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  Discussion on Hauling newly pregnant mares long distances
Author Message
New Member:
meanda16

Posted on Saturday, Mar 10, 2012 - 4:13 pm:

I am wondering if anyone has experience in hauling mares that have just been bred. They will likely not head home until they are a month out. And before we go any farther in the discussion, please no long diatribes about the advantages of AI. I have good reason for taken the mares themselves to the stallion. He is 900 mi away. I have a large 7'4 slant load trailer, they both travel well and I will stop frequently and let them out to graze and relax. I have a good horse motel to stay at halfway.
All that said, as the time grows near, even tho I have done tons of hauling, I have not hauled mares so soon after insemination.
Has anyone had personal experience with this? Please, no guesses as to what you think will happen. If I could hear from those who have actually done this sort of transport, that would be great. Thanks you all for any input.
Mandy}
Member:
mrose

Posted on Saturday, Mar 10, 2012 - 7:31 pm:

Although many people will say you shouldn't haul until the embryo is attached, I have hauled several hundred miles, but not overnight. IMO a lot depends on the mare. If she is calm and used to hauling,Eats and drinks ok when traveling, she will probably be ok. If she gets stressed in a trailer, I wouldn't haul her until she is much further along. The big "no" is stress. Needless to say, she needs all her shots and if you stop overnight you need to carry along stall disinfectant to spray on stalls.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 14, 2012 - 7:15 am:

Welcome Mandy,
Little research has been conducted on this subject. In 1982 a small research project concluded:

J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 1982;32:453-7.

Fetal loss and the effect of stress on plasma progestagen levels in pregnant Thoroughbred mares.

van Niekerk CH, Morgenthal JC.

Abstract

The depressing effect on plasma progestagen levels of pregnant mares subjected to specific stressful conditions such as severe pain, infectious diseases, emotional disturbances and exogenous corticosteroids are described. It is concluded that the detrimental effect of stress, evident from its negative influence on plasma progestagen concentrations, could play a major role in the occurrence of pregnancy failure in the Thoroughbred mare.

Important is to focus on the word "could", they did not actually demonstrate a pregnancy failure, just falling progestin levels when specific stressor events occurred. This was during the hay-day of the wide spread belief that early pregnancy loss was commonly due to low levels of luteal derived progestins. We now know this event is much rarer than believed back then.
DrO
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