Mare in Foal how long before it can work again?

Question

I have lots of experiences breaking horses, bringing them on etc but I've never actually had anything to do with a mare in foal and after its been born, I normally get them aged 1 upwards. From when a mares in foal till after the foal is born how long is the mare normally out of work for? Byt that i mean riding/driving etc. I'm interested in this but i havent the knowledge yet so it wont be happening for a long while till I know as much as i can.

Answer 1

I don't know the full answer, but I would personally wait until the foal is weaned. Certainly at least 6 months. This is mainly because the mare will be distressed if you try to take her away from the foal and the foal will be a nuisance if you are trying to do dressage or driving as it will want to run alongside its mother. In the mean time, to keep her in work, you might try a little longeing with the foal on the other side of the menage fence. But only once you have established that having a fence between them will not cause the foal distress as it will injure itself trying to get to its mother.