Remember my post on my big

[rabbitsfizz]

Worked...NOT Jumped!!!!

Honestly this is such a basic principle I never expected to have to justify or explain it!!!!

IT really is kiddy stuff simple.

Would you , pregnant, jump around all over the place??

Think of the stress that jumping puts on all the muscles, all the ligaments.

Healthy, unpregnant animals break down in jump training all the time.

So....you honestly, having had time to think about it, still think this is and OK thing to put a mare in foal for a cherished foal ( or any other for that matter) through???

I have worked mares throughout their pregnancies and never thought anything of it, I would NEVER jump a mare that I knew was pregnant.

That is just something I have always known.

I cannot think of one discipline in any country in the world that would jump a pregnant mare.

This was such a basic for me I had to go off and check with a freind to make sure I was not going crazy.

Nope, I'm not (though many would disagree, I know).

I am so sorry Relic, I did not mean this to seem as if I was jumping (pun intended) all over you, this is not the case at all.

I am just totally flabbergasted by some peoples lack of basic understanding of the requirements of a pregnant mare

 

[Littleum]

I am just totally flabbergasted by some peoples lack of basic understanding of the requirements of a pregnant mare

Gosh. I know plenty of pregnant women who remain very physically active all through pregnancy. Jumping around and all.

And like I said earlier- I have spoken with vets on this very subject. I've been to warmblood inspections where mares 4-6 months pregnant are put down the jumping chute. Very expensive and valuable mares owned by top breeders/owners, by the way. Not at all uncommon. Not at all unusual.

Generally advised, actually, to put your mare through her performance testing/inspection the year BEFORE (while bred), not when she has a foal at foot. Advised by the societies, the members, the vets- the primary justification being the mare will not perform as well stressed and worried about her baby.

There are vets AT these inspections- NEVER heard of one coming out waving their arms in hysteria screaming "WHAT ARE YOU DOING FREE JUMPING THAT PREGNANT MARE OVER THAT OXER!" Never even heard of a vet disagreeing with the practice and attempting to get it changed, in the US or Europe.

I don't even know of PETA zealots ever showing up at an inspection to try to "save" a bred mare from the jumping chute...

Again, I'd like to hear where you learned this from. Common sense and mystery friends don't count. You start accusing people of being cruel, irresponsible and stating how "flabberglasted" you are at their astounding stupidity, you better be able to back it up with better then that. :nono:

 

[MiLo Minis]

Well hasn't this been a fun post to read!! :bgrin Just had to add my 2 cents worth - I see not a thing wrong with jumping a pregnant mare at all and know plenty of large horse as well as Mini horse people that have done it with absolutely no bad consequences and never have I heard that someone would come after you legally to prevent it! For those of you comparing humans to horses just wanted to clear things up - we AREN'T HORSES!!! But I too have known plenty of women that have been extremely physically active while pregnant as they were before their pregnancy and like for all creatures, if you are continuing a physical activity that you participated in pre pregnancy, it is NOT a problem.

 

[Minimor]

That is just something I have always known.

Actually it's what you have always believed...or even if you have always "known", that doesn't mean yours is the only knowledge.
Sorry, I'd have to agree with the others here. Riding, driving, jumping...if the horse is reasonably fit for the work it is doing...I see no reason why a mare can't jump several months into her pregnancy, be it 1st or 5th. I do know people that use their bred mares over fences, with no problems--the mare is used to the work & isn't struggling with the task, it's unlikely to cause her any problems. If you kept her working & jumping & jumping & jumping until she was worn out, then yes, that might cause problems, but it wouldn't take the jumping to cause problems in that situation--excessive work on the flat could cause problems, and by excessive I'm talking about working the mare into the ground.

If you took a mare that's obese & never, ever been worked, has just stood around in a small paddock all her life, & she's 9 or 10 months pregnant & all of a sudden you decided to take her out & try to make her compete in a jumper class or two, that would be unreasonable....notice, though I say "try" to make her jump--a horse that unfit & untrained isn't likely to be doing much jumping anyway, more like "refusing".

:

Heck, we had a Morgan mare that, even quite pregnant, would jump out of the fences just because she felt like doing it--she was so nimble & athletic, jumping was easy for her. If she'd been in work for awhile so that she was somewhat fit, jumping a course at a show wouldn't have been hard on her at all.

And yes, pregnant women do continue with an amazing variety of activities.