How old is too old?

[kerrylou123]

Whats the oldest you would reccommend a maiden mare to be put in foal?
Last year i had 14.1 27 yr old mare on loan, and was told by my boss to put her in foal, but i thought she would have been far too old!
What do you think?

 

[lennysmith]

I think it depends on the mare. However for a maiden, I wouldn't feel comfortable putting anything over 15 in foal. If she has foaled before then thats different. Thats only IMO though x

 

[pixie]

I wouldn't if it were a maiden over about 15 years. I guess it depends on the general health of the individual, but being in foal and parturition can put a huge stress on them, so I wouldn't even put a non-maiden mare in foal if she was 27!

 

[SJFAN]

It's perfectly possible to breed from maiden mares in their late teens as long as they have been properly vetted. Many very successful competition horses have been the offspring of "senior citizen" dams.

 

[juliehannah58]

I would not put a 27 yr ol maiden mare in foal, no way!

My showjumping mare has just recently sustained a ligament injury, she is 15 and has had to lovely big foals before with no problems so she will be going to stud in March time. This will make her coming 17 when the foal is born and I don't think I could personally leave it much later than this, as the mare is too special to me to risk. Plus I'm hoping she can come back into work once foal is weaned.

A breeder friend of mine regularly has foals from her brood mares till early twenties, but then, they have no other purpose. I guess it depends on the owner and the mares uses.

 

[Petrie]

Wouldn't a mare be barren by 27? Don't they have a menopause?!

 

[juliehannah58]

They do usually but if they are still very healthy and happy some will still have seasons

 

[SJFAN]

Other mammals do not seem to experience menopause as humans do, they just have reduced fertility.

 

[Theresa_F]

We did breed from Anna, our arab mare at 20 and she was a maiden.

This was only due to her being from such rare bloodlines - she was only one of 4 left.

Beautiful foal who unfortunately was born with part of the brain missing - but according to the specialists this happens with some arab horses and was not due to the mare's age.

The arab society did ask us to breed from her again, but she was now 22 and we were heartbroken at what happened to Pollyanna and decided not to.

Our mare was very fit and healthy at the time.

I would have serious reserves about using a mare at 27 who was a maiden unless she was exceptionally healthy and was vetted first.

 

[kerrylou123]

i was really Shocked that my boss told me to breed from her, and she's supposed to be really experienced with stud work!
The mare i own, is 14 next year, and will be sending her off to stud, being a maiden mare, but theres noway id send anything off at 27!

 

[Tia]

Personally 15 years old is my cut-off for maidens. At 27 unless the mare is a broodmare, I very much doubt she could have conceived anyway.

 

[MillionDollar]

My two mares are 14 and 15 and in foal with their first foals!

27 is too old for a first foal IMO, but prob not if shes had foals before and is healthy!

 

[Parkranger]

I always thought that 15 was a cut off - Jennie LC has been known to breed from 20 year old maiden mares though apparently......I suppose it depends on the mare and the experience of the breeder..

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
Personally 15 years old is my cut-off for maidens. At 27 unless the mare is a broodmare, I very much doubt she could have conceived anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Took the words right out of my mouth!

Edited to include - Even if a mare - maiden or otherwise - was to concieve at such an age, the liklihood of a healthy, happy outcome would be reduced. She could easily absorb/abort/have a dead foal/die foaling..... I personally wouldn't risk it.