My sister is interested in a broodmare for a riding horse. She is a 13 year old TB formerly a 3rd level dressage horse. She has had 4 foals in the last 4 years.
Are there any issues she should watch out for? Do you think she will be able to return to her former self? She knows to take it slowly and has brought back a gelding before, but is wondering about broodmare specific issues.
I am going to cross post in the off course forum.
TIA!
Broodmare duties changes a body permanently. A rider has to become accepting of this fact. For a broodmare to return to active dressage duty is going to be a challenge. Not only does the mare need time to rebuild her topline, but her abdominal strength as well. The abdomen supports the topline! Because the muscles and ligaments have been thoroughly stretched from pregnancies, they don’t really bounce back. Perhaps after 1 or 2 foals, but each progressive pregnancy reduces the “bouncing back” abilities. It could take a couple years, but she might never return to a svelte, lean, mean, dressagy machine, uh, mare. 
If your sister is willing to accept the mare’s new body and just be happy to get her as strong and physically fit as she can be, then that’s fine. Just don’t expect her to be able to do First Level right away, let alone Second and least of all Third. It might take her a good 3 years to be physically fit enough for 3rd level. On the other hand, she might surprise you all and zippity-doo-dah she’s right as rain for Third in relatively short order of a year or so.
With horses, everyone is an individual. We just returned one of our broodmares to riding/showing duties. After 4 babies our lux/Concorde mare at 12 this year went from broke at three to showing in the jumpers at Thermal in less than a year. We expect she will be competing in the low A/O’s by next Thermal. We were just very careful to gradually build fitness and incorporate hill work to strengthen abdominal muscles, never doing more than she was comfortable.
I have spent the last 5 months bringing back my mare from her first foal. She has been doing well, but it took a lot longer than I originally thought for her to really get back into good shape to start jumping and ask for more advanced things from her. And that was only after 1 foal…
What I have noticed is that sometimes the hormones change the mare forever, and they are not receptive to being a riding horse again. It is rare, but it does happen.
I think it is certainly feasible to do, but it takes a very long time for their physical shape to be back where it needs to be, and you must be patient and very in tune to what she and her body is telling your she can/cannot do…
[QUOTE=silanac;6836495]
I have spent the last 5 months bringing back my mare from her first foal. She has been doing well, but it took a lot longer than I originally thought for her to really get back into good shape to start jumping and ask for more advanced things from her. And that was only after 1 foal…
What I have noticed is that sometimes the hormones change the mare forever, and they are not receptive to being a riding horse again. It is rare, but it does happen.
I think it is certainly feasible to do, but it takes a very long time for their physical shape to be back where it needs to be, and you must be patient and very in tune to what she and her body is telling your she can/cannot do…[/QUOTE]
I agree with you. I am bringing back my mare slowly after 2 foals. I am trying to get her conditioned but keeping it fun for her. I want to enjoy working as much as she did being a mama.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
