Buying a mare in foal/with foal at foot...?

Lobelia Overhill

Every now and again I fantasise that I'll buy myself a horse, and I browse online ads. I'd love an Irish Draught, but every one* I've seen advertised is a mare who's in foal [due this, or next month], has a foal at foot, or in some cases both!

If I'm going to buy a horse I want something I can ride, not one I'd have to put out in the field for a year [or however long]

I get the idea that it's a 2 for the price of 1 deal, but is it worth the effort to buy a mare in foal/with foal at foot?


(all right so it's not every ID for sale, buy you know what I mean! )

Alibear

Lots of experience and time is required - It's hard work. I'm sure you'll find a nice riding horse soon though

Lobelia Overhill

I had a look in a paper this evening, 15 of the ads were mares, and all of them were in foal!

*le sigh*

I'll just have to keep looking ...

ecaf

I have seen ads with mares in foal due next month. I really think it is a bad idea getting the mare who is due so soon, for a few reasons.
She has to settle into the new place, and if you have other horses she has to join their group - which is going to be a bit stressful. Or if you don't have horses she's going to be alone, which a lot of horses find hard.

Also you have to spend time getting to know her, so that she will accept you near her at the time of foaling / after the foal arrives. If it's her first foal expect her to be very protective.

You would want to know what to expect and watch for around foaling time. I have been around two mares for a few years when they were foaling and over the years have learnt a bit about it. Last year we had one of the mares foal in our yard for the first time, and it was worrying for us because it was all done before, but this was the first time we were on our own, so to speak. It was a little more comforting to know it was her 8th foal and she had all the others without assistance in the field. It still means keeping watch for her to bag up and wax up, and then checking late at night and early morning until she has it.
At the end of all that there was a problem with the foals hind leg and couldn't stand up. This meant milking the mare initially, and then going out every couple of hours to get the foal up for a drink for 2 days, he finally got the legs under himself after that.

The mare we had foaling this year, was bought in foal but we have her nearly 8 months, I groomed her and lounged her when we first got her, and just groomed her in the field in the last few months. She fully accepted us, and became the leader of the other horses since she came, knocking the other mare off her 'top-spot'. But this was only her 2nd foal and the other was a few years ago, so there was still a bit of worry, thankfully today she had her foal and they are both fine, and I was able to get up to touch the foal and take care of it.

If you were going to go down this road, I would be more inclined to get a mare with a foal at foot rather than in foal (due next month). Unless you are already familiar with and know what to expect, and your up for it no matter what happens.

Best of luck, Draught horses are really beautiful, I did look at some of those adverts last year and it was the same storey, 2 for the price of 1. But we didn't go down that road.

Lobelia Overhill

thanks for that, I'd be keeping any horse at livery where they've bred their own horses, so that side of things wouldn't be a problem. I agree with you on the points of the mare having to settle in etc. It seems strange to me to be selling a mare who's in foal and very near her due date ...

Maybe I'll look again in a few months when they all have foal at foot!

ecaf

Lobelia Overhill wrote: »

thanks for that, I'd be keeping any horse at livery where they've bred their own horses, so that side of things wouldn't be a problem. I agree with you on the points of the mare having to settle in etc. It seems strange to me to be selling a mare who's in foal and very near her due date ...

Maybe I'll look again in a few months when they all have foal at foot!

Yeah! it is strange that they would sell the mare when nearly due, I think its a bit cruel on her.

Chindato

The idea of selling a mare in foal at this time of the year is as an incentive to the purchaser to buy the mare and not have to wait a year to have a foal on the ground.

It's common practice amongst breeders who wish to sell some of their mares on.

You need to ask yourself a very simple question: why do you want a horse? If the answer is to look over the fence, pet it, spend time with it and spend a lot of money, then maybe a mare with foal is for you. If you want a mare so you can ride, then a pregnant mare is not suitable. You won't have use of her until the foal is weaned, which means you'll miss the summer and have the expense of keeping her (and possibly the foal too, given the state of the market) all winter before you get any use out of her next year. That's a long time to have a horse before you even find out what they're like to ride and if they're going to suit you.

ID mares are a rare commodity. There aren't enough mares in the national herd even to replace themselves, and foals have been making good prices. Therefore most mares are used for breeding. Does your horse have to be a mare? ID geldings are usually much easier and cheaper to pick up.

HTH
Chindato

Lobelia Overhill

Oh I've no intention of buying an in-foal mare, it was just while I was searching for horses, every ID that came up was an in-foal mare.

Haven't seen any geldings anywhere, other than in England and that's not an option ...

Chindato

have a look in the performance horse sales. Cavan put their catalogue online. You may have more luck finding a riding horse there than through papers etc. Some breeders don't bother registering ID colts so they don't always have ID papers.

Lobelia Overhill

Cavan's a bit out of my reach unfortunately