[*BaRrEL_BaBE*]

I'm highly considering buying a mare this year for breeding purposes. However, the stories I've heard of late have really caught my attention. I know that Fiona lost her babe(s) & that HalterGirl has lost a couple as well. In addition, the other day I was talking to my neighbor and she told me about the last time she bred her mare: Robin aborted the baby at like 9 months. But then there's the place I used to board and every year they had a few babies & for the four years I was there, they never had any problems. I know there is always a risk in everything that we do, but how high are the stakes in breeding?

[Dancinglite]

I will be honest---breeding is a cr@p shoot, both in what you get ( even with the best to the best idea) and if the pregnancy is even completed.

I will also say that if everything turns out OK ( which it does most of the time) the joy of raising a baby and eventually riding and showing "your product" is boundless.

[*BaRrEL_BaBE*]

Originally Posted by Dancinglite

I will be honest---breeding is a cr@p shoot, both in what you get ( even with the best to the best idea) and if the pregnancy is even completed.

I will also say that if everything turns out OK ( which it does most of the time) the joy of raising a baby and eventually riding and showing "your product" is boundless.

I'd only have one mare-in-foal so it'd be an all or none situation. The benefits do seem amazing, though: I bought Kennicke, the love-of-my-life, as a 3 month old colt and it's just amazing how we've bonded. I can only imagine what an experience it would be to have been able to have spent those first 3 months together as well.

[just_ride]

I have never bred a horse, but I bought one already bred and wasn't planning on doing that either. However, I feel in love with the mare and thought well i could sell the foal and make some money back. WELL, ha-ha. The mare had the foal, we had problems getting the foal to nurse. We bottle fed ever two hours for a few weeks and then every 4 hours for awhile and so on for Oh 4-5 months!!!!! Everybody told us we didn't have good odds, but the colt made it and now I have my sweet little Willie. The experience was AMAZING!!!!!!!! Doubt I do it again, but I loved the feeling it gave me to raise a baby by hand.

[prettyqtrs]

Anytime you breed a mare, you are taking that risk that she might lose the foal due to mother nature, medical reasons, or other reasons.

We have been breeding horses for the past 3 years now, and this year was the first year that there was a problem with a mare during her pregnancy. (She lost the foal back in October, 2004) We arent sure why, just mother nature is what we are summing it up to. The mare is/was well taken care of, fed quality hay and grain, access to water 24/7...had a colt by her side....she has had 2 other foals previous to her 2004 colt...and had no problem carrying them. Its just something that happens. And that is the risk that you have to be willing to take when breeding mares. For the most part, yes mares will take a stallion, and carry fine through there pregnancy...but theres always that chance that they will lose their foal.

But if the mare does carry fine throughout the pregnancy, I'll tell ya' its great to be there when the foal is born, imprint it, and work with it from birth on up.

And just because one of our mares lost her foal, we cant be afraid of the next mare(s) losing their foals, and stop breeding altogether....thats the risk taken when breeding. We will be breeding 3 mares this year(2005) for 2006 foals....and one of the mares is the mare that lost her foal back in October 2004. She has carried a foals before with no problems, we know she is healthy, and we will be breeding back to the same stallion(to whom she has had 3 foals to in the past).
All we can do is, keep everything as we have been doing, nice hay, grain, in the past we have put mares on Mare Plus, and access to clean water 24/7...exercise, de-worming, keeping their pastures clean, and keep loving and caring for them.

[CowGirlUp1833]

Originally Posted by prettyqtrs

Anytime you breed a mare, you are taking that risk that she might lose the foal due to mother nature, medical reasons, or other reasons.

Agree. Even after a succesfful birth, there can be complications.....The following story goes off topic a little, but there is a relavent point here, I promise

I worked for a barn who, IMO, had less then ideal conditions OR intentions. Many of you have heard my very opionated pleas against "Backyard Breeders" which is exactly where it was formed. Quick background, it was an actual hunter/jumper barn, but the owner felt the need to breed. So she decided to have "Natural breeding program" HA! That was her way of saying, "Good Luck on your own!" She left the stallion and about 7 mares in an overcrowed paddock year round. To make a long story shorter, one of our maiden mares tore quite badly from the foaling....although I pleaded with the owner repeatedly to have a vet "fix" her, she refused...."it will heal on it's own". Well, it didn't and evenually (3 months later) something ruputured inside the mare and she litereally died from her insides spilling out. If I hadn't been there I wouldn't believe it. I called the vet, but it was way too late. I held this mares head in my arms as she died. She was so shockie from the infection she didn't even know her foal was still standing over her. It was the most horrible experience of my life.

My point; although bad things can and do happen, a lot of it can be avoided. The best chances you have are to 1st: be a responsible breeder, know what you are getting into and have the right reasons to do it. (From what I read, I like your intentions... ) 2nd: Provide proper medical care throughout and after the pregnancy! You owe it to the mare (and the foal). Our baby ended up dying several months later...who knows why, I left the barn shortly after this happened- I wouldn't help her treat horses this way by paying board and allowing her to keep it running.

SORRY THIS IS SOOO LONG.

[SyntheticTrust]

50-50 risks.. either it will go well or it wont... simple as that