how old is too old?

Tempi

Tempi

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Ok so a few of you know that i want to put Blossy into foal this year. However financially for me right now its really not the right thing for me to be doing. As much as i want to put her in foal i know its going to really strain me. Whereas if i wait until next year i will be getting more money at work (due a payrise when i finish my OU course) and i will have paid off my credit card - i had to put all Archies rugs/tack etc on one as he came with nothing.

Blossy is 13, coming up to 14 in June. So next year she will be 14, coming up to 15 so if i wait until next year (2008) to put her in foal shes going to be 'foaling' at 15 (nearly 16). It will be her first foal.

For those of you who dont know shes a very fit competition mare, she competes regularly and i will be hunting her next season. She hunted for the whole of the 2005 season, but hasnt this year due to her competing BD a lot over the winter.

I basically want to know if anyone here has bred from an older mare and as a first foal.

I know my vet dosent think its an issue as shes really fit and has never *touch wood* had any health problems at all.
 
yes - my friend (buckinghorse) put her mare in foal, and she foaled last year, and i htink i'm right in saying she was 18! and a maiden mare too! she was a cracking mother and may (not sure) be going back in foal this year too....?

yours should be fine, as long as the mare is healthy and not baren (sp)

Bx
 
thank you for your quick reply hun!! thats the sort of thing i want to here about, as in other peoples experiences.

i really want to breed from her as i know she'l have a cracking foal. and as much as id love to do it this year like i said above financially it really isnt the right thing for me to do now
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I had a maiden TB mare on loan three years ago from a friend in Newmarket. The mare was 17! The first foal she had she was nearly a month late but he was fit and healthy, she has bred three foals for me in total now and she looks a million dollars. She's retired now at the age of 21!

I had her regularly checked by the vet and kept an eye on her weight through the winter, she has been an excellent mother.
 
so it sounds like its ok then! i totally understand about the mare being fit/healthy etc, and like i said my vet dosent seem to think its a problem as shes very fit and will stay that way for as long as possible.
 
Same age as Asti. She's 14 now rising 15. If she goes to stud in spring, she'll be 15 nearly 16 when she is due to foal.

I could have put it off a year but didn't want to risk it, most people say 15 tops for a maiden mare. Byter was that age when she had Ivy too, and it was fine.

Asti has been as fit as a fiddle all her life and well ridden so should be OK!

I figure it should be OK money wise, have got the stud fees and bits and pieces put aside, she's insured for vets bills, and I won't have to start paying seperately for livery for the foal until its weaned so plenty of time to make sure everything is manageable.
 
Our stud vet always has said it's never too old!

As long as your mare is hale and hearty (which she certainly is!) and has been checked out in the gynological department then I honestly can't see a problem. Your mare will tell you if she doesn't want to play ball!

All I would say is get her checked out very early so if she does need treatment it can be done early enough that you will not end up with a July/August foal. For mares of that age, I personally prefer it if they can be weaned by the end of October so that they don't start dropping condition when the weathers starts deteriorating as it is a long haul to get them back into nic' again; so ideally you are looking at an April or May foal. Take into consideration what your ground conditions are usually like in the spring (for this reason, anything earlier than very late March is a no-no here!) as you'll need to have them out grazing as long as possible not cooped up inside cos you're waterlogged - and turnout into a school is as good as useless for a mare and foal IMO.

Ooooooooohh, stallion shopping - great fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I don't think you;ll have any problem at all. Up until she was put in foal Amy was fit and healthy (still is!). She will be 18 when she gives birth. Perhaps a little too old for some - but certainly not for her.

I certainly wouldn't be concerned in your position.
 
i already know what stallion im using, i was going to use him last year for her. And i will use him next year. I spent ages and ages trawling through stallions trying to find the perfect one for her last year, so now we've found him il definately be using him next year!

Samba Hit III

ETS - she had a full gynae check up last year and everything was fine, but like you said its a good idea to to it in advance (which i will do for next year) incase of any problems.
 
He's nice!!!!! Very nice!!!

Yup, It was 15 years ago on 1st June that I delivered a little ginger foal, and had the pleasure of cold wet ears in my face...

I think she's been so spoilt she's had an easy life! Mind you, she has a real mallen streak now, all grey under her foerlock, its really cute! But it blends in with her multicoloured mane so we don't need the grecian 2000 yet!
 
unfortunately she has to go to something fine, as she is rather chunky!!! and i want a dressage horse out of it! not saying that a CB wont be, however combined with her NC it would be one chunky little foal!!
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He is nice
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. From what I remember Bloss will have the bone and certainly from the looks of him he will have the blood!

Hb
 
thats the idea!!! hes got a good hock action which im hoping will compensate for Bloss's not so good one, hes also nice and uphill built, whereas she has stumpy front legs!!
 
my mare was 16yrs at her first foaling
caught first time AI(good centre and stallion though) foaled fine.needed bit of help getting baby out though.
was fine with foal until she tried to nurse then rejected her and it took 3 days for us to accept her again.
use a good stallion and stud to increase your chances.
only breed from her if shes of breeding quality-otherwise buy something already on the ground-much safer and cheaper!
 
Well my mares will be 15 and 16 when they have their foals this year, so they were 14 and 15 when put in-foal. I'll find out whether it was a good idea or not in 5/6months.

Had a few probs though-
Teazle got in-foal 1st time only for it to be twins but a successful pinching was carried out
Bramble got in-foal 1st time, reabsorbed, then didn't take and then finally got in-foal
Also another mare did not get in-foal at all. This was AI though.

So far for 2 unborn foals its cost £2,100 !!!! And i don't pay any livery or pay anthing for hay and straw. It's expensive but hopefully will be worth it!

Good Luck to you, I'm positive Bloss will have a stunning little one.
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What breeding is she BTW?
 
I put my mare in foal (first time) at 14, she had her colt foal May 06. She was AI'd at Willesley (Glos) only once, took first time, had no complications and foaled at home with me there to help (never seen/done it before myself either)

My mare was worked up until the end of Jan 06, and was again a very fit and healthy competition mare and it really did help.

I didnt put her back in foal straight away, and have just brought her back in to work, however it all went so well last time I may put her back in foal this spring, which means she will foal next year when she will be 17
 
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