Broodmares pastured with open mares

Camish · Postby **Camish** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:49 pm

In a pasture next to my property there is a small broodmare, probably hardly 14 hands and looks like she's going to lay down and have her foal any day now. I know I shouldn't be concerned about someone elses horses, but I can't help but wonder....She's pastured with a 16 hand, massive built mare, who is not pregrant.

The smaller mare seems to hold her own well, but the bigger mare does tend to boss her around. What will happen to the mare when she decides to have the baby? Will the bigger mare hurt the mare in foal or the new foal when it's born.

I keep a pretty close eye on them when I'm home, although there's not much I can do. What does everyone think? Is the foal and/or mare in any danger? Thanks!

StealingKat · Postby **StealingKat** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:55 pm

I think you will be surprised at how quickly the new momma will turn into a tiger! It is very unlikely that the large mare will be able to get anywhere near the new baby

While not an ideal situation with luck every one will do fine. Mares have been foaling in herds for generations.

NYBreeder · Postby **NYBreeder** » Tue May 17, 2005 2:14 pm

I had a mare suprise me on night with a foal in the pasture, 335 when her last two were 367 and 358, she was out with 4 geldings at the time. The one gelding who was her buddy wouldn't even let the others within 500ft of that foal.
I think any farm that has many foals over the years has one or two born in the pasture with other horses and they do just fine. The mare will protect the foal. Wild horse do not have any problems.

Postby **Roguelet** » Tue May 17, 2005 2:25 pm

hee hee...

We had one surprise us early this morning by foaling a bit early (for her) and with none of the signs she gave us last year... she was out with another pregnant mare and a stallion. :shock:

She's fine, foal is fine, other mare and stallion are very mid-wifey (obviously we have had newborns around this stallion before and know how gentle he is with them or she wouldn't have been there in the first place.) Happens in the wild, range, and natural herd situations all the time... it is how nature formulated the process, after all! :wink:

Of course, I have heard stories of dominant mares stealing foals, but I have never had anything of the sort happen to any of my foals... and I agree with StealingKat that the mare will likely show you a whole new attitude once the foal is born!

henthorn · Postby **henthorn** » Tue May 17, 2005 2:30 pm

Congratulations, Roguelet. Be sure to post us some pix, won't you?

marg · Postby **marg** » Wed May 18, 2005 7:17 am

Hi,We had it happen also.We could see from the house that something was going on in the field, as several mares were standing in a semi circle watching something . We went out and there was baby being licked off by mommy and two other old mares helping out.We had a large escort into the barn.No problem!Marg.

Camish · Postby **Camish** » Wed May 18, 2005 9:49 am

Thanks for all your kind words, it does calm the nerves to know it can be done without problems!

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Wed May 18, 2005 10:50 am

Last winter we had a group of open mares in big board fenced lower paddocks (adjoining that opened up to a big area) with a run in; the property is along a river that has a manmade "creek" diverted into the paddocks. Amazingly, several would take turns on the ground for naps and the others would huddle around the outside protectively, and no leg or tail EVER got stepped on... mares in foal have nothing to fear from other mares...

Final Voyage · Postby **Final Voyage** » Wed May 18, 2005 11:14 pm

I know they aren't your horses or your mare, but do post some pictures. Always gotta love the babies!!

Regal Pleasure · Postby **Regal Pleasure** » Thu May 19, 2005 10:59 am

While they "usually" do OK, there ARE times when a mare will steal a new foal. To the point of doing serious damage to the dam of the baby. This also usually leads to a very dangerous situation for the folks that are unlucky enough to have the task of getting the foal away from the "baby stealer" and back with the real "mother".