# Can I ride my bred mare?



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

She'll be fine. Exercise is good for pregnant mares, as long as she's been kept exercised regularly up until now.


----------



## Azale1 (Jul 5, 2010)

Riding a mare in foal is perfectly safe. As long as they are used to the exercise. I have known people who have ridden their mares on a daily basis and mom and foal are very healthy.


----------



## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

^agree! My vet advises it. Having those tummy muscles in reasonable shape will help with foaling. We have always ridden our broodmares lightly, 3 or 4 times a wk until they get really big. I would feel like I was doing the splits on my mare I'm waiting on now, she's about to pop and is enormous 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

Wouldn't she be more receptable to loosing the possible even just 1 week after breeding? Or just don't stress much?


----------



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

My mom rode Connie until she foaled. Not intensely, obviously, but enough to keep her healthy and happy.


----------



## Juna (Apr 4, 2010)

Well, with a mare you have bred that recently....I wouldn't do any _intensive_ riding. Nothing that would make her sweat a lot. You don't want the mare's body temp rising too much.....it can kill sperm (but your mare has already ovulated so that's good) and could terminate an early pregnancy. Not saying it _will_...just pointing out that it _can_. Sperm and embryonic vesicles are temperature sensitive. We like to keep mares relatively quiet (ie, only turned out into paddocks) until they are confirmed 35 days pregnant. After that...you can use/work them as if they weren't pregnant, until they get very huge. 

But, if you think that she will pace and work herself into a slather just because she is alone back at your place, I would ride her. Good luck!


----------



## ArabGirl (Mar 30, 2011)

Agreed ^^


----------



## snickersandme (Sep 24, 2008)

I usually ride up until the last/third trimester then stop riding and just lunge lightly to keep her exercised


----------



## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

My Dancer would be in much better shape now if we had ridden her while she was pregnant. She wouldn't have lost as much muscle. However, I was scared to death I was too heavy for her and daughter was scared to death of her period - so she didn't get near enough exercise. Hindsight and recent experience tells me that I should have ridden her from day one. We'd both be better off now!


----------



## Juna (Apr 4, 2010)

Guys, the OP is asking about an _early_ possible pregnancy. Not all term pregnancy riding. Until a mare is checked in foal at 35 days, the embryo is a relatively fragile thing. Ask your vet! 

How did your ride go, OP? (If you decided to take her) Best of luck on your preg check!!


----------



## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Juna said:


> Guys, the OP is asking about an _early_ possible pregnancy. Not all term pregnancy riding. Until a mare is checked in foal at 35 days, the embryo is a relatively fragile thing. Ask your vet!


so much depends on the circumstance. 

the farm i ride for has a coming 4-year-old whose dam was struck by lightning while she was in utero--she was roughly a 14-day embryo at the time of the strike. the mare survived the strike, though was seriously injured, and the embryo went on to develop normally, most likely because the strike occurred before implantation and was therefore spared the brunt of it.


if the OP's mare is used to being ridden and not pushed out of her comfort level, there should not be any immediate danger to the pregnancy. another mare from the farm completed in the AERC National Championship 50 mile ride while pregnant and had no issues, and she was in pretty heavy work leading up to the event. but the key was she was used to that level of work, so wasn't a massive stress to her system to maintain it.


----------



## Juna (Apr 4, 2010)

Yep, I agree, there shouldn't be any immediate danger just from riding a bred mare, but it's not wise to work them hard and slather up a sweat until they are past 35 days (which is when the embryo is completely and securely attached and less sensitive to temperature changes), then you can use them exactly like she was used when she wasn't bred. 

Also, some mares get pregnant without their owners knowing, and the owners are riding and working them from day 1 of bred til late in the pregnancy when it's discovered she is pregnant, and there was no problem whatsoever with the foals development. So, not saying it's common for a mare to lose a baby because of early pregnancy stress and work, just saying' it can happen because of the temperature sensitivity of the early embryo and also sperm when she has just been bred.


----------



## QHa (Apr 8, 2011)

Well we had a change in plans, but i took every precaution that I possibly could. The mare has been ridden a couple of times a week and in great shape for riding. We did not go on that trail ride, but to a playday instead. I am not a competitive rider, but can get around the ring and place in some of the events. We did not do any hard riding except for that short burst of speed. After each event I was hanging out by the water hose and cooling off my mare on the legs, neck, rump, underline, Plus giving her a drink of water. The outside temp was 85ish and the wind was blowing good, which was good for evaporating off the water and a quick cool down. We did not lather up into any sweat except for the damp saddle pad. 

Preg Check is on April 19th, so I will keep you updated.


----------



## Juna (Apr 4, 2010)

Sounds like you had a fun day!! Can't wait to hear the results of the preg check!


----------

