Riding After Foaling

[system]

Hello,

I posted a question a little while ago about getting ready for my mare’s first baby and had great help from everyone, so I have another question.

My mare had a healthy delivery, but I am so sad to report that the baby died.

My mare has been doing well and I want what is best for her. When is it okay to start riding her now that she is no longer pregnant and is not feeding.

I have done research but I haven’t found for what to do with a mare that lost a baby. I wonder if riding her will help her refocus and recover?

Thank you!

[coloredcowhorse]

So sorry for the loss of your foal.

Horses don’t go through long grief periods over the loss of a foal that we do over the loss of a baby. One of mine lost her foal at 5 days this spring and I left the baby’s body with her for about 10 hours until she walked away from him. She stayed in her pen for a couple days to dry off the milk supply and then was put out in the herd with the rest of the mares and their foals…no attempt to steal a foal or other problems.

Re: riding. I’ve often ridden mares after rebreeding on foal heat…so about 2 weeks post delivery. The foals either tagged along loose or were already haltered and learned to pony next to mom. My ridable mares were also ridden until within maybe 4-6 weeks of their expected due date so were kept reasonably fit throughout their pregnancy and were able to go back to being ridden rather quickly.

[Kyzteke]

I’ve had mares lose foals from at birth (and abortion) to 5 weeks and in each case I left the baby with mom for 3-6 hrs., then turned mom back out with the herd.

No reason why you can’t start riding your mare any time now…

Sorry for your loss.

[system]

Thank you both very much. This is my first baby experience and I think Moneypenny is handling this better than I am But I appreciate your advice, we did leave the baby with her for a little while and then buried her. And I will probably wait another week or so just to be safe and then begin walking and see how she does.

Thank you!

[Faiths_CremelloWB]

So sorry for your loss. (hugs)

Usually after a mare has a foal we wait about 2 weeks before we start to ride them. I agree that we (humans) certainly take losing a foal harder than the mare does. Or think/grieve for the foal much longer than a mare does.

Good luck and enjoy your mare now…

[booboo]

Brittany, I could have written your post. We too had our first foal and lost her at 8 days. It has been the worst experience; I completely sympathize.

My vet insisted I put my mare back to work immediately. I think it was just as much for me as it was for her. I got on her 2 days after the loss of the foal (10 days postpartum). She loved it and would run up to the gate every time she saw me.

We had to stop her grain to stop the milk production and I was worried about her losing too much weight but she really did not. I was riding her very lightly, mostly walk and it did both of us a world of good. I have rebred her (will know on Saturday if that took) and stopped riding because of the extreme heat and the hope that she has taken.

So sorry someone else is going through this - take solace in the fact that you still have the mare.