[crazi4horses]

I know what teasing is, but how do you do it? There arent any stallions at any of the farms i will have honey at, so i would have to use a gelding. We arent positive we are going to breed her(its 50 50 right now) but is it ok to start teasing her incase we do?

ANY info on teasing would be great! Thanks!!

<small>[ April 25, 2004, 11:34 AM: Message edited by: crazi4horses ]</small>

[crazi4horses]

bump

[Jumpers]

You know what? That's a good question! lol. The only time our mares have ever been teased is at the breeder's farm a day or two before the breeding and while the AI is taking place.

I'd be interested in reading about this too!

[crazi4horses]

hmm..i found this on google..ill keep looking too

Teasing - The Foundation of Good Mare Management

You must be religious about teasing your mare. Teasing holds the key to successful conception and it only takes five minutes a day. While it is preferable to use a stallion to tease with, a gelding may also be used. If your mare has strong heats and shows clearly, you can use a gelding as long as he is not regularly turned out with her. For mares that do not show strong heats, geldings may be given a shot of testosterone or Equipoise to get the gelding to act like a stallion. (These effects are temporary.)

Remember - teasing is just as important after the mare has been bred as it is before insemination. It is essential to know whether or not the mare needs to be re-bred. On average, only 50% - 65% of mares get in foal on the first heat breed.

If you have no access to a stallion or suitable gelding, your veterinarian will start your mare on a course of Regumate. This will help regulate the estrus cycle so that the approximate breeding time becomes more predictable.

You must determine the characteristic estrus behavior of your mare. Although different mares exhibit different behavior, this behavior will usually remain consistent for each mare.

It is very important that you establish the normal cycle for your mare and keep good records. Note the date when your mare first starts to cycle, the length of her heats and any behavioral characteristics she displays. The first and last day of heat should be recorded so you can recognize when her heats begin to arrive on a regular 21 day cycle. The duration of the heat is 5-7 days for most mares.

<small>[ April 25, 2004, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: crazi4horses ]</small>

[shell]

Regumate short cycle is how I have had to breed my mare. If you do use Regumate, you should know that she will have the sweats, shakes and act colicy for a while (1/2 hour or so) after she has the shot. She should be ready to breed in 5 days after the shot. The vet will come out and check her at 3 or 4 days to determine the size of follicle she has developing and to let you know when to call the stallion owner for a shipment. Most mares take more than one try with shipped semen, so be prepared to do everything twice. Shipping semen gets expensive with vet bills and everything, so add an extra $1,000 to your costs.

[crazi4horses]

Wow, which is better for the mare though? Live or AI?

[Cyn]

I don't have a stallion to tease with either. I had to drive 45 min to tease. When she looked to be maybe in heat I took her to the vet and he checked her folicle with ultrasound. THe vet should be able to tell where about in her cycle she is. It cost me $35 for each follicle check. The first time she had appeared to be just over her heat. We counted the days for her to be checked again and it showed good sized follicles with a few days to spare.
To me it was worth the $$ to be certian since I also don't have a stallion to tease with. It is a pain to keep going up the road.

[shell]

If I found a worthy stallion that was close enough, I would go live cover. I have not found one yet though. It is hard to find nice stallions here in New Hampshire.

[crazi4horses]

yea it is! Ive been looking for a while and they are either REALLY REALLY expensive(like 2000 dollar stud fees) or they arent what im looking for..maybe in mass or VT?

[shell]

I sent you a PM.