Guidelines for Horse Breeding

If you adore your mare, you might contemplate breeding her and nurturing her foal. Nonetheless, bringing this aspiration to fruition entails significant expenses, not to mention potential health risks to the mare. It's essential to ensure that you possess a special horse with a genetic lineage worth preserving, and that the qualities you seek in the foal are not already present in an existing horse. Moreover, given the substantial overpopulation of unwanted horses, if you opt to proceed with breeding your horse, ensure that you can provide for the foal throughout its life, regardless of circumstances.

Evaluate the financial implications of breeding your horse. Understand that breeding a horse involves significant costs. There are fees associated with mating the stallion with the mare, along with insurance costs to safeguard you in case the mare injures the stallion. Additionally, there are transportation expenses for transporting the mare to and from the stallion. Keep in mind that the mare may not conceive on the first attempt, necessitating multiple attempts. Alternatively, you can opt for artificial insemination instead of using a stallion. This process, involving the direct insertion of semen into the mare's uterus, requires payment for the semen sold by stallion owners, as well as the procedure itself.

Evaluate potential veterinary expenses associated with pregnancy. Understand that there are veterinary costs involved in ensuring the mare's health for pregnancy establishment. This includes checks for uterine infections, pregnancy diagnosis, and vaccination against equine herpes virus, tetanus, West Nile virus, and equine encephalitis. Additionally, anticipate expenses for managing any complications during foaling.

Assess additional expenditures. Don't embark on breeding solely based on sentimental notions; have a solid rationale for producing a foal. Consider potential difficulties during foaling, which could result in long-term issues or the foal's demise. For first-time breeders, it's advisable to send the mare to a foaling facility for constant monitoring during the last month of pregnancy. Expect expenses of $300-500 for foaling plus monthly board fees. Additional costs include consumables like feed (especially in the last trimester), stabling, bedding, and electricity. Moreover, raising a healthy foal takes at least two years, with no guarantee of suitability for its intended purpose.

Determine the mare's readiness for breeding.

Mares are seasonal breeders, with increasing daylight triggering hormone production that induces heat cycles. Typically, mares cycle from spring to late summer or early autumn. Artificial manipulation of the reproductive cycle is possible by stabling the mare and providing artificial light in winter, commonly done with thoroughbred mares intended for racing due to birth date implications for racing classes.

Ensure the mare's age is suitable for breeding. The optimal age for a mare's first breeding is after she has finished growing, typically around three to four years old. While breeding at 18 months is feasible, it strains a growing mare's body. Conversely, breeding a mature mare for the first time can be challenging.

Time the mare's impregnation for late spring or early summer foaling. Optimal foaling occurs between May and July when nutritious grass is abundant, enhancing the mare's milk supply. Therefore, aim to breed the mare in June, July, or August for a foal 11 months later.

Ensure the mare is tested for reproductive diseases when using a stallion. Stallion owners require assurance that the mare is free of transmissible equine reproductive diseases before mating. A veterinarian typically swabs the vagina during heat cycles for lab testing.

Facilitate mating or artificial insemination. Confirm the mare's optimal reproductive phase. Mares cycle every 21 days, with a 6-day heat period. The highest pregnancy likelihood is one to two days before heat ends. Ideally, mate the mare with a stallion on day 2 or 3 of heat, repeating every other day until its end. Some breeders use teaser stallions or observe behavioral changes to identify heat.

Determine pregnancy status. Detecting pregnancy visually is challenging, especially in wide-framed mares. Physical signs may not manifest until the final third of pregnancy, and mammary gland development might occur only a month before foaling. Veterinarians can perform a transrectal ultrasound exam from 12-17 days post-mating or conduct a blood test between days 45-120 to detect equine chorionic gonadotropin, a pregnancy marker. While false positives are possible, a negative result confirms non-pregnancy.

Regularly monitor the pregnant mare during the first two-thirds of gestation. Pregnancy lasts approximately 340 days, with a normal range of 320 to 360 days. Maintain the mare's usual diet during this period to prevent excessive weight gain, which can lead to foaling complications. Riding is permissible during this time to maintain the mare's fitness for foaling, an intense physical process. Ensure the grazing field lacks fescue grass to prevent fescue toxicity. Consult your veterinarian regarding mare's nutrition, including the need for salt blocks or vitamin supplements.

Handle the mare with care in the final third of pregnancy. As the foal grows, the mare experiences increased strain on her body. Avoid riding the mare and increase her food intake during the last trimester to support foal growth.

Watch for initial signs of labor. Mares typically foal at night, preferring a dark and quiet environment for relaxation. The first stage of labor is marked by restlessness, pacing, tail swishing, and irritability. The foal's position shifts during this stage in preparation for delivery. While intervention is unnecessary at this point, close monitoring is essential once active labor begins.

Observe the second stage of labor without interference. During the onset of second stage labor, characterized by vigorous contractions, the mare may sweat profusely. She will lie down with extended legs and push forcefully as the foal descends into the birth canal. Continuous observation during this stage is recommended, either through remote camera surveillance or by a quiet observer with a flashlight.

Ensure access to veterinary assistance. If the mare experiences prolonged straining without foal progression lasting between 20 to 40 minutes, immediate veterinary intervention is necessary. It's advisable to have a veterinarian readily available for such emergencies during the birthing process.