I used to worry about riding my mare in foal, I didnt ride her for 7 months and then she lost her foal due to having an infection anyway. I now think its a good idea to ride mares in foal expecually if they are used to riding because if she does lose the foal you havent wasted any riding time and my mare loves riding so it would also keep her happy! I also think that keeping them active is good too Does riding mares in foal help them later in labour? x

I'm sorry to hear your mare lost her foal, Chelsea. Things like that happen. Personally, I believe riding pregnant mares is very good for them as long as you are careful and use common sense. I know vets recommend that too. Ridden properly mares will have stronger stomach muscles and delivery will be easy. The mare I have trained this winter gave an easy birth to a beautiful healthy foal. Talk to your veterinarian to make sure you have a good guide lines on how much work your mare can handle during pregnancy.

I think my mare is in foal. I am still riding her and been jumping her. Is it wise to jump as she is due sept to oct time?

It is a good idea to be sure that you mare is pregnant. If you are not call the vet to check her and find out. If your mare is pregnant and due Sep/Oct than it is not a good idea to jump her. She is 7 to 8 months into pregnancy and jumping is dangerous sport with falls and a lot of demands on the horse's body. You can go hacking over hills it will keep your mare very fit and make rides fun.

I am debating on breeding my 13 year old Thoroughbred event mare. I heard mixed views on how much riding can actually be done -up to the 4th month. as we are galloping & jumping training and preliminary size fences. right now, And I'll like feedback on others who continued to show their event mares. Thank you!

I have a thoroughbred mare that had a foal in April and I did not ride her during her pregnancy. I would like to bring her back into riding shape (she is very saggy) and I was wondering if you had any suggestions.

I assume, Angela, that by saggy you mean her back has dropped. This can create problems for your saddle to fit her properly. If her shape is different when she is working properly than just put extra pad in the middle to prevent your saddle from bridging. When your mare comes back to shape her stomach muscles will strengthen and her back will rise. Start slow, ride mostly walk for the first week with no or very light contact, let your mare use her neck as she pleases. If you have an access to quiet trails and your mare is good on them this is the best option. Walking gentle hills will be the most beneficial exercise for your mare at the beginning. The foal will enjoy the scenery and will have a great opportunity to exercise and explore the world. Built the time from 20 to 40 minutes. After the first week or even longer, depending how your mare and her foal settles down with exercise routine you can include 5-10 minutes of rising trot and a little bit of light seat canter (in arena at first). Do not ride sitting trot or deep seat canter for at least a month. Be your own judge and monitor your mare's progress. Happy riding...

My mare was bred six weeks ago. I'm having her preg checked this week to confirm the pregnancy. In August she's being sent to the trainer for 30 days to be reconditioned. She's had a lot of training but is out of shape and has developed some bad habits after not being ridden for awhile by her previous owner. Should I recommend to the trainer for her to take it slower with her at first as she's both out of shape and pregnant? Also, are there any other tips to bringing the foal along on rides? Will they follow along closely on their own or should they be put on a lead and halter? Do the mares tend to be more distracted with them along?

The pregnancy will not affect your mare for a while. She can work as a normal horse. The fact that she is out of shape is more important in creating her training schedule.

Foals usually follow their dams very well on their own. Make sure the trails are quiet, no traffic or dangerous obstacles. Mares are more distracted with the foals at their sides. Make sure to ride a few times in the ring to establish a few rules and to know what to expect from your mare before you take her and the foal on a trail ride. And make sure to allow foal to nurse at regular intervals.

How soon after the mare is bred is it ok to ride? I have generally accepted that riding a pregnant mare is fine... but will riding in the first couple of weeks after she's been bred bad?

There is no waiting period. You can continue riding your mare as soon as she is bred. Riding does not affect the chance of becoming pregnant. I'm talking about regular riding without too much stress.

My mare is pregnant. She is also blind. Will the blindness effect how she treats the foal and can the foal become blind from genetics.

Alex, This question is not for me but your vet. The foal can be blind only if mare was born blind or developed blindness on her own. If her blindness is a result of accident or illness then foal will not be blind.

I am breeding quarter horse mare but she is not fit and pretty fat she hasn't done any work only a few rides every month. Is she fit to have a baby?

Your mare does not need to work to be fit to have a baby. Most broodmares never work in their entire life. I do believe that properly riding a pregnant mare is good for her and good for the baby. However, it is not necessary.

Hi, My TB mare is 9 years old, and is three months into her first pregnancy. She is extremely fit and is currently competing level 1 pony club dressage. We have qualified for a competition in February 2010, and I was wondering if that would be too much to expect from a mare due to foal on July 29th 2010. Thanks. Yolanda.

In February your mare, Yolanda, will still have 5 months to go. There is a good chance she will not be very big. She will probably just start to grow her belly. I'm not familiar with dressage levels at pony club. However, if collection is not required then your mare will do just fine. Use common sense and keep your mare's interest ahead of your ambition to compete. However, if training goes well and your mare enjoys being worked I do not see why you cannot. If you have to travel far talk to your vet about expose to horses from other areas. If the show is local than there is no problem.

Hello, I am considering breeding my 12 year old quarter horse, but I'm wondering how soon up to her birth date I can ride? I've heard lots of different theories but there doesn't seem to be one assumed length of time.

Hi there, my 5 year old percheron/cross is in foal and due April 8th. Show season starts end of may, would it be possible to still show her next year with the foal only being a couple months old. will it be safe to have it tied to the trailer while we show. We can park about 50 ft away from the ring. Pending that the foaling goes well she will be back in training a couple weeks after birth. would you recommend doing this? She is a very easy keeper so I'm not worried about weight loss or fitness as she is being ridden often right now. Thank you for your time. Donna

No, Donna. I'm advising against showing her while the foal is still at her side. I'm sure the show organizers will be against it and will not allow you to enter the competition. The picture above is the show at our barn and the foal was allowed to enter the ring with me if he wanted. Ride and train her and you will be able to show her in September/October after weaning the baby.

Thank you so much as I am having two pregnant mares one is 7 months and another is 5 months and had left riding them due to they were carrying but now you made me realize that I can and also that they shall be more happier if I do so. Thanks again. I am from India.

Hi, I am not riding a mare that is pregnant but I just recently bought a mare who had a foal 9 months ago she did not do any work after having the baby until I bought her a few weeks ago and she only did some trails before. Her belly still has the very pregnant look to it but she has lost her muscle definition. I have been getting her back into riding and gradually building each day, but I am unsure how long it will take before the pregnant belly is gone. I have not been asking for much collection since her muscles are not quite there yet but should I wait until her belly is gone and she will be able to bend more or is she ready to do collected work?

It is wise not to ask too much collection, especially, if you feel her muscles are not there yet. Build them, ride her more forward, go hacking, small jumps, gymnastic work with cavalletty. Lots of changes of rein and transitions inside the gait. Make sure you are not pulling her into slower trot with the reins. Keep good contact but do not hold her there, keep hands steady but elastic. You will feel collection coming when she becomes stronger and more balanced. And her belly will start to shrink. Make sure she is not overweight. This will keep belly big.

Hi. I am considering buying a mare. She is turning 9 this summer and she had a foal in 2008. (I believe she has had more than one, but I don't know for sure.) Her current owner has never ridden her, but says she was ridden by her previous owner. We are assuming she will need to be broke to ride starting from scratch. They also believe she is pregnant now and due in July or August. Her belly is big right now, though I'm assuming that has more to do with her previous pregnancy and being out of shape. Her back looks like it is slightly sagging too. I'm wondering a couple of things. First, at this age, do you think she would still be okay to break to ride? She has an extremely kind disposition, but I don't know whether that will mean she will take well to being ridden. Second, if we did train her, do you think her body will come back into shape as we condition her? And third, if we got her this spring, would it be wise to do any work with her now, or would it be best to wait until next summer, once her baby is weaned and we have a whole spring and summer to devote to her training?

hi I'm looking to buy a mare but the only mares tat i have been offered that i like are in foal or with a foot,i would be keeping her at my bosses yard,who has some broodmares and young stock too,but the arena is a 2 min walk down a road,although not used much only by the people who live there,my question is would i leave the foal there,after it is eating grass with the other mares or bring it with me???? how old would you say it is OK to put a head collar on the foal I've seen vary young foals but others say not till over a year thanks Kyrie

Bringing a foal with you to arena depends on the situation. If as you said the road is very quiet and people are very considered and slow down when they see a horse and especially a foal then you can start taking him with you quite soon. Other factor is to consider how well trained and well behaved the mare. You need to make the assessment yourself and after the foal born to see how mare's behavior has changed. Leaving a foal behind will not work unless he almost ready to be weaned. You can put a collar on a foal when he is older but only to pony to the arena. Do not leave it on the foal while he is running around. He can hurt himself. Find a trainer who works with babies a lot and talk to him/her about your situation.

I have just purchased a 13yr old broodmare who is about 3 months pregnant. She is currently unbroken and extremely overweight (bad!) and I was thinking of having her broken in so that I could exercise her and help get her in a healthier weight range. Is breaking her in going to be too demanding for her physically? The trainer is a very sensible and knowledgeable horseperson and I doubt he's going to be bronco-riding her. He was a bit concerned about the fact that she was pregnant. Obviously breaking to saddle is going to be something new that she isn't used to and she may throw in a few bucks and carry on before finally settling down. I would wait until after foaling to break her in but I'm worried that if she remains at this unhealthy weight there is going to be a higher risk of complications with the foal. She is an Arabian mare and a VERY good doer and it is difficult (close to impossible) to restrict her grazing access in the current paddock. Is breaking in a pregnant mare a no-no? Or is it achievable? What would be the risks or things to be careful of?

Regarding starting your mare under saddle I am more concerned that she is 13 years old than the fact she is 3 month pregnant. I have helped my friend to start a pregnant mare when she was 2 month pregnant. The mare worked beautifully and I rode her until she was 9 months pregnant. She gave us couple bucks at the beginning but nothing serious and then worked in walk, trot and canter during winter. The foal was very healthy and strong. 13-year-old horse is a little bit too old and may find work under saddle difficult to accept. You still can do a lot of ground work with her: in-hand, on the lunge line and long-lining. This will keep her healthy and fit without stress of learning to carry a rider.

Hi my mare is in foal don't know how far as we took her in she was very skinny and ill treated from her former home. We have had her nearly 5 months now she is big in belly she was hard at start to ride not knowing that she was in foal and now we can't even get saddle on her she wouldn't even let farrier trim her feet without having to restrain her. Now we can't even ride her, she is Arab. Has this anything to do with her pregnancy or stubbornness as we don't really know how far she is with foal? We thought 5 or 6 months or she could be more. We tried riding her bareback on Sunday gone and she starts to back you up to a tree to throw you off is this the usual thing a mare does or not, thanks. Carol Harris

I found that pregnant mares are actually less willing to buck than open mares. Their heavy bellies and the instinct of not disturbing the foal makes them more careful. You said your mare was treated badly. I think this is why she is like this. She does not trust humans and pregnancy makes her more worried. Instead of trying to ride her spend time to establish a relationship. Work with her on the ground: grooming, leading exercises, walking her through obstacle courses, lunging, etc. When she gives birth spend time with her and her foal. And when the foal is strong enough start bringing her back to riding. Good luck.

Is it really safe to ride them that late into their pregnancy? I am hoping to breed my Arab mare but I really dont want to lose out on riding time. What should I do?

Riding mares later in their pregnancy must be done carefully, however, it is quite safe. It does depend on your mare size, size of her belly, your size, etc. If you are concern the best person to talk to is your vet. Good luck with the breeding!

Hello, I have a 5yo Dutch Warmblood mare that I am soon breeding to champion jumper stallion, Pilox. My mare stands at 17 hands and Pilox is 17 hands. My mare has never foaled before, would it be more dangerous if I went ahead and bred her to a same size stallion since this is her first birth? Or would it be more wise to breed to a smaller stallion for her first baby? I am planning on breeding her in September. I have heard many mixed opinions on breeding that late in the year. Will it be harder for her to become pregnant and keep it? She is very fit and would be in tip-top condition.

Hi, I have a good healthy mare and she is 3 mths pregnant and very calm now a days I bought her 3 & half mths back I am plannig to ride her lightly till she is 8 mths of pregnant and then hand walk her for rest time but the thing I am concerned is my weight as I am 86kg will it harm her, she is 61 inch in height and strongly built. We ride single footing here.

I do not think your weight will harm her. If she develops very big belly close to 8 months pregnancy then you may want to start hand walking her earlier, and/or you can lunge her a little bit on a very big circle. Your plan is good and your mare should benefit from light work by staying more fit and healthy in her pregnancy.

My mare(TURKMEN) is 3 years old and I think 6 months pregnant. I train her to jump but not by hard work. I want to know what is the best way to have train without any dangerous for her and her foal?

Your mare is very young to be jumping often or seriously. And after she reaches 7 months of pregnancy you should not jump her at all. However, she can continue to do light flat work until she is so big the saddle does not fit her. After that you can ride her bareback, however, very lightly, no canter and mostly walk. Good luck with the baby!

I have a pregnant mare that I just bought from the nicest people ever. She is due in March which is in a month and they have not ridden her since shes been pregnant. I have yet to get on this horse but I'm wondering if I should just wait til after shes due or try light riding with her now? I know you can ride a mare through pregnancy. But she hasn't been ridden in about 6 months. Can she loose the baby if I ride her?

If the mare is well broken to ride then you can ride her very lightly, mostly walk, may be even without the saddle if she is too wide. 30 minutes will be OK with a few minutes of slow trot, no canter. If this mare hasn't been ridden much at all then it is better to wait until she foals and recovers from it.

I bought a said to be 4yo black and white tobiano mare a couple weeks ago who was said to be bred in May. From the looks of her she seems to be younger than 4. Maybe stunned growth? I was told she was skinny at one time before being bred. She is still not thick but kinda has a little belly like a grass belly or needs worming? Can you tell a difference? This is her first time being bred and she doesn't seem to be showing from what I've seen of other mares. Then again the other mares were bred numerous times so they had the big bellies and that mommy figure. With a first time mom this young will it take longer for her to show? I've heard their stomach muscles are tighter therefore they don't drop the same as a brood mare. I've also noticed her utters look a little bigger than a mare that's never been bred. I plan on palpating her but is it ok to ride her like normal up till she has the baby? By like normal I ride western and will be doing pasture riding just to teach her walk, trot, canter, etc. is there such thing as too much riding? How long a day? Everyday? THANK YOU!

I strongly recommend vetting your mare. The vet will tell you her true age, if she is pregnant, how the pregnancy is going? You can ride her everyday but do not ride for more than an hour. Until she is too big in a belly you can canter her a little bit. You can safely ride your mare up until one month left. Even then you can ride her without the saddle, walking on a loose rein. Good luck with the foal!