To cover or not to cover?? I can't decide for best.

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jayvee

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the new season is looming and I sent my mare to stud last summer. But no luck! Was naturally covered by the same stallion in hand. She was a text book example and all was convinced she would take. The scans showed nothing wrong with her either. But she is now rising 19 (in may) and to my knowledge she has never ever foaled.
As things didn't happen last season I am offered another stallion this season.
But I don't know if I should do it. My mare is still in full work and having lost another mare last summer to an accident there are no other mares home here, only geldings. So she would be kept alone if taken. (I will want to bring her home after covering).
I also feel that as it didn't happen last time there must be a reason, and if she took this time I fear its all going to go wrong that way! OOooo I just dont know what to do. I am only doing it because I would like a foal from her to eventually replace her as my new baby because she is very special to me. What should I do???
 
I don't know
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Is it worth the risk? If you don't do it will you regret it in a few year's time? I'm not an expert when it comes to breeding, so I don't think I can give much more advice then that...

How about buying an orphan foalie that they can't find a substitute mare for? Tis easy to get attatched to them
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I think 19 is pushing it a bit for a first foal. Honestly, I'd go for one already born, as there are so many youngsters about. I wouldn't risk losing a precious person and what would you do if the foal wasn't what you wanted? My concern would be for its future, too. There are no guarantees in life, so I'd want the least risky way!
 
Thats what I am torn against your reasons exactly, against the what if? And to be honest I doubt I would buy a foal if she didnt have one.
 
I wouldn't breed her. i think 19 is old for a first foal too. Can you buy one of the stallion's babies out of a mare that you like?
 
Oohh I could never afford one their foals!! I only want one from my mare. Even if it was an ugly mug its from her, its me being all stupid and emotional.
 
trickyone !!!!!i,m in the same predicament only my mare is 7 this year ...wanted her put in foal due to her being out of work due to an injury .she didnt catch last year after going to stud...now i,v had longer to think about it and shes coming back into work ......what to do is the question???????
 
I had the same problem a couple of years ago. My mare was covered time after time but no luck. I sent her back at the beginning of last year and she got covered once and was scanned in foal! I put it down to her age as she was 20. It can take a while for older mares to get into the swing of things and if theyre old their bodies can take a whie to get used to the idea that theyre going to have a foal. I know i made the right decision, If i didnt sent her back it would have been a waste of a year off work and lots of money!
 
When i first took to stud it was in july. Do you think it was the time of year that wasnt helping? And she had 3 coverings for each 3 seasons which ran into sept. As this time i would take her to stud at the beginning of spring when she starts coming into season. I would try the other stallion as I have heard that rarely the mare and stallion chosen may not be compatible if you know what I mean. And we only stuck with the one stallion. Did your mare foal easily at her age too?
 
I've had the same dilemma, well a bit different with one of my mares. She didn't take last year but it was AI and they couldn't find out why she didn't get in-foal, everything is normal. So stud suggested i sent her to a stallion for natural covering, which is what im going to do in April. However, she is only 14, but i haven't got my hopes up, but its worth a shot.

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When i first took to stud it was in july. Do you think it was the time of year that wasnt helping?

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IMO this probably didn't help, no, i know it was quite a bad year for people who sent their mares late to the stallion. My cousins mare for example didn't take when she sent her in July and everything was normal.

If i were you, i would take her to a stallion, earlier this time, covering her naturally, then if she does not get in-foal you can go down the embryo transfer route.

Hope this helps, and Good Luck
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A couple of things to think about , covering 3 times in one particular season is a bit excessive and leads me to wonder if your mare got a bit of an infection that stopped her getting in foal.
Was your mare given an internal swab or scanned to check for any likely problems e.g cysts or fluid.
The other thing is to do embryo transfer your mare has to get in foal to start with.
There has to be a fertilised egg to flush out to transfer to a surrogate mare.
If your mare had a little infection it is pretty easy to sort out but it may be worth having your own vet take a biopsy from the uterine wall to see if it healthy .
if all is well then i would go for it and give it another go.
Do the stud concerned have a good reputaion for small fertility problems and do they have good stud vets.
Sometimes all it needs is a little extra intervention.
 
I had the same dilema as you, sent my 18yr old mare to stud in july 05 did not fall pregnant, so as a last try sent her in early september 05 and she fell straight away. Obviously i was worried that at 19 she would find it difficult and it was her first foal but i knew i would regret it if i did not try again.
Happliy last august she easily had a beautiful, healthy filly foal.
So i would say do try again
 
IMO, I wouldnt do it. Simply because you obviously want the very best for her and she is 19, has never foaled before and didnt take last year. I wouldnt want anything to go wrong or put my oldie at any risk. But its all down to you, only you know deep down what to do and only you know if you think she's fit and healthy enough to cope with it.
 
Thats what I worry about. But she is very fit and very healthy and still in full work. I can understand an unfit oldie not taking.

Does anyone know if AI has a better success rate? As the stud is only 45mins away and I can easily collect etc, just the timing with the vet really.
 
As someone who breeds several foals a year my advice would be that at 19 and a first foal I wouldn.t want to risk a much loved mare. How would you cope if anything hppened to her
 
If A.i'ing with fresh semen then you should get as good as if not better fertility than natural cover as it is much cleaner and mare less likely to have a reaction/put up fluid , infection.
Should be around the same slightly less with chilled semen and obviously less with frozen semen.
 
Also (sorry guys), she shares a field with one gelding. Would it be ok for her to return to the gelding for company, or should I keep her alone? Was suggested to put her on regumate if was taken and kept alone. Could be possible to 'borrow' a mare pony, but wouldnt the excitement of new company have an effect?
 
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