Remember my post on my big

[Relic]

The one who barely fit between the shafts and her harness was way to tight. well we decided to go ahead and take her to the shows anyway even though we were told she shouldn't go to any shows at least this year. she managed to get a second in pleasure win the stakes and barrel classes at both shows and is still undefeated in jumping the past few years picked up a first in hunter even though she's not a hunter horse and we added driving obstacle to the list this year and it didn't turn out the best but she wasn't in last place either. And she placed decent in halter lard preg and all. l can feel the flames coming already...

these are proofs and have been ordered and should be here in about 10 days l was told.

 

[Bluerocket]

No flames here! Only congratulations!

She is a lovely mare.

Many horses compete early in their pregnancies.

My horses are fatter than yours at this point so I won't point any fingers at you! no way.

JJay

 

[Bess Kelly]

:aktion033: I thought she was a lovely mare when you posted and still think so !!!! Unless it is an entirely new activity that would challenge their athletic fitness, pregnant mares can do fine.

My own mare, at 7 y/o was worked daily, shown, traveled, and judged #1 in her open halter class at AMHA Nationals :bgrin Yep, she was fit as a fiddle. They aren't disabled, just pregnant

:

CONGRATULATIONS.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Everything fine with me except the jumping- you want to lose a foal- that's a pretty good way of doing it- mare as well :nono:

You can jump a mare in her first pregnancy, although no sane person would knowingly do it many mares who have not been known to be pregnant have jumped- and raced- and given birth the next day....sometimes even to healthy, live foals!!

Jumping a mare that is known to be pregnant is lunacy, and that is NOT my opinion :no:

 

[Relic]

Golly gee Rabbitsfizz you old sweetheart you say although... no sane person... would knowingly jump a pregnant mare are you then implying that l am insane, l mean really now, l've been called a lot of things but to imply l'm not all there in the mental department is going a little to far.

 

[love_casper]

wow!

BEAUTIFUL MARE! i love her markings! glad you did so well in the show. she is just stunning....

:

if i didn't know better, i couldn't even tell she's pregnant. my mare is WAAAAAAAAAAY chubbier than that, and she is open.

she's plenty early enough in her pregnancy to be competing. i think...how far along is she now?????

:

beautiful pictures. How high is that jump? she looks great. so pretty,,,,

: what a cutie pie!

 

[Dee]

Well don’t know enough to comment on the jumping thing, but I do believe that it is important to keep a mare fit while pregnant, especially if she is normally very fit and exercised regularly.

The heart is a muscle that gets bigger with activity. Its too hard for the heart to go from lots of activity like driving to zero activity.

Carrying around all that extra baby weight and the whole delivery process takes lots and lots of work so they need some basic exercise. Plus a fit momma helps for a fit and healthy baby.

I know lots of people who breed mares and turn them out to pasture for the next 11 months with zero activity.

When I bred my one and only mare in 2003 we went on lots of walks around the block (neighbors thought I was crazy). I was too scared to drive or anything like that. She enjoyed getting out and it gave her a nice light exercise.

Personally no I wouldn’t take my mare to a show, but that is because for her (non- show mini) it would be way to stressful. For a already accustom show horse I can’t see why not in the early stages for pregnancy.

Dee

 

[Boinky]

honestly i've never understood why more people don't show and use their pregnant mares. it's GOOD for them to have exercise. s ure they might have a big belly but anyone that has a clue should be able to decifer between pregnant and fat and should be able to judge conformation around the belly not to mention our breed relies on these gorgeous girls to proliferate. It kinda bugs me when you see a young filly shown for a year or so then retired to breed and never goes on to prove herself in the ring after that. I drive my mares all through their pregnancies and they do fine. I don't do jumping with the minis BUT i've a very long extensive background in Eventing with big horses and i know of people that have evented novice and training level or even a few higher right up till the month before they were due. Now i'm not sure i'd EVENT a horse at those levels that close to foaling... i've never been pregnant but i would feel guilty making the poor thing haul that belly over a 3'-3'11 + Cross country jump going at 350+mpms..but many have no problems. it seems to be a fairly common and acceptable practice around here.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Hey you own Miniatures you are automatically insane anyway

: :lol:

Seriously PLEASE stop jumping her.

I am deadly serious now, folks, you just do NOT jump a pregnant mare, and if you think about it you will see why.

NO WAY, no way at all.

I have shown mares that were pregnant, up to, I think five months- last year the mare I was showing was carrying her first foal in the ring, BUT she also bit me quite hard and stamped on my foot and grimaced at me all the way round the ring.

I got the message, that was her last show.

All she did was a normal show, no driving, no jumping no nothing, and she was well fed up at the end of the day, even though she achieved a very creditable placing.

The sort of pressure on the body that jumping causes you are looking at an aborted foal, a dead mare, all sorts of possibilities, only one of which is that everything is alright and you have got away with it.

This time.

PLEASE, stop

:

:

:

 

[irishmini]

i think the mare is gorg!!!..

but i want to add, i agree with rabbit, i think its ok to keep a pregnant mare fit,,, especially if she is used to being jumped etc, but i would not expect a pregnent mare to have to jump( or drive)....... i am a very fit person, but even just one month into my pregnencies, i didn't have the energy to move!!!! i know all horses and people are different!!!but if a mare lost her foal, and you had jumped her, i think it would always be in the back of your mind it could have been your fault.............

let poor pregnent girls have a rest!!!!!!........and by the wy, i think horses ( and people) are a bit disaibled when pregnent!!!!!!

 

[EAD Minis]

O wow!!She is amazing. I love those jumps. I wished we jumped this high in our classes.

:

 

[Ms THE]

I remember when I did the hunters, coming to the barn (at a show) one morning and a pony stabled next to us had foaled. The braider came in to rebraid it for the second day of the division and there was a little foal in the stall. Both mom and baby were fine. Noone knew the mare was bred, they had purchased her about 6 months prior and were never told that she had been exposed (we're talking a $50,000 pony back in the 90's). They just thought se was fat, the way they like the hunter ponies.

:

 

[Kendra]

She sure is photogenic! And she looked happy to me at the shows ... actually more so than usual!

I've never heard anything about not jumping a pregnant mare before, I know of hunter/jumper mares and even eventing mares that have jumped far into their pregnancies. One of the vets at work is an eventer as well ... next time I'm talking to her I'll see what she says, just for interests sake!

 

[dangerranger]

I dont know much about jumping, but fit mares do have fit babbies! our vet advises normal activities till there visably pregnant. DR.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Sorry but I came into Minis from big horses- from breeding big horses.

You do not jump a pregnant mare- you would be censored strongly, possibly legally if you did.

Jumping a mare pregnant with her first foal- well, you can get away with it.

After that you stand a very good chance of abortion all the way through.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Great job--you're mare looks very nice.

I don't understand the no jumping thing, particularly how Rabbitsfizz says you can do it with the first foal, but not with the following foals? How would the risk change? By the way, I have 16 years experience with big horses, including jumping.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Mares as humans tend to carry their first foal very tight, especially if they are kept fit, or it is not even known they are pregnant.

I am totally AMAZED that people should not know about this- it is just straightforward common sense.

Perhaps if you have never had big horses, and bred them, it may have passed you by, I don't know.

Whatever, go on risking the mare and foal, I've had enough of this daftness, I really have :no:

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Whatever, go on risking the mare and foal, I've had enough of this daftness, I really have :no:

Ooooooooooookay... I think some of us are just trying to understand your point of view. Some of us like to hear the "why." Relax, would ya?

:

 

[Relic]

Who would have thought but l was told a certain someone no names mentioned would be up in the air about this. l love this mare pulled her out of the bag and watched her take her first breath and l feel everything she does l would not ever do anything to injure or cause her to abort. She does have a vets okay to keep doing what she always has been she is fit though packs weight though we have no idea where it comes from she's in a dirt paddock and has been stalled on shavings for the past 3 months. She was not at her peak a while back almost depressed but is now back to herself and l can feel her energy at the end of the lead she is dead on to go fast in the cart or l can hardly keep up with her at times over the jumps. l use her again tomorrow at the last show shes in the barn clipped and ready and knows shes leaving soon and l can see from the look in her eye she's just itching to get out and do things. Shes 6 years old and this is her first breeding l don't own her so wasn't my choice but l had a say on when she was bred as l plan to use her again next year after the foal is weaned. Right now she is nearing her fifth month she saw the vet after the last show and is still in foal and not showing any stress this is taking a tole on her. l was told after this weekend l could bubble wrap her and place her out in the pasture but then she would probably get depressed from lack of nothing. BUBBLE WRAP NEXT WEEK l'll think about it.

 

[Littleum]

Mares as humans tend to carry their first foal very tight, especially if they are kept fit, or it is not even known they are pregnant.

I am totally AMAZED that people should not know about this- it is just straightforward common sense.

Perhaps if you have never had big horses, and bred them, it may have passed you by, I don't know.

Whatever, go on risking the mare and foal, I've had enough of this daftness, I really have :no:

Wow, guess everyone with those (VERY VALUABLE) warmblood mares that they send to performance tests 4-6 months in foal in the hopes of completing their StPrSt and Elite requirements ASAP are all "daft" too. Mares compete in early pregnancy all the time here in the US and Europe.

In fact, I've been told by multiple vets that it's perfectly safe and even GOOD for a pregnant mare to be kept in work- and I've specifically asked about over fences work. I've always been told "just use good judgement" and "let the mare tell you", but have NEVER been told it's outright dangerous to jump a mare in early pregnancy. Never.

You've made at least 3 posts but not one saying WHY. Just wagged that finger and told people who stupid they are. Could you at least defend your statements with some facts?