunday early in Jan, after a full day's hard hunting on the Saturday, she went out to find 2 in the box - it had foaled a perfectly healthy foal. (this mare had no belly, nothing to show it was in foal. owner wasn't a novice!) i wouldn't advocate that much exercise that close to foaling, but it's obviously not necessarily a bad thing to ride them in foal!
there was a tb mare who won quite a big flat race a few years ago while a few months in foal, iirc.

[magic104]

They hoolie around the field, the only difference is they have you on board. Our mares never had a problem & they even race some TB mares in the 1st few months. Mo was ridden up till Jan she foaled Jun came back into light work Aug. If your mare is happy then continue, if she is reluctant or unhappy in anyway leave her be. With all due respect human mothers do not go into hibernation just because they are pregnant. I have never had any vet advise against ridden work in the early months, repeat so long as the mare is happy.