Tips For Breeding For a Great Foal
August 28, 2008
Are you ready for a baby?
There’s nothing cuter than a newborn foal. But getting one on the ground requires a lot of preparation and forethought. Stallion selection and mare care are just two of the elements you need to factor in.
Dr. Thomas R. Lenz, a veterinarian with AQHA Corporate Partner Fort Dodge, offers eight tips to get you started in breeding for a great foal.
Click here for your FREE report: AQHA’s Guide to Foaling.
- Mares should be bred after the age of 3, and can be bred well into their 20s. A mare’s reproductive efficiency decreases significantly after age 12, especially mares that have never been bred.
- Because it takes them longer to recover, older mares often have a harder time breeding back after foaling.
- A mare’s body condition directly affects her breeding ability. Broodmares need a body condition score of 5 (on a scale of 1 to 9, 1 being extremely thin, 9 being extremely fat). You should be able to feel her ribs, but not see them.
- Make sure she has been dewormed and that her shots are up to date. Your veterinarian can develop a vaccination schedule that fits your specific needs.
- Have your vet do a pre-breeding exam to make sure your mare’s reproductive tract is healthy. This exam is more extensive for an older or maiden mare, and may include a test to make sure her hormone levels are normal, as well as a uterine culture to make sure she doesn’t have a bacterial infection.
- Are you breeding a foal to ride recreationally? To sell? To show? Your goal has a lot to do with the stallion you select.
- Find a stallion with solid conformation — solid feet the right size for his body; straight, thick cannon bones; and good overall conformation. His conformation should complement your mare’s. Talk to breeders in your area and other mare owners for advice in selecting a stallion.
- Disposition is important, too. The mare has a lot to do with a foal’s disposition because she raises the baby. But that doesn’t mean that if you have a quiet, easy-going mare and you breed her to a hot-blooded stallion that you’re not going to end up with a hot-blooded foal. Spend time with the stallion to get an idea of his disposition.
Learn more about keeping foals healthy with this free report: AQHA’s Guide to Foaling.
Comments
6 Comments on “Tips For Breeding For a Great Foal”
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September 4th, 2008 at 12:36 am
what do you think about breding a 3 year old male mustang well built with a 5-1/2 year old thorughbred in great shape
September 29th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
First you need to ask yourself why you want a Mustang/TB cross. What do you expect to do with the foal? There are already a lot of throw away horses out there. It’s not fair to the horses to breed them just to have a foal. I’m not sure how this cross is going to benefit either breed. I would think you would be better to breed your TB mare to another TB, Warmblood, Quarter Horse, APHA, etc., and breed for a foal that will have the ability and confirmation to preform and have a meaningful life.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I totally agree with Joanie. especially today when well bred babies can be had for next to nothing. Please, we don’t need any more throw-a-way babies and that’s exactually what you would be breeding.
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:13 am
Steven, please, please, please consider what you are getting yourself into. Although you may think the match might be wonderful (which it very well may yield a nice horse) you must consider the future and well being of the horse. Gaze into your future and ask yourself where you see your riding goals. Will this horse meet your goal standards? Is it capable to perform at your riding disciplines standards? If not, are you ready to find this horse a wonderful home? Those are just some factors to think about before even THINKING about finding a stallion!!! I find it extremely detrimental to any breed when I hear about owners breeding just because a stallion looks good, but a mare doesnt or a wonderful pleasant mare matched to a stallion they found hanging out in a field. Find a trainer or breeder or go to a good auction with an educated horseman. They can show you good horseflesh that would benefit you better than a horse that probably won’t be eligible for a registry. Please, consider this because as Joanie and Florian said, there are too many throw away babies out there that came from backyard breeding.
October 6th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I can’t think of two worse horse breeds to cross! I love mustangs and have one myself but they are two totally different body styles and for different purposes. You will just end up with a very mixed up horse might not be good for anything. Geld your mustang and let him have a happy life in the pasture with friends. Then you could adopt another mustang or a thoroughbred off the track!
October 6th, 2008 at 10:48 am
There are too many backyard breeders and that is one of the reasons we see so many horses being sold and traded and ending up in the “killer lots” to be shipped off to other countries as food! Every horse person out there needs to STOP and think of the future of the foal that is being brought into this society. This is another reason there are so many rescues out there trying their best to save horses from slaughter! And, these rescues are struggling to support all the horses that they end up rescuing. The only way we are going to stop this endless slaughter is to stop over populating and saturating the industry. Steve, if you want to breed and have your own foal to raise and enjoy, that’s one thing. There is nothing more rewarding than to raise, train and developing a relationship with a horse you have raised (speaking from experience). Make sure this is a project you can take on and are willing to complete and that this will not be another “throw-a-way” horse.