Suffolk mare - No wonder they're endangered!!!!

countrybumpkin1

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Got a suffolk mare (Jessie) on my Grandads farm. Noticed she was in season so been trying her with our own stallion (3/4 bred shire thing) but he didn't want her (think he'd been kicked in the you no want by her) has had 1 foal before by our own stallion (non suffolk)

So sent her to a suffolk Stallion in Attleburgh, they'd tried her then cross covered her. But shes back in season and can't seem to get her off. Ran out of time to take her off season and short cycle her again (vet).

Luckily they're gonna take Jessie next year, earlier in the season to make sure thay have time to ensure that she gets in foal.

So heres hoping she help the breed and let the vet scan her.
 
oh dear! they are a bit of a pain bless them.

At Framlingham horse show this year there were lots of Suffolk foals and apparently the largest collection of Suffolk horses on one show ground anywhere in the country!
 
I was there and it was fab, especially as they all had to be moved from one ring to the other end of the showground cos the Air Ambulance had to pick a girl up who broke her leg.

All the foals were impeccably behaved and were so beautiful. It was quite a sight. The other really great thing to see is the Suffolk Spectacular in September.
 
She's holding out for a nice Cleveland Bay Stallion
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I know! I held the fence up while the air ambulance took off!!!!

they are just such big and well turned out horses! Although mine was scared of them and wouldnt pass the few in full harness!
 
I believe Maddie Campbell at hobgoblins takes in a couple of Suffolk mare’s for AI’ing to Suffolk stallions this year (one mare had a Millenium foal last year too!) I do think though that there are quite a few low fertility probs in the breed though (don’t quote me if I am wrong) in general.
 
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I do think though that there are quite a few low fertility probs in the breed though (don’t quote me if I am wrong) in general.

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My vet looks after a Suffolk Punch stud where they were running the stallion with the mares. The first year, he went to scan half-a-dozen mares (timing based on when the stallion was seen 'covering' them) and NONE were in foal. Owner was very worried and vet was starting to discuss options for testing the stallion when he remembered me telling him my big chap could have 'steering' problems and needed a helping hand with many mares. He asked owner how closely he'd observed the coverings - owner had just seen them from the window!

All the mares were re-covered in-hand; owner was surprised at how much help the stallion needed to get himself 'organised'! All were in foal next time!

Sometimes I wonder how horses survive in the wild - but of course you don't find great big horses like Suffolk Punches 'in the wild'.
 
Suffolk's are renound for being difficult to get in foal, my vet does a lot of Suffolks (we have loads around here) and says it's mainly because of the amount of inbreeding.

Most Suffolks are now brought into season via a series of jabs, with scans as if AI-ing, although mainly natural covering occurs (also a problem in a lot of Suffolk stallions with un-freezable semen)

If I had a Suffolk mare, I certainly wouldn't put it to anything other than a Suffolk stallion, but then that is just me trying to preserve the breed, lol.
 
we have tried in the past with a suffolk stallion but the vet was always to scared to scan her, so we thought run her with our own stallion to see if she would carry a foal, to which she did, then left her alone for a few years and shes back showing signs again so thought we would give it a go (obviusly not)

Heres hoping 2009 would work
 
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She's holding out for a nice Cleveland Bay Stallion
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Good Lord - what a cross that would be! You might end up with one of these ....
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MeadApril2006007.jpg
 
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Stunning!

Is that pure CB or a cross?

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She's a Suffolk x CB!!
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Hence my rather tongue in cheek comment!

Her SP dam is Morley Magic, her sire was Son Supreme. He was 21 yrs young when he sired Mead and was an unregistered CB stallion by Mulgrave Supreme out of Manningford Hera. I've owned her since she was 2yrs of age - now 15!!
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Her breeder owned both a number of SP mares and the stallion. He had a falling out with the CBHS hence not registering the stallion. although they (CBHS) will accept Son Supreme's progeny through his own illustrious sire!

Who do you think she takes after more - CB or Suffolk?
 
It's funny you should say that - a well known (local to me) CB breeder was uttlerly convinced she was a full CB too! Although she thought she was a CB Stallion when she first saw her!!

I've never shown her, although when she's been competed she always gets lovely comments made about her, and she's not been bred from yet - but she'll get her chance next year!
 
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