Exercise and Changes During Late Pregnancy
Moderate riding/work is safe up to 8 months of gestation. The activity level should remain the same as pre-pregnancy. Moderate activity and free exercise are encouraged throughout pregnancy. A gradual decrease in exercise will become necessary as the mare's abdomen becomes larger and her center of gravity changes.
Free exercise is important in the last few weeks since ventral edema often occurs at this time. Edema can be identified if you push in with your finger and an indent remains for more than 10 seconds. The ventral edema late in pregnancy may be up to 1 - 5 inches deep. This edema is due to the weight gain and blocking of the lymphatics that prevent fluid from draining from the tissue. If much swelling of the abdomen or lower limbs occurs, then handwalking the mare is beneficial.
Ventral edema is not to be confused with rupture of the prepubic tendon or ventral adominal muscle. If this occurs near term, labor is induced with oxytocin and the mare is generally euthenized or at least not rebreed.
