Health issues & pregnant mare

[emsxx]

Hi All,

I'm new to this site and am very tempted to help rescue one of these horses as I have just bought some land for my mare and need a companion mare.

Thing is, she is pregnant so before I make a definite decision I need to go in with eyes open and wondered what the experience or thoughts are of bringing a rescue back and what health issues they might have that could affect not just themselves but also my pregnant mare. The last thing I want is to risk my mare or her pregnancy.

I would also be interested in rescuing a pregnant mare or one with foal at foot as reading about the dealers preferring these due to fat and hormones affecting the meat absolutely broke my heart. Also, the young one would hopefully have a young one from my mare to play with next year (fingers crossed for my mare!).

Also, just wondering if we can also rescue from the UK before they are sent abroad. There's so many to rescue

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help,

Emma

[debutante]

Hi Emma, i really hope you can save one that would be great , to be honest i dont think they come from the UK that is a seperate thing, the ones at these farms usually come from spain and then go to france to be fattened then are taken to Italy for meat. it is really sad , i have not got my mare yet and we are not aware is she is definatley in foal yet or not so cant really advise you there. The only problems im aware of so far is that most of the horses are very wormy!! , but i think the other rescuers would probably advise you to keep the rescued horse in quarentine for two weeks to be on the safe side. I hopw this info helps a little. :0)

[melissa]

hello

thank you very much for showing an interest in these poor horses.

with regard to health issues, what we are all doing is keeping the new horses in their own paddock for upto 3 weeks to make sure they are not poorly - none have been so far. They are wormy as they were due for meat so havent been wormed for a while.....

you can get your vet to test for anything should you wish to do so.

please let me know if you would like any other info.

melissa
xx

[fiona]

Hi Emsxx,

I don't know myself about the risks to health of travelling a pregnant mare, but could you phone your vet and ask her / him? I think they could probably give guidelines, also the horse transporters may give some guidance also and give information as to how long they transport for before the horses are rested, and where they rest them, and for how long, for example.

The current legislation is that a pregnant mare can be transported for slaughter up to 90% of her pregnancy. Whether a transporter keeps to the rules is another matter also.

There is also the factor perhaps of finding out where the preganant mare in question will be sent to- whether she is going to Italy and is facing a long journey or if she is to be slaughtered locally. I think the horses in dept 86 were due to go to Italy, but am not 100% on this.

[fiona]

Re horse transportersI mentioned above- I meant a company that is being used for these rescues, like Woffards for example.

[emsxx]

Hi melissa and debutante,

Thanks for the advice. Do you keep them on their own miles away from others or are they next door? Just wondering how far apart they need to be for quarantine and if it's practical with my mare. Don't want them to get stressed as they're on their own hence wanting a companion for my girl in the first place.

I could keep my mare where she is for a few weeks or the other end of the field and if I rescued a mare with foal they can keep each other company in a quarantine paddock.

Think I'll check with the vet too re tests, etc.

How much extra is the transport for a mare with foal? What am I looking at spending to rescue one?

Thanks,

Emma

[emsxx]

Hi Fiona,

I will ask my vet re transporting from France when pregnant. I know for moving my mare around in the UK he said not to worry and there is no research to suggest it causes problems. Transporting across countries is obviously different.

[melissa]

will send you a pm emsxx

[fiona]

Sorry emysxx, I missread your post - I know as Debunte and Melissa have said the reports coming out is about the amount of worms that these horses have. There was something someone posted about health probelms that French horses sometimes had that I think was a lot less common in UK horses but am afraid I cannot remember what it was and who posted it.

It is fantastic that you are thinking of helping out a horse ( or two) . Hopefully you vet will be able to advise about possible health problems, and any dgers who have experience in this area.

Think Woffards are doing a special deal of £300 + Vat ( £352.50 )for one horse from France to Wiltshire, think its is £450 + vat for mare with foal at foot ( £528.75). I'm not sure if this offer still stands and if it is to all departments in France though.

There will be the additional costs of transport from Wiltshire to where you live after that.

When I posted about the pregnancy, I was thinking along the lines that maybe it would be useful to have info on this site as to where the horses in danger were going to end up - ie local butcher, or one in Italy, just so that they could be prioritised - I'm sure the transporters that pick up the rescues wouldn't take a pregnant one that is about to foal, so the welfare of the rescues travelling is probably fine.