Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Allison Price
It is not something you should do lightly. It is expensive and can take time.
WHY?
First, consider why you want to breed. Although it is lovely to think of your favorite mare as a mother, you must be practical!
If you want to preserve a strong bloodline, this is a valid reason. If a mare has not lived up to your expectations and you aren’t sure what to do with her, it is certainly not a reason to breed. It is not something you should do lightly. It is expensive and can take time.
You should be ready to take your mare out of service if you are competing with her. Normal circumstances would dictate that you stop using your mare for three to five months before she foals and four to five months after her parturition. You can reduce this time, but your mare should be of limited use for at least half a year.
The mare’s age is another important aspect. Mares can become too old to breed, just like women. They only have a small number of eggs to produce foals, and they are no longer able to breed after they are in their teens.
They stop producing eggs in their twenties and become infertile.
If your mare is too young or hasn’t stopped growing, it can cause foaling problems and other breeding problems. While 4-12 is the ideal age to breed, you don’t have to limit your options. Some mares can still conceive healthy foals even into their twenties.
Let’s get into the second question. Are you breeding the foal to keep it or sell it? You should consider that foals are hardy and require a lot of training.
If you don’t understand what you’re doing, foals can quickly become dangerously ill-mannered. Foals are also very susceptible to sustaining injuries.
Foals should be kept in a safe environment.
Is there a market for your foal if you plan to sell it? Can your foal be registered to be a specific breed or colour, for example?
WHAT
The second question is: What are you looking to breed? Do you want to breed to a particular stallion? Or to a specific discipline like Dressage or Campdrafting. Depending on the discipline or interest, purebred horses can be easier to sell.
Even if you plan to keep the foal, it is important to consider that life can change without us planning. Horses are a lifetime commitment as they live for 20-30years! Be sure to take into account the temperament and genetics your mare as well as the stallion. Conformation, temperament, and size are the most important factors. In-breeding can lead to genedc malformations if they are close relatives. It is therefore important to know the parentage of your mare.
It is also important to determine if any of the parents have passed on any health issues that could make them unsuitable for breeding. Club feet, crooked legs and parrot mouth can all be passed from parent to foal. As they are still young, mothers can pass on their behaviour traits such as weaving and windsucking.
WHERE
Where can you foal your mare, when she is due? It is important to think about the housing of mares and foals after birth. Mares must be kept apart from other horses for a variety of reasons. Mares may become protective of foals and attack horses near them. On the other side, mares that are not pregnant can be aggressive towards foals.
Because foals are unfamiliar with confinement, they need paddocks and fencing.
You should not wean the foal until it is at least four months old if you plan to sell it. This will allow its immune system time mature. Foals typically wean at six months, so housing must be done until that time.
Many equine veterinarians offer foal down services. We are one of them. They will monitor your mare throughout the foaling process, and provide assistance if necessary. They monitor your foal and ensure they are able to nurse and stand within the prescribed timeframes. They make sure the foal is healthy and well-fed.
Mum gave her good quality colostrum and she had the best start to her life.
This is a great opportunity if you’ve never foaled mares before or if your mare had trouble foaling previously. You can also attend some facilities like ours.
WHERE
It is important to think about when you want to breed. These factors are: Does your mare compete in any competitions? If she does, when is the best time for her to finish competing? How will the climate in the area where the mare lives be when she gives birth to the foal?
Mares are seasonal breeders, and cycle only from August/September to February/April each year. On average, gestation (pregnancy), lasts 340 days. Most mares are placed in foals between September and January. However, most foals are born between August and December.
You can safely ride your mare if she’s pregnant. However, if she is competing at a high-level level to produce a foal, it will put strain on her body.
Foals are born without survival skills. Foals are born with very poor survival skills. You should keep your mare foal in the shade during Winter to prevent them from getting too cold. If they are born in Queensland’s heat, the same goes. The foal must be fed.
You should have plenty of shade and sun protection. Foals can quickly become dehydrated!
HOW
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit informus, luctus ullamcorper matis, pulvinar diapibus leo. There are many ways to breed your mare. Are you a mare that is a mare (virgin mare)? What are the options for the stallion? Some stallions only offer frozen or chilled semen. This is more expensive but has higher success rates than live coverage.
Frozen semen is the only alternative if the Stallion is not located or is dead. This is the process
Frozen semen insemination can be the most expensive and time-consuming of all breeding methods. The semen is only good for a short time after it has been defrosted. It is important to inseminate your mare within a time frame that is close to or right after her ovulation. This requires regular scanning of the mare during her season.
Stallions can breed anywhere in the country with chilled semen. The stallion is collected and packaged.
Your mare’s semen is placed in a special box and transported to your location. The mare is scanned to determine her season. Insemination takes place within one or two days of ovulation. This method is the most successful assisted breeding technique and poses little risk to your mare from injury or infection.
It’s an amazing experience to watch a mare through her pregnancy, and then witness a healthy foal being born.
Live cover is the last option. Your mare is taken to the stallion, where she is either left with him or is held until the stallion arrives.
Live cover can be provided by the mare. Live cover can pose problems due to sexually transmitted infections or the possibility of injury. These include being kicked or torn by an aggressive or forcible stallion.
Maiden mares are more at risk than those who are bred as mares. They often struggle to stand or sit still and may need to be sedated. Your mare should be checked after breeding to ensure that she has not ovulated.
or fluid present post-breeding. The mare is then tested for pregnancy at 14-16 days after the breeding.
Embryo transfer can be an option if your mare is having trouble with pregnancies or competing and you don’t want her to miss any time.
It’s an incredible experience to watch a mare through her pregnancy, and then witness a healthy foal born safely. But make sure you are breeding the right reasons. Too many horses and foals end up in the ‘doggers pen’ because they lack conformation.
There are certain medical and behavioural issues that cannot be fixed, even with the best training and handling.
Find the right Stallion to match your mare. Don’t settle for the stallion that is closest and most affordable. While the stallion of a neighbor may be the best for your mare’s needs, it is important to consider conformation, size, and behavior.
CONCLUSION
It is important to take the time to think about your reasons for putting your mare in foal. Also, consider your readiness for the journey of your mare’s pregnancy and how you will raise a healthy foal.
