To breed or not?

T

Thistle

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Dolly is my cob mare. She has a great temperament and good conformation. She is black with a white blaze, 3 stockings and a white patch on the black knee.

She has been lame due to an injury for the past 4 years on and off, every time I try to bring her back to work she can't cope.

She is 18 years old and is a real fattie and has to wear a muzzle to restrict her grazing. She really does live on fresh air.

She had a foal (or 2) as a youngster prior to coming over from Ireland.

As far as I can see she has no purpose unless I breed from her. She is unsuitable as a companion as she is such a fattie.

I have bred 2 foals before (not from Dolly), have my own well fenced pasture and stables.

I would like to put her to a TB (any ideas, I'm in N Herts) and would like to breed something that would event.

Dolly is quite fizzy but very safe and sensible. She has done PC, evented at 3ft, taught beginners to ride and been my safe and trusted hunter, jumping everything and being good.

A local show producer was trying to get me to put her to a nice cob, as she is so correct, I suppose I could, but not sure I want to have a youngster for me as I am getting older!

I would also love to breed a coloured baby, so unsure of whether to go coloured cob or try to find a coloured TB type to breed and eventer for my 15 year old daughter who currently events her pony at BE Novice.

Any ideas?, particularly stally suggestions.

Should I go AI (have good local vets) or should I send her away, either for natural or AI (would worry about laminitis if she was to live out 24/7 at stud though).
 
Amy is foal to Lostock Huntsman. He is super.

Next time I would be going for a TB. And do like High Tension.
 
you don't mention why she has been lame since the age of 14

if it is something that could inhibit soundness of a foal then is breeding the right thing to do ?
 
Firstly what was her injury and is it likely to be something that could be passed onto the foal? If you are looking to breed a competition horse then that is something I would consider very carefully.
Also I would personally only consider full TB to a cob, and certainly wouldn't be necessarily looking for a coloured horse.

TBH, my gut feeling is if you are definitely looking for something for your daughter to bring on to event you'd be better off buying an unbroken youngster.
 
The injury was initially a check ligament caused by treading on a trot pole that rolled.

Vet says her conformation is OK and she would be a good brood mare.

The daughter having the foal is only a possibility, I may sell it on if it wasn't an event type. Wouldn't be breeding the foal just for her.

The coloured thing is really my dream, but not the top priority in choosing a stally for her.
 
Have a look at Northern Inspiration at Romarnic Stud (google it will come up!) He is a lovely natured very useful horse so might suit her and I think he has Lostock in there somewhere!
 
I don't think the strain would affect her she is less than 1/10 lame on no meds, just can't cope with increased work. Is happy enough to gallop around when you are trying to catch her in the pouring rain this morning!
 
LOL!
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Coloured traditional cobs are fetching very good money - is your cob the hairy type - if she is, I would consider breeding something like this. That said, I am seriously into gypsy cobs and totally biased.
 
I would be careful as mares like this are often prone to pregnancy related laminitis, but as long as you monitor her carefully as I'm sure you will i see no problems
 
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I would be careful as mares like this are often prone to pregnancy related laminitis

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Why?
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I would be careful as mares like this are often prone to pregnancy related laminitis

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Why?
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Thistle has already told us that her mare is a very good doer who lives on 'thin air'. It is mares like this who are more susceptible to laminitis due to hormonal changes and changes in diet such as being put on high protien breeders rations.

Heres some more about it from a vet;

'Pregnancy related laminitis is a rare form seen in the middle to late stages of pregnancy. Often the mare has never had laminitis before and it will continue until the feoutus is expelled by parturition or abortion. This is a very diffucult form of the disease to halt and pregnant mares can develop severe lamintis.'
 
Too much scare mongering. That means that any of us that have good doers shouldn't breed. Amy is a good doer, lives on thin air and is pregnant. Her wait has remained constant throughout, and only now is starting to put extra weight on related to pregnancy.

Managed properly the mare will be fine, and no more likely to get pregnancy based laminitis than any other.
 
'Too much scare mongering. That means that any of us that have good doers shouldn't breed.'

Where in my post did you read that?!

'Managed properly the mare will be fine.'

Which i basically said in my original post
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I would be careful as mares like this are often prone to pregnancy related laminitis

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Why?
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Thistle has already told us that her mare is a very good doer who lives on 'thin air'. It is mares like this who are more susceptible to laminitis due to hormonal changes and changes in diet such as being put on high protien breeders rations.

Heres some more about it from a vet;

'Pregnancy related laminitis is a rare form seen in the middle to late stages of pregnancy. Often the mare has never had laminitis before and it will continue until the feoutus is expelled by parturition or abortion. This is a very diffucult form of the disease to halt and pregnant mares can develop severe lamintis.'

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I certainly would never feel the need for Dolly to go on high protein breeders rations. Normal feed plus balancer and good quality forage would almost certainly be sufficient for her.

If I did breed from her should I get her AI'd at home or send her to stud.

I have a large and experienced equine vets nearby.
 
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but as long as you monitor her carefully as I'm sure you will, i see no problems

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Can no-one but me see this part of my post? you asked for peoples opinions on breeding from her and i merely suggested you should watch out for laminitis. Having seen 3 mares die from pregnancy related lami I am bound to say about it. I wasn't suggesting that you are incapable of looking after your mare, its just something that many people do not know about or consider. It is caused not just by food but by hormonal imbalances occuring in pregnancy.
 
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but as long as you monitor her carefully as I'm sure you will, i see no problems

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Can no-one but me see this part of my post? you asked for peoples opinions on breeding from her and i merely suggested you should watch out for laminitis. Having seen 3 mares die from pregnancy related lami I am bound to say about it. I wasn't suggesting that you are incapable of looking after your mare, its just something that many people do not know about or consider. It is caused not just by food but by hormonal imbalances occuring in pregnancy.

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Hey why are you critising me?

I was just replying how I would intend to manage her diet, no crisism of you post!
 
She sounds like a fab type to breed from - any piccies?

Agree that the management of her diet would be very important, but then it is for any pregnant mare - they are all individuals after all eh.

What about the TB I've Been Framed? He's a coloured and is homozygous and having seen a stunning foal by him this year (ask MFH_09 more) I'd be tempted to use him - though he's not exactly cheap!
 
SN he isnt Homozygous as he has produced a couple of bay fillies this year.
Also standing in Ireland so only avaliable frozen semen.
 
I'd go for it, but think why you're breeding?

What would be your intention for the foal? An eventer for your daughter? She'll be 19/20 before it's ready to do anything serious. Will she be at uni by then, in which case who's going to ride the youngster?

Would the offspring be a ride for you? You bought your mare presumably for yourself originally, so would you like another similar, for you?

Do you fancy being a proud owner, and paying a professional or decent local rider to compete your horse?
If that's the case, what's your bag of beans? Dressage? Eventing? Then breed from a sire likely to produce something more of that stamp?

Or do you intend to sell the offspring at weaning? Quality, safe and sensible might find a better, long term home that potential super-star that doesn't quite make it.
 
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