Caring for Mares & Foals

Lesson 2: Caring for the Broodmare

Exercise

When do you stop riding your horse? How much turn out should she get? Exercise is an important part of your mare’s health. All body functions are affected, as well as muscle tone, appetite, and your horse’s contentment. A brood mare should have sufficient turn out, preferably a minimum of eight hours a day but ideally longer up till full-time turn out. The only concerns would be her turn out companions and the presence of tall fescue grass.

She should be turned out with only mares, at best other brood mares. An unfortunate kick could cause her to lose her foal. Even other mares can be aggressive in establishing a pecking order, and most geldings still have a herding boss instinct. The best companion may be an older pony or arthritic horse that will not injure the mare.

Tall fescue has been found to carry a fungus that poisons the mare and causes low fertility, still births, abortions, weak foals, thick placentas and, most commonly, lack of milk production. If your pasture has fescue, your agriculture representative should test it for the fungus. Pastures with infected fescue cannot be ‘cured’ except by destroying the grass and replanting. If that is impossible, it is important that your mare not be subjected to these grasses in the last 60 days of her pregnancy. Of course, fescue-free hay must be fed during those last 60 days.

One of the prices of breeding your mare is having to give up your riding time. However, you do not need to give up the entire eleven months. The controversy rises over how long a pregnant mare can be worked. Of course, the answer is in your definition of work. Most mares can comfortably be ridden into the beginning of the second trimester. The guidelines I have used are to watch her respiration. As her foal grows, she has less lung capacity. If her respiration becomes rapid or labored, you have stressed her too hard, and you need to progress more slowly. It will also depend on the condition of the mare going into her pregnancy; obviously a fit mare will be able to continue to be ridden longer. If you just want to spend time with your mare, we have ridden mares up until the eight month if done bareback (without the restrictions of the girth) and only at a gentle walk through the fields. Just because you stop riding your horse, doesn’t mean you stop giving her attention. Continue to spend time grooming her and leading her around. As you become familiar with her ‘normal’ condition you will be able to tell quickly when something changes.

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