Why are people breeding lame mares

[milliepops]

Yes, because from another thread:-



To breed and then produce a good basic ridden allrounder, ready to go out be enjoyed by the new owner will cost the breeders five figures, if they are honest with themselves about the costs ?‍.

but it's so unfairrrrrrrrrr

 

[SEL]

I had someone recently offer to take the Appy off me to put to a stallion. The ONLY thing my mare has got going for her is she would breed spots. We'll ignore the PSSM, temperament and arthritis issues in favour of a pretty colour .......

I think that's one of the reasons PSSM has been hard to knock out of some breeds. Mares who are "not quite right" under saddle but look fine in the field are bred from without anyone knowing they have a genetic muscle disease (or worse if owner suspects but won't test)

 

[Casey76]

I know one mare, who was bred as a 2-yo (common thing to do in France to stop ponies going overheight ??), then managed to damage three tendons in three legs over the next 5 years; spent 2 out of the 4 years in rehab, once consisting of 6 months 24/7 box rest which required daily sedation at turnout time; then went on to have SI ligament issues before being returned to the breeders farm to become a brood mare “because she had an excellent bloodlines”

 

[stormox]

If a mare is lame because of an injury and will never be rideable, but she is otherwise healthy with no major conformation faults, surely it is better for her to be sold as a broodmare rather than killed? (PTS if you prefer to use the euphemism).

 

[TheMule]

If a mare is lame because of an injury and will never be rideable, but she is otherwise healthy with no major conformation faults, surely it is better for her to be sold as a broodmare rather than killed? (PTS if you prefer to use the euphemism).

If she is physically sound, has a good temperament, would have otherwise had good prospects and is put to a good stallion who will produce the above, if the owner can afford all of the extra veterinary care and nutrition required to get her pregnant and to keep her through pregnancy, can insure against foaling complications, is prepared to give a foal the care it needs after birth and regular routine hoof and vet care, to pay for it to be raised in a herd and also to have a pot of money on the side for the 'in cases' then sure.....

Anything less than all of that then I would argue it is a far better fate for the mare to be PTS humanely than risk the welfare of 2 animals. How many posts do we get on this board asking ridiculous questions about their weanlings which are being kept in near abusive situations?

 

[Bernster]

I’ve had experience of two mares with soundness issues (which weren’t due to an obvious injury) and have been surprised at how often people ask me if I will breed from them.

 

[windand rain]

While raising a foal is the most amazing experience, anyone not wanting to lose a mare, lose a foal, get a foal that is the wrong colour, wrong height, wrong build, wrong sex etc should buy a foal at weaning. If they really want one. There are no guarantees you have to be prepared to keep for life every foal that doesnt grow the right shape, is dangerous in temperament, if you plan to breed and never sell you need to accept the ugly unexpected ducklings along with that rare swan. You need to breed the best to the best and hope for the best but the chances are higher you wont get what you want than you will. You also have to be prepared to kill PTS a foal that might be born alive but have poor quality of life or life limiting deformaties it is only the brave or stupid that do it. I hope it is the brave but there are also a lot of the other

 

[Sleipnir]

It is also a pet peeve of mine and, although there are circumstances when I can understand it (soundness issues are from an accident and the mare is otherwise healthy and with a good working record/conformation), it sometimes goes to a horrible extent. Two examples from my own experience immediately pop into mind:

1. Novice owners bought an 18yo brood mare from a large stud. She had had 16 foals and the vet evaluated that her genitals were in a terrible state, also that she should not be bred again. They hired me to train the mare a bit, as she was very fidgety and had huge issues (serious kicking) when it came to accessing her hind end. After basic manners were set in place and she had more trust in people again....she was bred. Turned out, new owners wanted her to produce them a future dressage prospect. She gave birth to a foal, but disappeared from the face of Earth after that.

2. Big, "famous" stud that produces expensive warmbloods that are mostly sold off to Russia and Europe. An obviously well-bred mare was in foal and expected to give birth to an extremely expensive foal. Unfortunately, the mare broke her leg in a freak accident and....no, she wasn't put down. As the foal was too valuable, she was made to keep going and, although three-legged and absolutely suffering now, was even turned out in the paddock with others. Vets were not informed and, although the locals saw what is happening and complained to our local RSPCA-type-organisation, it is simply too toothless to do anything even in situations as vile as this. When the foal was born, the mare was put down, and the foal then kept isolated and miserable as the stud owner, a mean drunk, was convinced that other horses would harm the foal and thus his precious investment would become damaged goods. What was most shocking in this situation was the fact that several other local "big name" equestrians who knew of what was happening, defended the owner as, apparently, putting the life of the foal at risk is UNETHICAL. My blood still boils remembering this case... That poor, poor mare.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

That's exciting news, AE. Who are you breeding her to?

This one: http://stallionai.co.uk/stallions/ansiei/

 

[windand rain]

I went to view a riding horse where they bred showjumpers. One poor mare had broken her leg and it had healed at an odd angle the foal was by a famous olympic showjumper so she was kept going. One of her earlier foals had gone on to be a top showjumper so once the foal was born she went back to said stallion for another year of struggling on three and a half legs. I did not buy the riding horse

 

[Pippity]

my mare would be a lovely mum, however she doesn't have the conformation for it and what with her lameness I think carrying a foal would make her even worse

My mare loves foals, and the vet is reasonably certain she's had one in the past. She has a superb temperament, lovely movement, and some aspects of her conformation are good. However, some aspects of her conformation are terrible, she already has hock arthritis as an 8yo, and her breeding is a mystery so I have no idea what weird genetic quirks could be lurking in her family tree. Also, I couldn't bear the risk of losing her.

I do wonder if the shortage of 'riding club all-rounders' is because the good ones stay sound? If your mare is sound, doing what you want, and competing successfully, why would you want to take her out of work for a year or two? Those of you who've bred from injured mares, would you have bred if the horse hadn't been injured or would you have simply kept the horse doing what you want to do? Especially as you're unlikely to recoup the costs of breeding.

I used to share a mare who was the perfect all-rounder - safe, sane, good conformation, could turn her hoof to a bit of everything but excelled at dressage. She'd had one foal, purely because her owner had personal issues that meant she didn't have as much time, so the mare went off to stud. Otherwise, she'd have stayed in work and never had a foal. (The foal went on to a successful career as an all-rounder, focusing on showjumping.)

(Just to clarify, I'm not at all judging people who breed from injured mares. An injury is very different from not being able to stand up to work.)

 

[Spirit2021]

Most sound mares stay in work most people won’t take there horses out of work for a year and 6 months so they can have a foal. so realistically you do need unsound horse for breeding otherwise we will end up with professional horses that people can’t ride.

 

[Gloi]

I've just bred 3 foals, registered natives, and really enjoyed the experience. Sold two at weaning and kept the other and rode her. If I still had the facilities I'd love to do it again, but I don't.