What's the most prohibitive thing about breeding?

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AndyPandy

AndyPandy

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What are the factors that you find most prohibitive when it comes to breeding? Any other ideas (outside of the poll) would be gratefully received
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I doubt I'd take the mare out of work for long, certainly not during the whole term.

I'd be concerned about my facilities for keeping the two of them and weaning them.
 
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I doubt I'd take the mare out of work for long, certainly not during the whole term.

I'd be concerned about my facilities for keeping the two of them and weaning them.

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Likewise, I am on a livery yard and was concerned that they could accomodate a mare and foal, luckily if there are any problems two local breeders have offered me livery after the foal arrives, and the positive is that they will also have mares and foals of similar age. My YO has been fab though, and even planned a foaling box into the work they have been doing so I would only move mine if fences and other horses become a problem
 
I ticked "cost" as the main reason. I chose to send my mare to a stud to be covered so there were the livery costs as well as stud fee (and, of course, she was bang in season the day she went but they didn't cover her immediately so we had a 3 week wait . . . ). I then also chose to send her back to the stud to foal so there were all the livery costs again and their foaling fee. Fortunately, the mare had no problems but the livery fees DO mount up. I don't begrudge any of it though as I'd much rather have her in a knowledgeable environment where they know what they are looking at and can deal with any problems that arise before it's too late.
 
I ticked risks, it's a lot of effort, time and money and there are certainly no guarentees for anything positive to come from it.

My pregnant mare had a perfect conception and early pregnancy, only to be kicked and break her leg two weeks ago! She seems to be recovering now and I guess a lot of people will say you get that risk with any horse but when there are two involved in doubles the pressure / worry and expense.

Still, would do it again in a heartbeat
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Finding a good stud vet and/or AI centre/stud and the risks to the mare. I am struggling to find a stud vet or AI place that will take Hattie next year.
 
It'd be facilities for me - finding a yard that would take mare in foal/mare with foal with foot. And then the whole weaning thing and where I'd keep weaned foal etc. Plus I'd want foalie to have company of other foals.
Oh, yes, and cost!!
 
Cost - Hardly ever cover the cost unless selling as a foal. But then you cant beat the buzz. Mind you there are disapointments my yearling used to be straight as a dye when trotted up now he looks a bit wide in front. Oh well the fun of breeding!
 
Cost, but also not knowing if that cost will produce anything or leave you with further costs and losses (fear of the cost escalating; inability to budget with confidence). Also uncertainty as to studs' professionalism / kindness / competence when dealing with your horse.

I now have my own land, but previously THE most prohibitive thing about breeding- which prevented me from doing it for years- was the cost of livery fees; paying heavily for 2 horses without actually having the use of either.
 
I am also going to follow the popular theme and say costs are the biggest factor. I have mares specifically to breed from, so obviously I am not worried about taking them out of work, although I am considering exploring embryo transfer to enable one or two of them to do something else as well.

The second factor would be the availablity of good veterinary assistance. I generally only use AI for my mares, and the ones we have done at home have not caused me any trouble - but then I had an extremely competent and obliging vet this season.

The third and final consideration would be worry that the mares will not be treated in the manner they have become accustomed to when they go away to stud. As I said above, most of mine are AIed at home, but the one who went away for insemination with frozen semen caused me concern - she did come back in foal, but she had also lost an awful lot of weight, and needed a lot of TLC to get her back up to normality. I will certainly not use that establishment again, and it would make me think twice about sending one away - which in turn at the moment excludes the option of frozen semen until I find a place who has standards for general care that match mine.
 
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Finding a good stud vet and/or AI centre/stud and the risks to the mare. I am struggling to find a stud vet or AI place that will take Hattie next year.

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AndyPandy isn't that far from us
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For me it's the period from the birth of the foal to four when we tend to sell them.
We compete our stallion so he doesn't really count as a stud fee, the cost of keeping the mare for 18 months until the foal's weaned isn't high, but the risk factor of injury or illness and possibly losing the foal is the worst thing for me.
For many years we only lost two foals, twins premature.
Then the last few years I have lost foals for the daftest of reasons, fertilser poisoning when a contractor made a mistake, sudden death and latterly ecoli..
At the moment we still have a foal hospitalised and are hoping he comes ok, but the cost with something like that soon creeps up to over £2000.
You can't insure either as the overall cost is too much.
When we sent mares to other stallions my choice was always coloured by their fertility rates and the knowledge of the stud owner, early on I soon ran up enormous keep and vet fees with someone less clued up, and I was careful ever after.
Now I wouldn't send a mare anywhere unless they could show me good fertility records.
 
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