Mare Pregnancy

by Anna
(*******, Georgia)

i, I have a question about one of our mares in foal.
When I bought the mare, about 4 or 5 years ago; her previous owners did not take good care of her at all. She was weaned way too early and didnt get the proper nutriton that baby and young horses need. They rarely kept feed or hay out and just didnt take care of them in general.
Having said that, her growth was stunted so she is of smaller horse size. Sort of like, a regular size snickers bar just in a fun size package LOL. Anyways...In regards to this mare, our other 2 horses, a mare and a stud, came from the same place and have the same problem. All of them are smaller sized horses due to improper care.
My question is, with the mare being about 13 or so hands high, as well as the stud being the same size...will my mare be able to have the baby? Is she too little to carry the foal and to deliver it? Also, because of their size in height, will the baby also be about the same size, smaller or bigger?
Your reply would be very appreciated. This is my first baby exeprience :-)

Answer: Is your mare already pregnant or are you just thinking about breeding her? And why are you breeding her? If she is not already pregnant, I wouldn't breed her at all. There is already such a problem with horse overpopulation that it really isn't feasible to breed a horse just because you want a baby. If she is already pregnant, I would consult a vet to make sure that mom and baby are in good health. And if she is already pregnant, it's kinda to late to worry about it now.