the verdict is.....................

[brackenhappy]

nope......

!! bracken is not pregnant again!!

stud is a bit frustrated for me as well as bracken has no infection,fluid etc she is just not taking!!

they would have changed stallions except shes with their most fertile one as it is!!

looks like shes gonna put a black mark against his stats!!

anyway i have decided to give her 1 last go this year and have told the stud to try AI as well if they need to so i think once bracken realises she aint getting anymore fun she may just concive!!!!

if this dont work then shes back there early next year!!

its a good job i dont mind a late foal!!!

the only plus is another mare that has been there a few weeks longer than bracken was scanned in foal today so maybe bracken just wants to be the last to leave!!

its frustrating but what can you do!! at least its not just me though!! the stud owner is as well!!! like she pointed out if there was a reason for her not getting pregnant at least they could work on it!

just when no reason makes it harder!!

anyways thanks for reading and will post again when get the next scan date!!!

 

[AndyPandy]

Has she had a full breeding soundness examination including cytology, culture and uterine biopsy? Without this, you can't be sure what could be going on. Also, get her progesterone levels measured post ovulation; is the resultant corpus luteum active enough to maintain a pregnancy?

It is a bit late in the season to try now, in my opinion - so if she doesn't take this time, it's not necessarily indicative of a long term problem; it could just be that she's coming to the end of this years cycling and may be transitioning out.

 

[Navalgem]

sorry to hear that BH

Fingers x'ed for next time then!

 

[brackenhappy]

Thanks AP i dont think so but then i dont know!!will ask karen when i pick her up!! i know i havent had any of those done before she went but if she hasnt at the stud and is not pregnant will speak to my vet as will have till april to find out!! shes only had 2 natural seasons up to now the first ended 48hrs before she went to stud!! do think this weather hasnt helped as she is usually a tarty mare that is never out of season!! i have known her to come in to season in decemeber when a new gelding arrived on the yard and was turned out with her!!! i was going to bring her home but am going to give her one last go as karen has said she will be covered again this week, dont know when exactly am phoning back later in the week,as usual was in work when i phoned and cant stay on phone to long!!! if she catches this time great if not will have her looked at before next years season and try again!!! if at first you dont suceed try and try again!!!!!!!!!!

 

[brackenhappy]

thanks................... next time its the arm!!!!!

i think 5 goes of dollar is to many!!!

poor boy must shake when he sees her arrive in the barn!!!!

so shes had her fun and can now be done with some help!!!!!!

 

[htobago]

Sorry to hear this brackenhappy - you really haven't had much luck this year!

AP's advice sounds good, as always!

 

[brackenhappy]

thanks Htobago..............shes been bubble wrapped and you can expect her by 10am tomorrow special delivery!!!!!!

if your boy cant do it then i will quit!!!!!!!!

please dont return to sender tho!!!!!!

 

[Navalgem]

LMAO! Anyone would think you didn't want her Bracken!! And we know you lover her really!

 

[brackenhappy]

not right now i dont!!!!!

shes costin me a fortune getting some fun!!!!!

she better be nice to me when she comes home or she will never have fun again!!!

ever

!!!!! not even with a gelding!!!!!!!!

 

[MillionDollar]

Sorry to hear this. I know exactly what its like!

 

[springfallstud]

so sorry to hear this so frustrating aswell as costly (((hug)))

 

[brackenhappy]

thanks claire is sooooo anoying!!!

hope that she is caught as want an 08 baby!!

each year that passes make me a year older and then thats when i think i will be too old to be gettin on youngsters!!!

i dont bounce these days!!!!!!

if she has an 08 baby i will be 33 when its time to break in!!!!!!

 

[brackenhappy]

thanks springfallstud

yep costly indeed!!!!

think will need to sell my body at this rate athough dont think would get much!!!!

why do we put ourselves through it though??? we must be mad!!!!

 

[Navalgem]

33's nothin bracken! lol, my Yo's similar age 2 u n u should have seen what she was on today

she's no fear I'm telling u! Plus I sin that pic of u on that rearer! lol

 

[AndyPandy]

Oh - another thing I should mention is the little-understood concept of stallion-mare-incompatibility.

This problem is diagnosed when a mare is bred with semen from a stallion of known fertility, and does not conceive despite repeated attempts and no other detectable problems with techniques, handling of the semen, the semen itself or the mare; and conceives immediately when bred with a different stallion.

It may be due to the mare posessing a specific antibody which binds to sperm from a particular stallion, or may be due to embryonic loss a few days after conception. It is rare, and as I say, is little-understood, but is a possibility. Keep it in mind.

 

[Anastasia]

That is such a shame.....it really has been a testing time for breeders this year.

As AP says there are a lot of other things you would need to check. We had a young mare with progresterone problems, she would get to a certain point in her pregnancy and then lose the foals. We had two choices, either to keep her on drugs to keep up her progesterone levels high during her pregnancy or let her go as a riding horse, we decided on the latter in the end.

I am in no way saying this is the same as your mare, but perhaps use this time to get her checked out ready for the 2008 season........but it is disappointing and frustrating when this happens.....not to mention costly...........

 

[Damien]

Really sorry to hear that BH after all the time and effort spent and funds on trying! Would definitely look at AI next year and have a full breeding work up carried out before you start.

 

[brackenhappy]

33 is something!!!

i dont like falling off!!!

as for that rearer................2 bottle of rum made me do that!!

mind you thats a thought if im permantly p*ssed then i will get on anything!!!!!

and the other prob is i do have fear now!! never used to have broken horses in the past and it dint faze me!!

after doing my knee in (long story but 11 months of work and keyhole surgery to fix!!) i'm a bit more fearful than i was before

scared to take anymore time of work!! and them physios are a nightmare!! they love to torture you!!

 

[brackenhappy]

thanks AP its a remote possibility but knowing my luck thats whats happened with bracken!!!

i have heard of the incompatibility but thought that was if the mare wouldnt let the stallion near her!

hopin its just that bracken is being a pain and wanting a late foal!

and that the AI works!!

although if it dont will speak to my vet or if he dont know! a breed specialist about this!!

 

[brackenhappy]

Thanks Anastasia, although with bracken dont see me riding her again!! so that option is out of the window!!!! however will have till april if shes not expecting to get her checked out and see if its her or not if it is then will just keep her as a pet as normal!! expensive pet though!!!

 

[brackenhappy]

Thanks Opie, costly it is!!! if she hasnt taken this year will get her looked at and start off with the AI!! the only consilation i have is my friends horse tia who failed to concive last year was AI'd and naturally covered this year and took first time!! although she re-absorbed this, they did the same again and shes now home and pregnant!! they scanned her at 27 days as well as the 17 and 40 to keep an eye on her as she made the 17 days scan however on the 40 day scan it hadnt grown and a few days later it was gone

so there is some hope!!!!

 

[htobago]

Poor brackenhappy! What rotten luck you've had this year.

Still, maybe the final attempt will work...

If not, as you say, you've got plenty of time to get her checked out properly before trying again next year.

And if AP is right about incompatibility, just think of all the fun you'll have choosing a new stallion for her!

I'm always rather envious of you mare owners jaunting off looking at stallions and posting pics and mulling over their pros and cons and everything. C'mon, admit it - it is fun isn't it?

I expect to see at least 20 threads on here about which stally might be worthy of Bracken's affections next spring!

P.S. I do like your stoically cheerful attitude about all this - you must be getting very fed up and frustrated (not to mention broke

) and yet your posts are always cheery and amusing, bless you!

 

[brackenhappy]

Thanks Htobago well if i dont laugh i will cry!!!

it is fun going to look at potential boyfriends for the mares!!! got one eyed up now!!

.............lovely make that a stunning arab you might of heard of him!!!?

think hes called Htobago or something simillar!!!!!!!!!

bracken will be lucky if i ever talk to her again the trollop never mind finding her a new man!!!!

well shes having the 'arm' treatment now!! and its her own doing!! if she had co-operated in the begining then the nasty rubber glove thingy would not be going near her!!!!

p.s willing to swap a 15.2hh tart for your boy if you want to go on some stallion hunting jaunts?!!!

.......................is that a no then!!!!

 

[Foxford]

Booo!!! I want to see Brackens' baby next year! Tell Bracken she can eat for 2 - even my gelding would be up for getting pregnant if I offered him that!!

All is not lost anyway, still got a few more weeks of keeping our fingers crossed.

 

[brackenhappy]

LOL!! shes a heffer already!!!!

sure she must be easy 22 months pregnant!!!!!

best is i will winge all winter about how 'skinny' she is (if not pregnant!) then winge all summer how 'fat' she is!!!!

just a few more weeks left for crossing your fingers the you may uncross them till april!!!!!!

hows apollo doing now???

 

[Foxford]

He's great thanks. Haven't seen him since last week so he will probably have grown a hand by the weekend!! He is learning how to be a cheeky little so and so, that's about it! Still can't wait to back him though I must be mad!

 

[brackenhappy]

LOL you must be a nutter!!

i'm dreading backing my foalie and it aint concieved yet!!!!!!

wait till you look back on your baby piccies when hes 1!! thats when you realsie how big they really are!!!

its like whicker at the yard is 13 months and think sarah said shes standing at 14.1hh!!! best is wendys foal,liffey, is the same size now that whicker was and she is soooooooooo small compered to whicker!!! scary all that growing in just 12 months!!!

 

[htobago]

Thanks sweetie! You know Bracken will always be very welcome at Cliveden - I'm sure Tobago would love her!

But I would hate to deprive you of all the fun of a stallion-search! We need something to keep us amused through all those long winter evenings...where would we be without all the 'would this stally suit my mare?' threads to ponder and debate?

Can you remind me how Bracken is bred? I'm sure you've told me before, but I've forgotten - sorry! (My mother always says that she doesn't have a memory, she has a 'forgettory' - I think I must have inherited my 'forgettory' from her LOL!)

 

[brackenhappy]

Hi Htobago, bracken is TB x no papers as i got her to stop her being PTS as she wasnt in foal

she was though so i had the last laugh!!!

i am a sucker for a sob story hence why i stay away from the auctions as i would be over run!!!!!

i really dont mind letting you swap!!

i'm very generous when it comes to given bracken away!!!!!

. i know some people will frown (and this is not directed at anyone here as you are all very nice just some people in RL!

) that i am breding from bracken as she is unpapered and no history however as she has thrown a lovely tempered foal before and had no probs at all and she'e wasting her life in a field i thought i would have a go myself and see what she would produce again! the foal had such potential and she could jump lol in fact straight into the farmers field when she was 8 months old!!

only thing was she 'forgot' how to get back nothing at all due to the waist height grass in the farmers field!!!!!!

 

[Navalgem]

I think it all depends on what you want to the foal to do, obviously you're not expecing to breed a world beater from her (but would be nice if you did!). I think everyone has a right to breed what they want to as long as the mare has good conformation and a nice temprement, and the right stallion is chosen to compliment the mare, not everyone wants the next Salinero or Arko (or could afford it!).

I HATE the people who think that only top level animals should be bread from? What about happy hackers/rc people? They couldn't afford to buy the arko's that didn't turn out the way the breeding suggests!

Just to clarify:- the reason I asked about my colt covering my friend unpapered mare is that I hadn't seen the mare and was being asked to accept it on a supposed grade A record and it's also unsound for hard work (and has had the vet again this week for swellings in the hind limbs after being hacked out).