Anyone tolerant enough to answer a pretty daft question?

[PoppyAnderson]

Here goes! If a colt and a mare are turned out together, will he hound her relentlessly day and night? Whether she's in season or not. Would she ever have another peaceful moment or will it just be 'afternoon delight' morning, noon and night?

 

[spacefaer]

How old is the colt? Is he her son?

If he's young enough to be put in his place by the mare, then he'll soon learn to give her space.

If he is 2/3 yrs old or over, then unless you want a foal, then they can't go together.

 

[crabbymare]

yes they can go out together without the mare being hounded in fact the mare is often more likely to be the boss and put the colt in its place. but be aware that from the yearling year upwards they can cover the mare and she can get in foal so if you do not want an unwanted foal keep them apart. if its a foal thats being weaned then you can normally leave them with other mares until spring and be fairly sure you are safe but I prefer to wean into a boy group and make sure nothing will happen

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

They can cover from a few months old, dont wait till a yearling to get cut or separate them.
A breeder friend had a 6 month old colt cover a yearling filly totally by accident when a tree brought down fencing between the mares and the geldings (where the colt was in the latter group), resulting in a quite horrid filly being born in September the following year.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

2.5 years old and no, not mother and son.

 

[Tiddlypom]

2.5 years old and no, not mother and son.

Is the intention to breed?

 

[crabbymare]

2.5 years old and no, not mother and son.

Then unless you want a foal no way would it be out with a mare especially at this time of year as many are going through their transitional season which is quite strong and would have her teasing him like mad. plus having a mare out with a colt of that age can sometimes stop them transitioning and bring them into season so again the chance of having a foal is high

 

[PoppyAnderson]

The intention is to breed yes but I really just wondered if the mare in this scenario would be hounded.

 

[tristar]

my experience and observation is that the mare very often just runs, some will kick, but yes they might well be hounded, could you not let them get to know each other over ad electric fence, then cover the mare, then try turning out together, and only in a paddock that they are both familiar with.

 

[twiggy2]

The intention is to breed yes but I really just wondered if the mare in this scenario would be hounded.

depends on the mare and they gelding as they will not all behave the same. Not sure why you would take the risk though to be honest, if the gelding is worth breeding from why would you risk the mare kicking him if he hassles her. Also why risk a mare worth breeding from by letting her run with an inexperienced colt-a friends mare was buggered by a stallion she was running worth many years ago and had to be shot because of the damaged he caused to her.
Also at 2.5 yrs old what has the colt done to prove himself to be worth breeding from?

 

[crabbymare]

aside from the points above. I certainly would not be letting him in with her until next year late spring as if he got her in foal now you would have a young foal having to deal with wintery weather which is not the best idea when you are breeding

 

[Pinkvboots]

Sorry but it's a really bad idea to put a 2.5 year old colt out with a mare and just let them get on with it they could both get seriously hurt, has the mare ever been mounted by a stallion? If not you should make sure the first time is supervised with people that know what they are doing, and if you are intent on breeding with the colt use him on a mare that has been covered before first, not all mares will let any stallion mount even in season so she could potentially kick the cr*p out of him and he could do her much damage if his not very polite, and by just chucking them out without knowing in my view is crazy.

 

[EQUIDAE]

I wouldn't call a 2 and a half year old a colt - he's sexually mature.

 

[Equi]

If the Colt is to breed from then you need to wait til next year and breed them correctly it is not correct to just throw them out together one or both will end up serious injured. He won't know what he is at and she will defend herself.

 

[JanetGeorge]

I brought a 2 year old colt (ex) home from hospital last week - he'd been gelded by full surgery as he had a retained testicle. I turned him back out with his 2 year old mates (all geldings) as exercise would stop undue swelling. That night he broke out, let all his mates out, and while they were creating havoc on the yard, he jumped in with 2 mares and foals. He bonked the one mare all night! She was more than happy! The other mare wouldn't let him near her! Mare has her 'morning after' treatment today. (Colts can remain fertile for up to 6 weeks after castration.) The little bu**er is being kept in for now!

It would be totally BARMY to run him out with mares! It takes a sensible, experienced stallion to run with mares. (And you need to WANT them all in foal!)

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Ok, at the risk of being flamed, I thought I'd provide an update. So against (almost) everyone's advice, I flung them in together. I knew the risks and decided I'd do it anyway and live with the consequences. I knew she could run faster than him too! Well, someone on here mentioned that she might just run away and indeed she did. She panicked and legged it. They did 2 circuits of my 4.5 acre field before they both got worn out and stopped! It was then like a Mexican stand off for a while but eventually, they made friends. Fast forward a few weeks and they are both a bit cut and bruised but nothing serious and they adore each other. They have done the deed (I've even seen them at it, which is revolting to watch!!) but mostly they are just velcro'd to each other and graze happily side by side. So it's all worked out ok thankfully. So, hopefully, she's now in foal (maybe, maybe not) and I'm hoping for a 14.2 smoky black chunky monkey with a calm temorement and a cracking jump! I'll probably get a 13.2 grey cut n shut!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, how bloody stupid IMHO :rolleyes3:
Not only risking damaging the mare by running her into the ground by the colt, you intend to try to produce a foal outside normal breeding cycles, hoping your mare has already taken, she will produce a foal in mid october - which will only 10 weeks later be classed as a yearling!!!
You totally beggar belief! :mad3:

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Here's a few gratuitous pics of the gruesome twosome. She's the coloured.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Idiotic .

You'd hope this was a troll thread but the OP's high post count indicates otherwise.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

OP, how bloody stupid IMHO :rolleyes3:
Not only risking damaging the mare by running her into the ground by the colt, you intend to try to produce a foal outside normal breeding cycles, hoping your mare has already taken, she will produce a foal in mid october - which will only 10 weeks later be classed as a yearling!!!
You totally beggar belief! :mad3:

The foal is for me, so what it's classed as is neither here nor there.

I know my update will invite comments from people who have a different view but there we have it. I fully accept it may be perceived by some to have been an unwise decision but she absolutely wasn't and isn't being run into the ground and it has all turned out ok. By good fortune rather than anything else, I grant you but I decided to take the risk. Plenty of horses cover naturally and not everyone has to stage manage the whole thing. I'm updating only to provide a counter to all the horror stories of what can go wrong.

 

[GemG]

Oh dear... A 'planned' winter foal.

What is the point in asking for sensible advice from experienced breeders - then completely ignoring it.

Ours pasture covered naturally, but it was all still carefully considered with a very experienced stallion and mare and at the right time of year.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Idiotic .

You'd hope this was a troll thread but the OP's high post count indicates otherwise.

Absolutely not a troll. Been on here for years.

Out of genuine interest, do you think everyone who decides to go for natural breeding is idiotic? If so, why?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

But it IS a horror story! Why couldn't you wait till at least spring, to give the poor thing a good chance in life. Costs will be far less, foal would have a chance to grow in good conditions, not be possibly kept in a muddy field or having to be stabled for much of early life due to bad weather etc.

Only 'accidents' occur outside breeding season.

In all my time with horses, i have never ever heard of someone deliberately ignoring any advice to keep breeding stock apart, let alone trying to put a mare in foal in November!!!

 

[PoppyAnderson]

I accept that. I genuinely needed an input however and took all the comments into consideration. I thought long and hard about it before going ahead and yes, I did ignore most views but that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate the viewpoints.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

But it IS a horror story! Why couldn't you wait till at least spring, to give the poor thing a good chance in life. Costs will be far less, foal would have a chance to grow in good conditions, not be possibly kept in a muddy field or having to be stabled for much of early life due to bad weather etc.

Only 'accidents' occur outside breeding season.

In all my time with horses, i have never ever heard of someone deliberately ignoring any advice to keep breeding stock apart, let alone trying to put a mare in foal in November!!!

Costs are irrelevant and if I do get a foal, it will have the very best care and not be in a 'muddy field', as you describe it.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I accept that. I genuinely needed an input however and took all the comments into consideration. I thought long and hard about it before going ahead and yes, I did ignore most views but that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate the viewpoints.

But had you actually taken stock of what a potential mixed breeding FOAL might have to endure when being born into cold/wet/snowy weather?

Very selfish OP, you really disappoint me

 

[PoppyAnderson]

But had you actually taken stock of what a potential mixed breeding FOAL might have to endure when being born into cold/wet/snowy weather?

Very selfish OP, you really disappoint me

Yes, I thought it through and the foal will only have to endure the very best care. I may end up being proved wrong but I honestly don't feel selfish.

 

[Alec Swan]

Yes, I thought it through and the foal will only have to endure the very best care. I may end up being proved wrong but I honestly don't feel selfish.

I'm really sorry Poppy, but it isn't to do with being selfish, but simple common sense. Winter (or approaching that time) born foals are a nightmare. The mare won't have the benefit of decent grass which she will most certainly need unless you are VERY experienced, and in truth it doesn't sound as though you are, the foal won't benefit from the summer sun, or the available natural feed, any attempts at upping her feed intake pre-foaling could lead to disaster, as will by the sound of it, your subsequent management of the mare.

In short Poppy, I think that your plans are a recipe for disaster, and I'd suggest that the only thing that you can hope for, is that the mare fails to hold to the covering. In your shoes, I'd be praying!

Good luck, you're going to need it!

Alec.

 

[ester]

Well unless the mare is hiding a cream gene a smokey black won't be occurring.

Personally I don't understand what all the rush was to have them together in autumn.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Both look like nice horses and natural covering can be fine, I just don't understand why you're having a winter foal on purpose. It's much harder for both mare and foal to thrive. This set up could have worked just fine if you'd waited a few months!