Re: Pregnant mares

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

CMKSAGEHIL wrote:

> To the best of my knowledge, AERC has no rules prohibiting pregnant mares.
> Have had several compete through about their 8th month (and one or two further
> along) with absolutely no ill effects.

OK, I admit being brain dead and was thinking there was something about
pregnant mares being prohibited (despite a current thread about it Aint
Being So).

Your clarifications on when preggie is okay and when not are
well-taken.  If you say so, that's good enough for me.  I guess I just
wouldn't try it with my broodmare---she starts moaning and groaning and
giving me long suffering looks somewhere around 9 months just for a
jaunt, but then she's a thoroughbred, an old lady, athritic and I
suspect has something of a martyr complex.

> Must admit that if I might have a little discussion with a potential rider if
> one was presented at the vet-in actually bagging up, but then that's the
> common sense part.
> 
> While I agree about being pro-active when it comes to protecting the image of
> the sport, I also feel strongly that we should not perpetuate the Victorian
> attitude that pregnancy is an illness. 

Me too.  I guess I'd just be a little worried about getting hammered by
someone getting hysterical over a pregnant mare that heaven forbid was
breaking a sweat, but then maybe I'm just a little gun-shy this week---I
got shrieked at and called a Murderer, and all but burned in effigy by
an animal rights activist group demonstrating (briefly) on campus this
week because I participate in animal research.  Though I guess I'm a
little confused how taking body weights and measuring cannon bones at
Tevis makes me a murderer, but oh well.  Can't please everyone.

Anyway, points well taken, Heidi.

Susan