Riding During Pregnancy

storminthenight · 04-29-2009, 03:55 PM

Is it ok to ride a mare the first months of pregnancy? when would/wouldnt you ride her?

storminthenight · 04-30-2009, 03:13 PM

Anybody? ive read that light riding is ok, and that it depends on the individual mare, but I havnt found anything about the first few months, and want to make sure its ok.

bratt79 · 04-30-2009, 03:16 PM

We bred our mare in the end of april, and rode her all the way through the summer on trail rides and even took her hunting in October. She did great, during hunting you could tell it was time to let her just be pregnant though and as soon as we were done, only a few days up there and about 2 hours or so riding twice a day, we just let her out into the pasture and let her get fat. I have heard riding is fine up to the last trimester which I think is the last 3 months, someone correct me if I am wrong.

Lou3 · 04-30-2009, 03:20 PM

It is generally not recommended to ride a mare for the first few weeks because the embryo hasnt "settled" then. However after that up until the last few weeks of the pregnancy its perfectly okay to do light riding, and actually keeping them in shape means a reduced risk of foaling complications. A fit mare will generally foal out easier than an unfit one so there are benefits to riding her lightly too.

storminthenight · 04-30-2009, 03:48 PM

Thank You, thats what I wanted to know

Perhaps we will give her the first month to settle, then ride her again, we only planned to do light walk/trot trail riding anyway.

Kelsey5674 · 11-02-2009, 11:10 AM

I wanted to know what others thought about that as well.

wakiya · 11-02-2009, 11:16 AM

I haven't heard anyone say you can't ride a pregnant mare

frisco17 · 11-02-2009, 11:20 AM

well, my mare settles quick and fine. 1 of her pregnances I actually rode her after only 1 week of rest from being bred (if you want to know story behind that u can pm me, as there was a reason I had to ride her). I ride her til about the day she foals. months 1-2 I keep the riding light. months 3-7 I will ride and compete normally with her. 8-10 ridding a little lighter, not competing. 10- foaling w/t bareback riding around the farm.

storminthenight · 11-02-2009, 03:14 PM

In the end we decided to give Ella a month to settle after getting back from the stud, then we went on some easy trail rides with her.
at about 4 months pregnant we went for a ride up in the national forest and she was alot more clumsy that she usually is, tripping over every little thing, and at one point she fell down, but luckily only got a few scrapes on her nose and leg. After that my mom was reluctant to ride her, but we went out yesterday on a short ride and she was totally opposite, very spunky, sure footed like she usually is, and offering to trot (and at one point canter) on her own. She is almost 6 months now, so we will only do short, light rides from now on anyway.
I dont know if she was just having an off day in the national forest, or whether it was the pregnancy making her clumsy.

pip15 · 11-03-2009, 03:05 PM

i ride my mare couple times a week to hack out but dont go mad couple trot and canter now and then. i jump her for 10 to 15 mins once a week and have done one cross country course. she is 3 months pregnat. vet recommended i rode her the same but decrease the work load about 3 months before or she tells me otehrwise as its good to keep them fit and work can stop problems with circulation especially in legs. my friend brought her horse 6 months ago took her horse out 3 day eventing she jumping loads of fences 4ft plus she phoned the vet siad she was being a bit sluggish 48 hours later she had a foal and she was working her hard all throught the pregancy
she never new it was pregant and no one told her when she brought her and that horse was in hard work so there you go

04-29-2009, 03:55 PM	#1
storminthenight Full Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 299	Riding During Pregnancy Is it ok to ride a mare the first months of pregnancy? when would/wouldnt you ride her? Last edited by storminthenight; 04-30-2009 at 03:12 PM.

04-30-2009, 03:20 PM	#4
Lou3 Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: england Posts: 8,999 Images: 36 Blog Entries: 1	It is generally not recommended to ride a mare for the first few weeks because the embryo hasnt "settled" then. However after that up until the last few weeks of the pregnancy its perfectly okay to do light riding, and actually keeping them in shape means a reduced risk of foaling complications. A fit mare will generally foal out easier than an unfit one so there are benefits to riding her lightly too. __________________ Proud to be in the SBR Formula One Fan Club!

11-02-2009, 11:16 AM	#7
wakiya Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 437 Images: 3	I haven't heard anyone say you can't ride a pregnant mare __________________ Call them Colonial Spanish, Barb, Indian Pony, or Spanish Mustang. A genetic link to history. Wakiya- 3 year old grulla roan Spanish Mustang Wakiya's Web

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04-30-2009, 03:13 PM	#2
storminthenight Full Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 299	Anybody? ive read that light riding is ok, and that it depends on the individual mare, but I havnt found anything about the first few months, and want to make sure its ok.

04-30-2009, 03:16 PM	#3
bratt79 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Idaho Posts: 656 Images: 163	We bred our mare in the end of april, and rode her all the way through the summer on trail rides and even took her hunting in October. She did great, during hunting you could tell it was time to let her just be pregnant though and as soon as we were done, only a few days up there and about 2 hours or so riding twice a day, we just let her out into the pasture and let her get fat. I have heard riding is fine up to the last trimester which I think is the last 3 months, someone correct me if I am wrong.

04-30-2009, 03:48 PM	#5
storminthenight Full Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 299	Thank You, thats what I wanted to know Perhaps we will give her the first month to settle, then ride her again, we only planned to do light walk/trot trail riding anyway.

11-02-2009, 11:10 AM	#6
Kelsey5674 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 355 Images: 7	I wanted to know what others thought about that as well.

11-02-2009, 11:20 AM	#8
frisco17 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 364	well, my mare settles quick and fine. 1 of her pregnances I actually rode her after only 1 week of rest from being bred (if you want to know story behind that u can pm me, as there was a reason I had to ride her). I ride her til about the day she foals. months 1-2 I keep the riding light. months 3-7 I will ride and compete normally with her. 8-10 ridding a little lighter, not competing. 10- foaling w/t bareback riding around the farm.

11-02-2009, 03:14 PM	#9
storminthenight Full Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 299	In the end we decided to give Ella a month to settle after getting back from the stud, then we went on some easy trail rides with her. at about 4 months pregnant we went for a ride up in the national forest and she was alot more clumsy that she usually is, tripping over every little thing, and at one point she fell down, but luckily only got a few scrapes on her nose and leg. After that my mom was reluctant to ride her, but we went out yesterday on a short ride and she was totally opposite, very spunky, sure footed like she usually is, and offering to trot (and at one point canter) on her own. She is almost 6 months now, so we will only do short, light rides from now on anyway. I dont know if she was just having an off day in the national forest, or whether it was the pregnancy making her clumsy.

11-03-2009, 03:05 PM	#10
pip15 Full Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 118 Images: 5	i ride my mare couple times a week to hack out but dont go mad couple trot and canter now and then. i jump her for 10 to 15 mins once a week and have done one cross country course. she is 3 months pregnat. vet recommended i rode her the same but decrease the work load about 3 months before or she tells me otehrwise as its good to keep them fit and work can stop problems with circulation especially in legs. my friend brought her horse 6 months ago took her horse out 3 day eventing she jumping loads of fences 4ft plus she phoned the vet siad she was being a bit sluggish 48 hours later she had a foal and she was working her hard all throught the pregancy she never new it was pregant and no one told her when she brought her and that horse was in hard work so there you go