would you breed from a mare who windsucks?

[GrumpyHero]

i was just talking with a friend of mine and we were debating over this question as she'd overheard someone on her yard saying they were putting their mare into foal (she windsucks, only when stabled). i'd be pretty wary but i don't know too much about breeding so thought i would ask here

would you breed from a mare who windsucks or not? and why?

 

[competitiondiva]

I think you'll find the results pretty much 50/50, foals learn from their mothers behaviour, they copy her it's how they learn in the first few months of life what to do and what not to do! Therefore if she windsucks there is a high chance of the foal learning to copy, but if she doesn't do it out in the field and she's kept out 24/7 and therefore the foal doesn't see her do it then the chances of copied behaviour decrease.

Personally though no I wouldn't, what if you had to keep them stabled for one reason or another?? Then you would have a situation which has a high chance of a foal developing a habit that will affect it for the rest of it's life, but as I say that's my opinion!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Would depend on how severe she wasand if she could wear a collar. Having seen weaving, windsucking and cribbing broodmares have foals with none of the above I would probably say under controled conditions yes

 

[Connecticut lady]

Would depend on how severe she wasand if she could wear a collar. Having seen weaving, windsucking and cribbing broodmares have foals with none of the above I would probably say under controled conditions yes

We bred 3 foals from a mare that windsucked in the field and in the stable, none of them ever windsucked and none of the foals of the other mare that shared her field windsucked either. I've always been inclined to think that its a habit developed when badly weaned. Over the years I've owned several windsuckers, they all kept good condition, none ever had colic and it never affected their performance. They were all kept with other horses ranging from very young to old and nothing ever copied the habit, I have seen other horses copy weavers though.

 

[GrumpyHero]

the mare i part loan windsucks but other than that she's a total sweetie.
i was reading on another forum - someone had put that 'windsucking is fatal and shows the signs of an unbalanced and unhappy mare' which i thought was utter bull as tilly could want for nothing but she still windsucks! gr.

 

[JoBird]

My mare windsucks terribly (as an exracer it was probably stress related initially). None of her foals, nor foals she was nanny to, nor any horses kept with her have EVER copied her!

 

[TJP]

I have a broodie who did windsuck but would appear to have packed it in (fingers crossed). She raced from aged 2 - 7 then went to tb stud, bred 2 foals and came to me in Nov. She windsucked on the top bar of the gate in the field, I never saw her do it in the stable, although she was deliberately in a stable with a full grill. She had adlib hay, hard feed once a day, turned out as much as possible over the winter with rugs and company of a weaner & has turned into a very relaxed girly - she was a bit of a stresshead for the first month or so. I have not seen (or heard) her at it since Jan. Maybe its the effects of good Irish grass

But in answer to your question I was going to breed from her when she did.

 

[Amelia27]

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that horses can copy windsucking/crib-biting nor that it is hereditary. Horses that are all in the same stressful environment or have been subjected to the same stressor (trigger) start the behaviour as a reaction to this stressor or as a coping mechanism and not because they copy their next door neighbour. A foal may well try to imitate it's mother but cribbing is a complex behaviour and the foal usually only nibbles a bit of wood, sees no reward and gives up!

A collar will never help the situation , only add to the mare's frustration. My only concern is that often horses that crib or windsuck are not very easy to keep condition on and may not do their foals well. If this is not the case with the mare in question and she is a good quality mare then I would certainly consider breeding from her

 

[Simsar]

Yes two of mine do.

Sarah.

 

[Sportznight]

Windsucking is generally stress related and can also be a sign of gastric ulcers. So potentially a temperament issue or an issue confounded by humans. I knew a stallion once who's stock generally windsucked/cribbed - all of them were stress heads and were better off living out.

 

[imafluffybunny]

I tend to think most vices are down to temperament, ie hotter stressy types are more prone to it.
I know a GP dressage mare who has a very neurotic temperament, she weaves badly. Her foal now 5 has the same neurotic temp and windsucks. The mare didnt weave whilst turned out with the foal and the foal was never around any horses who windsucked, so the foal didn't 'learn' it.