best time to breed??

Love2TrailRide · 08-03-2005, 03:09 PM

wuts the best time to breed a mare, like age, time of year, ect? Lakota is just now 7, and i want to breed her before she is to old, and she had never been bred before, but there are 3 things my mom and i are worried about.

1. We would like to breed her when we get our own place so we can have the baby by us all the time, but is it "bad" to breed a mare and have her have the baby at a boarding stable?

2. I wouldnt want to interferre with her progress in training, what could i do to keep her "tuned up" or should i wait???

3. How much is mare care and wut is the average time a mare has to stay with the stallion before getting prego??

any other help or advice would be great....btw heres the stallion my mom wants to breed to, and so would I..could you critique him or wut not??

http://www.d-rea.com/sullyfire.htm

I LUV BESS · 08-03-2005, 03:14 PM

hes a pretty boy!!!!!

if i breed bess...imgonna breed her October 2006... she'l be 16...

reinerdude22 · 08-03-2005, 03:40 PM

1) i dont think it is bad, as long as your barn owner/manager doesn't mind.
2)I think you can still ride a mare if she is pregnant up until 4 months before, not sure but i think so.
3)Mare care? what exactly are you asking? It isnt that much trouble tho at about 3months till you do need to get her off grass and feed her anything but alfalfa hay.

Critique: I think his neck is to short and his babys have short necks too, thats not bad its just my personal dislike. I do like his head size as apps tend to have overly large heads. He has a nice rump and seems to have a nice muscle build tho those spots make it a lil hard to tell (makes me all hypnotized

)

prettyqtrs · 08-03-2005, 03:43 PM

Mares are pregnant for a little over 11 months. I would start breeding her next spring....most stallions books are closed by this time of year. If she is 7 now, she will be 8 when being bred and 9 when foaling...I think you are still in an okay age slot for breeding...without having too much worries as far as age...as long as she is in good health and kept in good condition. And her being pregnant and having a foal will cause her to take a little break with training. How will you be breeding your mare? Live Cover? If so, will the stallion owner be doing hand breeding or pasture breeding? Or will you be doing AI (Artificial Insemination)? Doing AI, you'll probably do a series of ultrasounds to check what size the mares follicle is, if she has ovulated, ect. So depending on if the vet inseminates at the right time and weather or not the mare takes that heat cycle....you can breed as little as once or you may have to re-inseminate a couple heat cycles in a row if she does not take. As far as pasture breeding....Im not real keen on that only because you don't know the exact days she was bred...but basically what the stallion owner will do is put your mare out with the stallion when she is in heat...and he will breed her as he wishes throughout her cycle. Once she is out of heat, wait around 18 days and ultrasound....or just wait about 21 days to see if she comes back in heat. If she comes back in, you'll have to repeat everything. As far as hand breeding, the stallion owner will either tie your mare or have someone hold her, another person will bring the stallion out and the stallion will breed the mare. Depending on how often the stallion owner usually breeds a mare...they will breed the mare throughout her heat cycle. Then, again...wait to ultrasound, or wait to see if she comes back into heat. As far as having the mare foal at a different place....that's a good idea because their will be experienced people around to help. But bad because it is kind of stressful trailering a pregnant mare(depending on how she acts in a trailer, how long the ride is, how far in advanced that you bring her to the stable, ect.) and it's kind of dangerous trailering a young foal....when bringing him/her back to your place.

Hope that helps you, and best wishes breeding!

I LUV BESS · 08-03-2005, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reinerdude22

(makes me all hypnotized

)

yuppers!!!

BestofPrincess · 08-03-2005, 05:13 PM

If you mare is use to being ridden all the time, you can ride her later into her pregnancy with no ill effects

Love2TrailRide · 08-03-2005, 11:07 PM

**bump, bump**

sunsetacres · 08-04-2005, 10:32 AM

wuts the best time to breed a mare, like age, time of year, ect? Lakota is just now 7, and i want to breed her before she is to old, and she had never been bred before, but there are 3 things my mom and i are worried about.

Age and health are major factors. She is at an excellent age to breed right now. I would not put it off a whole lot longer (at least for her first time), the older she gets , the harder to get pregnant and the more it ends up costing.

1. We would like to breed her when we get our own place so we can have the baby by us all the time, but is it "bad" to breed a mare and have her have the baby at a boarding stable?

I guess that would depend on when you plan on having your own place. Keeping her at a barn where the owner/manager is knowledgeable about mare care, foaling and baby care can be a HUGE advantage , especially if this is your first one as well as her first one. IF the manager is not famillar, or the barn is not equiped to handle a pregnant mare or mare with baby (like they don't have seperate turn out for them etc...), then either moving her home or to another barn , may be in order. Having a baby born at a boarding facility is not 'bad' , however, if the manager is NOT knowledgeable , then you run the risk of having the baby born in a non sterile environment, or stall too small, or strange horses (new boarders) bringing a disease in with them and affecting the baby etc..... There are SO many things that you need to think about when breeding your mare. I would suggest you purchase a copy of 'blessed are the broodmares' and read it cover to cover before you breed. There are a ton of articles on the net as well that will give you a good foundation of knowledge. Do your homework ahead of time , and be prepared.

2. I wouldnt want to interferre with her progress in training, what could i do to keep her "tuned up" or should i wait???

Well it is going to interfere, that's a fact of life. That's the choice you make when you decide to breed. You will be without her to use for at least 4 months.
Directly following breeding , (as a maiden mare) I would work her very lightly or not at all (no riding, just maybe a quick lunge or walk) for 45 days. Durring this time the baby is "floating" in mom and has not yet attached. If your mare is easily upset, she can lose the foal at this time. (You can check a mare in foal as early as 16-18 days , depending on your vet) After that it's back to business, working slowly up to the point you left off. You can ride/work her (as long as you are consistant) up until her last tri-mester (7-8th month, depending on how big she gets). After that, walks, light work outs on a lunge etc. are ok for the next month or so, then she will be very heavy with baby and you'll want to just spoil her and leave her be.

3. How much is mare care and wut is the average time a mare has to stay with the stallion before getting prego??

Depends on the timing of when you bring her to the stallion. If your mare is already "in", the you can figure (this is "in hand" breeding) that she will be bred on her 3rd (if she accepts him) 5th, and 7th day then go "out". After she goes out (unless the stallion owner demands she stays until confirmed in foal) she can go home. This is based on an 'average' mare cycle, some are shorter some longer. Some facilities/ stallion owners demand that you leave the mare until their vet checks her in foal. READ the contract for the stallion, it should specify this (if true). Make sure to read the stallion contract in it's entirety, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Mare care usually runs anywhere from $7 - $15 per day depending on the facility, the care given, and wether or not the mare has a foal by her side ("dry" - no foal, "wet" - foal by side).

any other help or advice would be great....btw heres the stallion my mom wants to breed to, and so would I..could you critique him or wut not??

http://www.d-rea.com/sullyfire.htm

I think he is about as perfect a specimen as I have seen as far as appys go. Appy's are not my personal favorite, and I really like him. He says "App" to me. He appears older style and what I think they were meant to look like. I also love the children he is producing. Nice color seems to be an added bonus. Even without color, the babies are quite nice. I don't care for the apps that look like quarter horses with spotting. To me , that is not a true appaloosa.

08-03-2005, 03:09 PM	#1
Love2TrailRide Senior Member+ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,703 Images: 116	best time to breed?? wuts the best time to breed a mare, like age, time of year, ect? Lakota is just now 7, and i want to breed her before she is to old, and she had never been bred before, but there are 3 things my mom and i are worried about. 1. We would like to breed her when we get our own place so we can have the baby by us all the time, but is it "bad" to breed a mare and have her have the baby at a boarding stable? 2. I wouldnt want to interferre with her progress in training, what could i do to keep her "tuned up" or should i wait??? 3. How much is mare care and wut is the average time a mare has to stay with the stallion before getting prego?? any other help or advice would be great....btw heres the stallion my mom wants to breed to, and so would I..could you critique him or wut not?? http://www.d-rea.com/sullyfire.htm

08-03-2005, 03:14 PM	#2
I LUV BESS Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: uhhh... i think its somewhere called england lol Posts: 8,732 Images: 438	hes a pretty boy!!!!! if i breed bess...imgonna breed her October 2006... she'l be 16... __________________ *~Danielle~* ~♥~ Lepicure; Cambridge Paramour; Midnight Dancer; Pure Chance ~♥~ EventingFTW

08-03-2005, 03:40 PM	#3
reinerdude22 Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Georgia on my mind... Posts: 1,912 Images: 158 Blog Entries: 4	1) i dont think it is bad, as long as your barn owner/manager doesn't mind. 2)I think you can still ride a mare if she is pregnant up until 4 months before, not sure but i think so. 3)Mare care? what exactly are you asking? It isnt that much trouble tho at about 3months till you do need to get her off grass and feed her anything but alfalfa hay. Critique: I think his neck is to short and his babys have short necks too, thats not bad its just my personal dislike. I do like his head size as apps tend to have overly large heads. He has a nice rump and seems to have a nice muscle build tho those spots make it a lil hard to tell (makes me all hypnotized ) __________________ Caleb LJ Myspace Website

08-03-2005, 05:13 PM	#6
BestofPrincess Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: USA MD Posts: 5,173 Images: 581 Blog Entries: 14	If you mare is use to being ridden all the time, you can ride her later into her pregnancy with no ill effects __________________ tjitske you never deserved to lose a foal 5/31/05 dolly we pray for you and your lost foal 7/26/05 Duct tape is the new glue

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08-03-2005, 03:43 PM	#4
prettyqtrs Senior Member+ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,129	Mares are pregnant for a little over 11 months. I would start breeding her next spring....most stallions books are closed by this time of year. If she is 7 now, she will be 8 when being bred and 9 when foaling...I think you are still in an okay age slot for breeding...without having too much worries as far as age...as long as she is in good health and kept in good condition. And her being pregnant and having a foal will cause her to take a little break with training. How will you be breeding your mare? Live Cover? If so, will the stallion owner be doing hand breeding or pasture breeding? Or will you be doing AI (Artificial Insemination)? Doing AI, you'll probably do a series of ultrasounds to check what size the mares follicle is, if she has ovulated, ect. So depending on if the vet inseminates at the right time and weather or not the mare takes that heat cycle....you can breed as little as once or you may have to re-inseminate a couple heat cycles in a row if she does not take. As far as pasture breeding....Im not real keen on that only because you don't know the exact days she was bred...but basically what the stallion owner will do is put your mare out with the stallion when she is in heat...and he will breed her as he wishes throughout her cycle. Once she is out of heat, wait around 18 days and ultrasound....or just wait about 21 days to see if she comes back in heat. If she comes back in, you'll have to repeat everything. As far as hand breeding, the stallion owner will either tie your mare or have someone hold her, another person will bring the stallion out and the stallion will breed the mare. Depending on how often the stallion owner usually breeds a mare...they will breed the mare throughout her heat cycle. Then, again...wait to ultrasound, or wait to see if she comes back into heat. As far as having the mare foal at a different place....that's a good idea because their will be experienced people around to help. But bad because it is kind of stressful trailering a pregnant mare(depending on how she acts in a trailer, how long the ride is, how far in advanced that you bring her to the stable, ect.) and it's kind of dangerous trailering a young foal....when bringing him/her back to your place. Hope that helps you, and best wishes breeding!

08-03-2005, 11:07 PM	#7
Love2TrailRide Senior Member+ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,703 Images: 116	bump, bump

08-04-2005, 10:32 AM	#8
sunsetacres Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 568 Images: 13	wuts the best time to breed a mare, like age, time of year, ect? Lakota is just now 7, and i want to breed her before she is to old, and she had never been bred before, but there are 3 things my mom and i are worried about. Age and health are major factors. She is at an excellent age to breed right now. I would not put it off a whole lot longer (at least for her first time), the older she gets , the harder to get pregnant and the more it ends up costing. 1. We would like to breed her when we get our own place so we can have the baby by us all the time, but is it "bad" to breed a mare and have her have the baby at a boarding stable? I guess that would depend on when you plan on having your own place. Keeping her at a barn where the owner/manager is knowledgeable about mare care, foaling and baby care can be a HUGE advantage , especially if this is your first one as well as her first one. IF the manager is not famillar, or the barn is not equiped to handle a pregnant mare or mare with baby (like they don't have seperate turn out for them etc...), then either moving her home or to another barn , may be in order. Having a baby born at a boarding facility is not 'bad' , however, if the manager is NOT knowledgeable , then you run the risk of having the baby born in a non sterile environment, or stall too small, or strange horses (new boarders) bringing a disease in with them and affecting the baby etc..... There are SO many things that you need to think about when breeding your mare. I would suggest you purchase a copy of 'blessed are the broodmares' and read it cover to cover before you breed. There are a ton of articles on the net as well that will give you a good foundation of knowledge. Do your homework ahead of time , and be prepared. 2. I wouldnt want to interferre with her progress in training, what could i do to keep her "tuned up" or should i wait??? Well it is going to interfere, that's a fact of life. That's the choice you make when you decide to breed. You will be without her to use for at least 4 months. Directly following breeding , (as a maiden mare) I would work her very lightly or not at all (no riding, just maybe a quick lunge or walk) for 45 days. Durring this time the baby is "floating" in mom and has not yet attached. If your mare is easily upset, she can lose the foal at this time. (You can check a mare in foal as early as 16-18 days , depending on your vet) After that it's back to business, working slowly up to the point you left off. You can ride/work her (as long as you are consistant) up until her last tri-mester (7-8th month, depending on how big she gets). After that, walks, light work outs on a lunge etc. are ok for the next month or so, then she will be very heavy with baby and you'll want to just spoil her and leave her be. 3. How much is mare care and wut is the average time a mare has to stay with the stallion before getting prego?? Depends on the timing of when you bring her to the stallion. If your mare is already "in", the you can figure (this is "in hand" breeding) that she will be bred on her 3rd (if she accepts him) 5th, and 7th day then go "out". After she goes out (unless the stallion owner demands she stays until confirmed in foal) she can go home. This is based on an 'average' mare cycle, some are shorter some longer. Some facilities/ stallion owners demand that you leave the mare until their vet checks her in foal. READ the contract for the stallion, it should specify this (if true). Make sure to read the stallion contract in it's entirety, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Mare care usually runs anywhere from $7 - $15 per day depending on the facility, the care given, and wether or not the mare has a foal by her side ("dry" - no foal, "wet" - foal by side). any other help or advice would be great....btw heres the stallion my mom wants to breed to, and so would I..could you critique him or wut not?? http://www.d-rea.com/sullyfire.htm I think he is about as perfect a specimen as I have seen as far as appys go. Appy's are not my personal favorite, and I really like him. He says "App" to me. He appears older style and what I think they were meant to look like. I also love the children he is producing. Nice color seems to be an added bonus. Even without color, the babies are quite nice. I don't care for the apps that look like quarter horses with spotting. To me , that is not a true appaloosa.