Talk me out of wanting to put my mare in foal, please

[Shilasdair]

Delphipuppy, that made me laugh too!
But
1. I couldn't be more broke. I have achieved complete brokeness.
2. I don't seem to be the belly-staring type

3. I am already a grumpy zombie...and if it's only two weeks I'll be very happy...last one was two weeks late, giving me a month of night checks

4. I may be an idiot, but I don't need a foal's help for that

5. Ha! I refute this one as I have no horsey images on my phone at all!
6. What's a social life, anyway?
7. I will never ever call myself a foal's grandmother....I am more of a foalbeater really

But thanks for trying to stop me!
S

 

[madmare22]

i could send you some photos of how bad it can be when it does go wrong. not for the faint hearted and definitely a little bit sick but they were taken for a very valid reason

 

[kickandshout]

DONT DO IT !!! (is that good enough ???)
you would never forgive yourself if it all went wrong and you lost both foal and mare.
also what happens if the foal turns out plain or a bit mediocre ?
if you want to start with a youngster why not go and see whats on the market ??
there's far too many mares put in foal just because ..... (no offence to you)

(how am i doing so far)

 

[Shilasdair]

[ QUOTE ]
i could send you some photos of how bad it can be when it does go wrong. not for the faint hearted and definitely a little bit sick but they were taken for a very valid reason

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, how will you send them? And what are they of?
S

 

[Shilasdair]

[ QUOTE ]
DONT DO IT !!! (is that good enough ???)
you would never forgive yourself if it all went wrong and you lost both foal and mare.
also what happens if the foal turns out plain or a bit mediocre ?
if you want to start with a youngster why not go and see whats on the market ??
there's far too many mares put in foal just because ..... (no offence to you)

(how am i doing so far)

[/ QUOTE ]

Doing very well.

Both mare and foal could die. Mare could die (another orphan to deal with). Foal could die.
Mare is still sound and workable aged nearly 20yrs...has nice temperament...her one foal to date was very nice.
It is a difficult decision, isn't it?
S

 

[S_N]

Would you like me to post pics of a mare prolapsing her uterus?

 

[S_N]

Here ya go shils - this mare died.

 

[Shilasdair]

Thanks, _SN_
I think I may be immune to gore though...having dissected a few equine body parts

I am sorry for the loss of your mare, though, and hope you had a live foal (and a foster mum).
S

 

[S_N]

Yeah foalie survived and had a foster mum - MFH_09 has foster mum's own foal. It always happens to the really good mares - this one was a full sister to some really smart racehorses and her babies are starting to produce the goods - I think she was only 9/10. Not mine though, but it was and is terribly sad. She is the 3rd mare I have known this happen to and the youngest.

 

[SirenaXVI]

[ QUOTE ]
Some mares of that age can get in foal but I think the biggest issue is what it will do to you.
1) You will be even more broke than you are now

2) you will spend the last 3 months staring stupidly at her stomach waiting to see the foal move

3) For at least two weeks you will be up every night all night waiting for her to foal down, this will turn you into a grumpy zombie

4) Foal has arrived and you now behave like a besotted idiot, boring the pants off everyone with endless tales of how foal fell over scratching it's nose and similar stories
5) Yours phone will be overloaded with images which you have to show to everyone!
6) You will never get any work done or have a social life as you will be in the field watching wonder foal eat, sleep and drink, whilst making stupid ahhhing noises.
7) worst of all you'll start calling yourself a grandmother

Hope this helps to put you off!

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you been watching me you have just described my current life to a tee

Shils quite seriously, I do think your mare is a little old to breed from, however, the last time we tried my old broodmare she was around 20 and failed to take which I was fatalistic about, just not meant to be, so I kinda agree with you on that score.

 

[pinkcatkin]

Don't do it.

Yes you are already grumpy, but if you lose your mare you will be sad and grumpy. You do not need another horse.

Why dont you just do a course on effigy making or something?

If you insist on this lunatic ambition of yours, then put your mare to an Irish Draught stallion. That should stop you.

 

[htobago]

Ken - she wouldn't be starting at 19; she's already had a foal!

But seriously. Shils you are clearly a highly competent and experienced person and could look after a foal properly, etc., and I'm assuming that you would have the mare properly examined and take the vet's advice on whether she is OK to have a foal or not (vet's advice would be rather better than ours, I think).

The only remaining question is whether the mare is really excellent enough to breed from. I say 'excellent' rather than 'good' or 'nice', because IMO only the very best mares should be used for breeding. There are plenty of ho-hum, OK, mediocre horses out there - no point in breeding another one.

When you say this mare's foal was 'nice', what exactly do you mean? Was it excellent? Was it outstanding? What has the mare done, or what qualities does she have, that make her worthy of being bred from?

Please don't be offended by any of this - for all I know, your mare may be a truly excellent horse and produce outstanding foals - I'm just asking! All we know at the moment is that she is well bred, on the sire's side anyway (I don't know the damline).

 

[madmare22]

photos of how i found my mare one morning. you may be immune to gore,as i am, i have dissected many body parts but beleive me its different when it isnt some unknown animal but your own that you have to clean up after. something you have attachement to. Breeding, so far this year a dead mare and foal, an orphaned foal and a mare who has had to undergo two surgeries to put her back together after the foal put its foot through the birth canal causing anal vaginal fistula, vets bills in excess of 15K, livery bills for orphaned foal plus the financial loss of losing my best two mares plus a valuable foal. i am not trying to sayall breeding is bad, i too have covered an older mare this year dues to have heartbeat scan shortly but this mare has been a broodmare for a while now and is an excellent mother.

 

[Shilasdair]

Shall I post a pic of her - sorry, she isn't stood up for it, but my OH took it in the field....this photo was taken a few months ago, when she'd been out of work for a couple of years, so has no muscle.
She has just been an all round pleasant riding horse with few or no lameness problems. When she was younger, I was told by a few different show judges that she would have done very well showing, but I know nothing about it, so they may have been telling me porkies (I'm not competitive).
What do you think of her, then? Be honest!
S

 

[AmyMay]

Think you've made up your mind Shils.

She's a super mare - and if you manage to get her in foal, will produce you something really nice.

Of course, you may go off the boil by next spring - but half the fun is preparing them anyway.

Get your other half to rig you up a lamp with a timer switch on it - so that you can get her under lights after Christmas.

She's definately go to a TB if she were mine - and I know just the lad!

 

[Shilasdair]

[ QUOTE ]
Think you've made up your mind Shils.

She's a super mare - and if you manage to get her in foal, will produce you something really nice.

Of course, you may go off the boil by next spring - but half the fun is preparing them anyway.

Get your other half to rig you up a lamp with a timer switch on it - so that you can get her under lights after Christmas.

She's definately go to a TB if she were mine - and I know just the lad!

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for your thoughts - what TB would you use? I don't want to send her to stud, though, as I don't trust them to look after her.... paranoid, I know.

S

 

[AmyMay]

No Submission. Or Sally's High Tension. But No Submission would probably be my preferred choice.

We had one of his at my yard (born) 18 months ago - and quite frankly he was outstanding. The mare is back in foal to him this year.

Another friend has one by him too - out of a pretty crap mare - but another stunning colt.

 

[Shilasdair]

Thanks, AmyMay. I don't like No Submission for her...she's 16hh, incidentally, as I think he's not the right type.
I do like High Tension, though.
I liked Accondy, and used him last time for a different mare. I also quite like Stravinsky....
But I am no breeding expert, as you can all clearly tell.
S

 

[AmyMay]

But that's what is such fun about breeding - we all like something different.

(I will say that the photo of No Submission does him no justice what so ever).

How exciting.............

 

[maestro]

I would suggest you have her Biopsied and checked out by a repro vet first it might answer your question before you start.

 

[htobago]

Ah! Now I understand! Why on earth didn't you post a photo earlier? She is gorgeous! And looks in wonderful condition - I'd never guess she was 19!

Assuming her reproductive bits are all in order, and the vet sees no problems, I would certainly breed from her.

 

[KenRehill]

she's already had a foal!
, yes at the age of four, so not very relevant.

Anyway the OP had already decided to breed the mare before she started this thread, so it's all a little academic.

 

[wormhugs]

A friend of mine at a previous yard has a mare by Another Hoarwithy and she is most definitely challenging.. Needed very sympathetic riding and would rear and strop at the drop of a hat or if you looked at her funny. Was hacking with her one day and the mare reared up and came to rest with her knees on my boys rump! She didn't like hacking

Your mare looks lovely though and I'm sure you would have noticed major character flaws like these ones though!
Good luck with your mare if you decide to go for it!

 

[Maggie2]

If you have a look at a recent thread from Ashbank you will see a very nice Stravinsky foal, only very young but seems very smart.

I am stronly considering him for one of mine next year.

 

[mikebizz]

the fool who breeds for the wise man to buy.... but they are cute!!

 

[Springs]

Why would you want to put your mare in foal?

Why not just go out and buy one, you won't have to worry about somthing going wrong and loosing the mare or foal or both, and a heap load of money.

Think long and hard about it!

 

[Shilasdair]

[ QUOTE ]
she's already had a foal!
, yes at the age of four, so not very relevant.

Anyway the OP had already decided to breed the mare before she started this thread, so it's all a little academic.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I haven't decided.
And I am asking for honest views - and appreciate them, whether for or against the idea.
If I did go ahead, and the mare and foal ended up in difficulties, or the foal was not viable for any reason, be assured that I would have them PTS as necessary.
Whatever I breed would have to have a decent chance at a working future; I see no point in adding extra horses to an already busy marketplace.
I have in the past, had insight into a few studs...many of their broodmares had never worked, or went lame when broken, or were of uncertain temperament (I know this is not true of all studs, before you all lynch me!) At least if I breed from this mare, I know she was ridden for a while

But I am listening regarding her age, the expense, the possible horrors when it goes wrong - and for taking the time to reply, thank you all.
S

 

[Daisychain]

She looks lovely, i have just put my mare back in foal this year and she is 17, caught first time, natural service my mare is T.B. by Tudorville and i have put her to Teffy's Grade A showjumper stallion for hopefully a nice scopey eventer type.

 

[htobago]

[ QUOTE ]
she's already had a foal!
, yes at the age of four, so not very relevant.

Anyway the OP had already decided to breed the mare before she started this thread, so it's all a little academic.

[/ QUOTE ]

Fair point about the foal - it was certainly a long time ago! But surely even a foal some years ago is marginally better than a 19yo maiden? Anyway, it's Shils' repro vet's opinion that really matters on this aspect, not ours.

The mare does look remarkably well and youthful for her age, I think.

 

[sallyf]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
she's already had a foal!
, yes at the age of four, so not very relevant.

Anyway the OP had already decided to breed the mare before she started this thread, so it's all a little academic.

[/ QUOTE ]

Fair point about the foal - it was certainly a long time ago! But surely even a foal some years ago is marginally better than a 19yo maiden? Anyway, it's Shils' repro vet's opinion that really matters on this aspect, not ours.

The mare does look remarkably well and youthful for her age, I think.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunately thats not always the case often mares that have a foal at a young age and then try again when they are much older are the most difficult to get in foal.