Unsure, it's a huge responsibility... And people do it willy nilly!?

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Alphamare

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Still unsure about breeding from my mare. :)
She is well bred. I have a fantastic stallion picked out that compliments her and will fix her main conformational fault. The foal would be a keeper. What I want to breed I can't just go out and buy.

I worked on a stud and have experience with foaling and with foals

But I am busy doing all my research, and it's terrifying! All the things to bare in mind. From the herd situation to fencing to weaning to just deciding how to separate her and when etc etc. There is so much to consider and so much could go wrong.

And people still breed?! :)

How do you overcome the fears/obsticals/hurdles.

It's a HUGE thing to take on. When do you know if it's the right thing to do or not?
 
Once I'd made the decision to do it and found the right stallion, I found a stud whose owners I trusted and who have great experienced vets on their doorstep and then left everything to them.

I could never have done it all myself and knew that if anything untoward happened they had the knowhow, common sense and time (I work full time) to deal with it. I also wanted my mare to live out in a herd and the foal to interact with others of his own age. Nearly 2 years on I am pleased with the decision and have a healthy and lovely youngster.

I would definitely suggest you go and look at a number of alternatives and then weigh up what works for you.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck :-)
 
You take each hurdle as it comes!
I lost my mare breeding my first and last foal I was planning on keeping them both forever I had little experience with foals but rode all my life and had lots of youngsters breaking in and bringing ob before buying Mildred who was the first horse I bought!
There are lots of hurdles Mabel stands me at about 5grand - so a good job she's priceless to me!
You'll get it right whatever happens if you were breeding to sell and was in two minds I'd say leave it to the professionals but if you want this foal go for it and don't worry. Most can't have the bad luck I had and I'm still smiling (with occasional tears) lol I just thank the stars I got Mabel and that's only because I seemed help where I needed it- foaling, no one could have stopped Mildred passing away but I think the stud saved Mabel for me!
 
Id say got for ot alphamare! i covered my mare last year im lucky enough to keep them on a stud so help is always at hand.i chose my stallion and the rest was easy..plenty of common sense! i knew the risks before putting her in foal and it can be very rewarding at the end when you have a healthy foal..just enjoy!
 
My advice would to go for it if you have throught it all through carefully, got a hubby picked etc! The reason i say this is that you sound as if you have your head screwed on (unlike some who suddenly decide to breed on a whim - my advice would be different to them!)
I made the mistake or ummming and arrrring and wasted 2 seasons (ie - 2 summers), that winter my mare had a freak accident in the field and had to be PTS there and then :-( i often wonder what if... if she had of been infoal, would she have been more sensible in the field etc. I cannot afford to replace her with another mare of her breeding as i havent got a spare £16k and thats the cheapest i've seen advertised (i admit, i still look nearly 4 years later!). I wish so much that 1st summer i had gone for it rather than being unsure of all of the finer details etc.

echo what the others say, you take each hurdle and day as it comes, yes, you go out of your mind with worry, but it will be worth it in the long run, even when things dont go to plan (i've been there!), you somehow find inner strength to carry on, so.... whos the daddy???? whats your mares breeding ???? :-))
 
Alphamare said:
will fix her main conformational fault. The foal would be a keeper. What I want to breed I can't just go out and buy.
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MAY fix her conformational fault, there are no guarantees with breeding - you might not get the foal you want, and then what?
 
Erin said:
MAY fix her conformational fault, there are no guarantees with breeding - you might not get the foal you want, and then what?
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This is true, I put my nicely put together mare to a stallion with a lovely long neck, and what has the baby got? A short neck!

However, if you have thought it through really carefull and are still keen, go for it. Yes there are risks, but the majority of mares get on with it themselves and it is both fun and rewarding having a foal.

Don't forget to factor in the fact you won't be able to ride for nearly a year though, all the vet fees, and how you will manage to wean...

If you are worried about the foaling you can send the mare to a stud to foal, where they foal in, have camera's and 24/7 staff... I prefer to foal out but this is an option for you.

Make sure you are happy with the cost of it all too, my filly cost me 4k to get on the ground, and that was without anything going wrong - stud fee, stud livery fees, vets fees etc soon eat up money.
 
We are well aware of the cost. It is one of the driving reasons behind the dithering. As i am well aware u could buy something for less.

As for the conformational fault/s. I am not an idiot :) EVERY horse has some conformational fault or another. Some are worse than others. Some much better. My mare has fab conformation actually but has one fault i am not worried about and another i would hope to correct. Both caracteristic of her breeding. She is a pure bred Arabian. I wont bother posting pictures as when i did i got ripped to shreds about her... and NOT even over her conformation. Several people decided i shouldnt breed from her because she 'doesnt look like an Arab'. considering she is Race and French bred she wouldnt. They are much bigger and plainer looking. She is slightly croup high (which is what i would prefer to fix but if the foal was the same it wouldnt be the end of the world. She is also ever so slightly cow hocked. Again a common arab fault

The croup higness and her size (15'2) is why i have decided against another Arab and have chose instead a Lusitano. The stallion i have chose is in the USA and how owner only breeds to select mares. It should be a testimony to her excellence that not only are they happy with her but so was the owner of a rare Arab who i could use if i wanted too. She doesnt let him cover just anything either.

I would be spending a lot of money on the stud fee for a start. No £250 stallions here.

As far as foaling goes with the support of our vet who is experienced in such things i am happy to do it at home and actually already have a stable big enough to be a foaling box.
I also have a 1 acre field that i could separate her and the foal away from the herd too and a retired broodmare which i would plan to put the foal with at weaning. The turn it out with the rest of the herd (who would have been over the fence) at 1year plus.

Even then, i am still not sure about it. So many things can go wrong. Its not as easy as people make it out to be. Its not something that should be done without serious consideration. Its not something that should be done as it is being done right now with good breeders not breeding and other people churning out crap.

Anyway... thoughts for and against greatly appreciated :D
 
People wouldnt have bred from my mare we called her the fat hippo short neck short legs weak behind excessive knee action! Heart of gold though jumped everything never nasty did as she was told and was an all-round superstar! My foal has dads long legs long neck moves perfectly not flashy I'll admit but perfectly straight and correct, but has mummy big common head which I love big ears and is just mums character all round so in that sense perfection!
Your not daft these things can cost the world, I go without before my horses I couldn't take a holiday/go to friends weddings or clothes shopping but I found the money to pay for milk which is so expensive (I spent in excess of £1000)
This foal is for you if you want it breed it and I wish you the best of luck!
Xx
 
if you are breeding as a keeper, no matter what arrives on the floor go for it (knowing the costs and risks) if you want a color size and sex to do a certain job, then go buy a youngster that ticks the boxes. breeding when going well is very rewarding, and when it goes wrong then it breaks your heart. (and bank balance)
 
Nothing for some of them. Some are fine. Others are just rubbish that should be geldings!

Anyway the stallion I want is a quality animal and I would be paying over £1000 for him.
 
Alphamare said:
As for the conformational fault/s. I am not an idiot :) EVERY horse has some conformational fault or another. Some are worse than others. Some much better.

The issue I think lays with your comment "She is well bred. I have a fantastic stallion picked out that compliments her and will fix her main conformational fault." "and will fix her main conformational fault" is only possible if he is known to have strength in that area to overcome the mares fault.

"My mare has fab conformation actually but has one fault i am not worried about and another i would hope to correct. Both caracteristic of her breeding. She is a pure bred Arabian. I wont bother posting pictures as when i did i got ripped to shreds about her... and NOT even over her conformation. Several people decided i shouldnt breed from her because she 'doesnt look like an Arab'. considering she is Race and French bred she wouldnt. They are much bigger and plainer looking. She is slightly croup high (which is what i would prefer to fix but if the foal was the same it wouldnt be the end of the world. She is also ever so slightly cow hocked. Again a common arab fault"

Croup high & cow hocked does not = "fab conformation" as both contribute to unsoundness. Being cow hocked is also frowned upon in the show ring for Arabs.

"The croup higness and her size (15'2) is why i have decided against another Arab and have chose instead a Lusitano. The stallion i have chose is in the USA and how owner only breeds to select mares. It should be a testimony to her excellence that not only are they happy with her but so was the owner of a rare Arab who i could use if i wanted too. She doesnt let him cover just anything either."

Lusitano is probably a good cross for an Arab, does he eliminate the faults when used on Arab mares like yours?


Anyway... thoughts for and against greatly appreciated :D
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I think you will do what you want no matter what anyone says. Bare in mind though that NO ONE should breed for themselves anything that is not commercially viable. Your circumstances could change & that offspring could have to be sold. It just seems sometimes that because someone is breeding to keep thoughts of the offspring or it future job are brushed over. Ensure there is a market for the offspring.

The other thing I am finding concerning is the amount of people who are ruining youngsters because they just do not have a clue. Youngsters being handled by novices, backed by unbalanced novices, worse unconfident novices. The youngsters are being taught to take control & not rely on the handler who is not confident to deal with them.

So go ahead, so long as you are aware there are always risks, the pregnancy, the delivery, & while growing up. You are paying for a future ridden horse by installments, and it will be way over what you would normally have to pay. The plus side all being well is having a well balanced, well mannered individual who you have watched grow up & develope.
 
Thank you magic. You are right at the end of the day I will do what I want but the decision may be to not breed.

Also I'm guessing you missed the part where I said I worked on a stud! I'm not one that's likely to ruin a youngster. Infact my 4 year old is doing fab. (bought him at 3.)
 
Alphamare said:
Anyway the stallion I want is a quality animal and I would be paying over £1000 for him.
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I'll not talk about whether you should or shouldn't breed to your mare, only you can decide that. Instead I'll comment on costs and suggestions on what you should check out prior to making your decision (if you haven't already done so).

Is the semen fresh or frozen? If fresh then you have a bigger window for a successful conception. If the semen is coming from America then I'd make sure that the stallion owner has a good reputation for getting the semen to you on the days it is needed. Have you considered what the plan will be if your mare ovulates on a weekend? You need to find out the longevity and quality of the semen and make sure that it will hold up should your mare look like she'll ovulate at the most inappropriate time. Check out the courier company protocol to make sure they will deliver to you when you need it and if it looks to be problematic then have a plan B. Many a time I have had to collect semen from the airport as my mares have a sense of humour at times :) Check that your vet or AI specialist will be on hand whenever you need them. With fresh timing is not so critical so that shouldn't be too much of a problem but I'd check to make sure.

If you are using frozen semen then timing is critical however in some ways it is better as you have the frozen on-hand and ready for when you need it. I bred all my mares frozen this year and all were successful breedings first time however I have fabulous AIers who check my mares at any time of the day or night. With frozen you should have the mares scanned every 6 hours (when close to ovulation) and insemination normally takes place immediately after ovulation, unlike when using fresh where (especially if you know what size the mare will ovulate at) they are generally inseminated prior to ovulation. The vet/AI costs are significantly greater for frozen semen than they are when using fresh semen.

It helps a lot when you know your mares and you know at what size follicle they generally ovulate. Some mares are not reliable but some are very reliable and you really can pinpoint when they will be ready for insemination. I cannot stress enough the importance of having very experienced AI people at your disposal.

I don't know you so I may be teaching granny to suck eggs but hopefully you got something out of my ramblings :)
 
Spring Feather said:
I don't know you so I may be teaching granny to suck eggs but hopefully you got something out of my ramblings :)
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Actually no :) i found that incredibly helpful actually!!!

Thank you!

I have a couple of stallion choices to go with should i want to change my mind on one for one reason or another. One of the stallions in America for example only does frozen but they are stored here in the UK.

Like i said in my rambling posts, i really dont know if its worth doing which is why i am doing all the research i can and asking the questions.

Frozen sounds very fiddly so i may change stallions (or not breed) on that basis alone.
 
Frozen can be more finicky however the plus is that you do have the semen there at your fingertips at exactly the moment you need it. There is no panic over the semen not arriving or being way laid somewhere like you sometimes have when using fresh. If you use frozen you must make sure you use repro specialists. I have had the same conceptions rates when using frozen as I have using fresh. TBH I prefer using frozen nowadays because I'm normally on foal-watch at the same time as I'm rebreeding so I don't want or need any setbacks which can occur with fresh.

The stallion you say you like from America has frozen semen stored in the UK; is it stored at a specialist AI breeding facility? If so then you should consider taking your mare there a few days pre-ovulation and have her inseminated there. Once she's ovulated you could take her home and have all further scans done at home (if the AI clinic is too far to travel to). If you really like this stallion please do not be put off by frozen, just make sure your mare is in the hands of someone who know what they are doing.
 
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