Breeding from your mare ...

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Victoria25

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I’m thinking of breeding from my mare for the first time (mine and hers) but the more people I speak to the more I get scared from all the ‘she wont take first time’ stories.
She’s 11 years old and will be keeping the foal for the future. I have lots of friends that brred from their mares that will help me along the way should we need it (along with a good vet) but just wondered if you were to do it would you:
Fresh/frozen or chilled?
Send the mare away or keep her at home and have the vet come to you for scanning etc?
Have any of you had really bad luck in getting a foal from your horse?
I just don’t want to put her in any avoidable stressful situations x
 
If you just breed willy nilly then chances are not good she will take first time.

First off get a reproduction exam preferably by a vet who specialises in Repro. I would swab as well to make sure all is well inside but a Repro vet should anyway.

Then it's the timing of which you will need scans to pinpoint for best chance of success. Fresh or chilled should not cause any issues. Find out what services certain SO's offer. Sometimes it's cheaper to have your mare at a reputable stud farm in which they do all inclusive packages. I've left my mare for 3 weeks and walked away with a pregnant mare for 210 euros including all vet. Having a vet coming to you for each scan gets costly. But needs to be a reputable stud who are spot on with care and Repro. I expect a high level of care so my mare doesn't go anywhere I haven't checked out first.

But at 11 she isn't too old. Trying to breed on the cheap costs more money in the long run. A Repro exam to start before you even think about stallions is the way to go. This way you should know of any potential problems that can be addressed before breeding.

Anyway good luck.

Terri
 
Oh lord no, definately not trying to do it on the cheap, just finding the easiest/best way for her as had her since she was 3 and is very much part of our family :D

My vet does all the AI services and he knows her inside out but will definately have her examined first. It's just that Ive been in touch the stallions owner for a while. He has been spoken about on here (with very good feedback). His owner suggested that it may be better for my vet to deal with us rather than her fretting and being taken here there an everywhere which I'd also prefer but if she needs to be sent away then so be it :rolleyes: Im just waiting for their feedback/advice too :D
 
Victoria25 said:
Oh lord no, definately not trying to do it on the cheap, just finding the easiest/best way for her as had her since she was 3 and is very much part of our family :D

My vet does all the AI services and he knows her inside out but will definately have her examined first. It's just that Ive been in touch the stallions owner for a while. He has been spoken about on here (with very good feedback). His owner suggested that it may be better for my vet to deal with us rather than her fretting and being taken here there an everywhere which I'd also prefer but if she needs to be sent away then so be it :rolleyes: Im just waiting for their feedback/advice too :D
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As long as all parties are happy, I would go along with them
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Whatever is easiest for mare and you. Wasn't implying you were trying to do it on the cheap. I just find most people who say things like maidens never take first time are usually the ones hoping it all just works out.

Since you have a good Repro vet that's a great start. Very few good ones here, most are just GP's. Which is fine but it's the same when I need lamness diagnosed, not calling the more specialised in Repro guy! It's just a common mistake that ends up costing more in the long run.

Terri
 
Well Im waiting for my own vet to call me back -to see what he recommends. Ive also got the options of the stud where the stallion will be at a later date and another local vet that's been highly recommended and that has excellent AI facilities on site.
 
I bred from my maiden mare when she was 13 and now have a strapping 2 year old who came home to me from Stud last weekend.
She has good breeding and I went for a wonderful highly graded Luso stallion with amazing temperament to complement the mare's conformation.

The mare went away for the whole of the time from conception. I chose a well equipped, competent stud & AI centre with excellent Repro vets. (It was important for me that the mare and foal would live in a herd).

If I was doing it all again I would definitely send away to Stud. They have the experience and knowledge and if something untoward happens they are rarely phased. My boy had to have 2 hourly feeds for the first 24 hours and to be helped to get him standing. He then had a blood transfusion. He was 70 miles away from me and at no time did I have to worry if they were doing the right thing for him.

As I say, he now stands at over 15 hands and there is no way that I could have matched the care that he and the mare received.
 
i've often thought about it but the thing that stops me is i couldn't bear it if something happened and i lost my mare, i would forever feel guilty, of course that is looking at the worst case scenario but i think you have to consider if you are prepared to take that risk when you are breeding from a 'pet'.
 
I bred from my mare 3 years ago, she was 19 when she went to stud. She took first time with natural covering, I did have her checked over first before sending her to the stud yard. I asked for help choosing the right stallion for her, the stud were fantastic as I was a first time breeder. I am now the proud owner of a filly who was born into my arms, it happened so quickly as I was lucky to arrive at the field for my foal watch stint, she was born 20 mins later and always wanted the vet to be there but she missed it.
My friend sent her mare away to the same stud on the same day as me, her mare was a maiden and 15 years old. She took first time with the same stallion I used, she had an healthy colt the next day after my filly was born. Its been lovely watching them both grow up together in the same field, they are both 17 months old now.
I have bred to keep, however I am realistic and know something may happen in the future which may make it impossible for her to stay. So I chose the best stallion I could afford who complimented my mare the most, so hopefully the resulting foal would be a quality youngster. However whilst I am fit and healthy she will never be sold :)

Good luck
 
I bred from my SectionD/ Thoroughbred mare some years ago, she was 14 when she went to stud and as she was a maiden mare was advised by the vet that she possibly wouldn't catch very easily which proved true as she went to stud in May and remained there until the end of August when we were advised that although she had been covered by the stallion she appeared to be coming into season again but it was to late in the year to cover her again so home she came. Had her scanned and she was in foal. Worked out due dates and waited and waited! Had vet out for my other horse about a week after foal due and had her checked just in case, he informed me that he thought she must have lost the foal in the early stages of pregnancy as there was no sign of a foal. She had not gained any weight and just looked like a healthy happy mare. Three days later as I arrived on the yard to feed in the early hours before work there was a very long legged. healthy feeding foal. All was well with both mare and foal and I still have the foal who is now 19 years old! It has been a wonderful experience having her from birth and knowing her so well. Unfortunately this year I have seen the other side of having a foal when my Falabella had a still birth a fortnight ago, this would have been her third foal and the other two have been born with no problems at all so it just goes to show that an experienced mare may not foal any easier than a maiden mare. The only advise I can give is to do your homework on the stallion you choose and be realistic about what you want from the foal and be sure that you will have the time to put into two horses. I chose to breed from my mare as she had a hormone problem that the vet suggested could be improved by putting her in foal, unfortunately she also had foot problems that the foal inherited but I have just had to deal with that. I always intended to keep the foal but realise that there are a lot of unwanted horses. Not sure I would breed again as there are many unwanted horses looking for homes.
 
My girly was maiden at 13, took a bit of hormone therapy but luckily caught on her first AI cycle, first thing to consider as to whether to keep at home or send to vets/stud is facilities, not many mares will stand 100% for scanning, therefore better to have access to stocks. Then you have have to consider the frequency of the scans, as my mare was transitional she needed regular (at one point hourly!) scans and veterinary hormone therapy, to get the exact time of insemination. She was away for 10 days at the stud as this was the easiest option, I can't remember prices but as a rough guide I think it was over £100 for the 10 days, plus a grooms fee, plus the veterinary treatment etc. (btw swab and eva blood test were done prior to this) As said she caught first time, and I am now the proud owner of a VERY big 3 year old!! I took a gamble with the risk associated, it's something I always wanted to do, and not sure if I would have forgiven myself if something had gone wrong, but the only person to blame if it had would have been me.... I've heard of so many horror stories this year about mares or foals being lost that I don't honestly think I would ever do it again! Despite loving every minute. It is a long process, with alot of excitement and expense, and at the end of it there is no guarantee of getting what you want. Having said that if it does work out it's wonderful!!! Good luck. x
 
I have gone for a vet package from a specialist repro vet. I took the mare for regular scans until she was cycling then she stayed at the vets for 5 days (in a paddock) before coming home. She has to travel back for a 14-16 day scan then 28 days and 42 day scans.
 
Hi guys and thanks soooo much for your helpful replies :D

Well bit of an update, shes due to go down to Twemlows Stud in Shropshire this Monday and she'll stay down there until after she's been had her first pregnancy scan. The stallion will be resident down there so we will have access to fresh semen (she's being AI'd) and at least they can scan her regularly. Shes on regu-mate at the moment and her 10th day for it will be tomorrow so hopefully she'll be ready for the following week.

The stallion has an excellent track record (and is talked about a lot on here with 5* feedback) wish us luck and that all goes well ... so nervous :eek:
 
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