Re: pregnant mares in competition???
Eugenie (oogiem@dsrtweyr.com)
Wed, 6 Nov 96 08:03:59 -0800
> riding pregnant mares in
>competition.....is it allowed?
NATRC does not have any national rules regarding pregnant mares but many
rides refuse to accept them. The problem is that normally a pregnant mare
has poorer recoveries even though she may be perfectly fit and doing
fine. I have mares who when in condition have resting pulses of 26-28 but
when pregnant their resting pulse goes up to 30-32 and they take a
**lot** longer to recover down to it after working even though they are
fit and seem fine. I tend to quit riding my pregnant mares after about 5
months, not because they can't take the work but because none of my
saddles fit them at that point. <g> All of my mares look like they are
carrying elephants from about month 4 on, they get really huge, and my
saddles dig into them and make them sore.
If you have a saddle that fits I'd suggest stopping riding work the last
month because the ligaments are stretching then and you might cause some
problems. If the mare is broke to drive you can continue to drive her but
it's best if it is *not* in a cart with shafts but is in a team situation
instead.
Oogie McGuire - oogiem@dsrtweyr.com
Weyr Associates - Multimedia and Web Authoring Services & Consulting
Desert Weyr - CMK Arabian horses & saddle mules for endurance and show
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