conditioning mares with foals

[Paula C Gentry <pgentry@U.Arizona.EDU>]

Hi all--

Picking up on the thread discussing the conditioning of broodmares, I have
a question. I have a running QH-type mare that I'm conditioning to start
doing LD. My question is not so much about what she can handle, but what
the foal by her side can handle. She has an 8-week old filly by her side
(It's a long story; yes, I can see all those cyber-eybrows raised! In Aug
I bought her knowing she might be bred and sho' 'nuf, a cute filly arrived
on 9/21.) I pony the baby until we're away from the barn then let her run
loose. Where I ride is rough and has a lot of deep sand. I've been going
out for maybe 45-60 minutes at a time, ~3 days a week. Otherwise, they're
in a stall with a run and turned out in a small paddock for 2-3 hours on
the days I don't ride. The riding is almost all walking, some trotting. Is
this too much? The mare is already in condition to do more, but I don't
know what is safe for the filly, particularly in regard to the sand. Also,
I've been restricting rides on the hot days to walking only. It's
disgusting for November, but we've had temps in the low to mid nineties.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Paula in sunny Tucson (yee haw only supposed to hit the low 80s today)

----------------------
Paula C Gentry, PhD
pgentry@U.Arizona.EDU

It is not knowing a lot but grasping things intimately and savoring them
which fills and satisfies the soul. 

--St. Ignatius--



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