Stallion Breeding Information

MARE CARE INFORMATION:

Mares will be boarded and bred at our ranch. Mares will be kept in post and rail corrals with automatic waterers, and will be fed, and checked twice daily. They will be fed alfalfa hay, unless other arrangements are made at the time of arrival. There is a Live Foal Guarantee if the mare is ultrasounded for pregnancy between 14-21 days post-breeding, which may be done by us, or a vet of your choice. Mares with known reproductive problems, or mares that are found to have reproductive problems may need veterinary attention to settle. The decision to seek veterinary care and the associated cost, are the responsibility of the mare owner. All mares have to be halter broke and handlable-unsafe mares will not be accepted. If getting a mare bred is new to you, please read the articles below to help you understand the process.

See the Stallion Breeding Contract for further details.

Please read if you are considering breeding a mare, especially if this is your first time.

The Cost of Pregnancy

By Barb Dubois
reprinted with permission from the Montana Horseman's Journal, Jan. 2000

The baby that is running around in the pasture with its mother is your dream come true! You've waited for eleven months to see the result of the time spent in selecting the perfect stud for your precious mare!

Did you ever think about what it costs to get that baby on the ground? Sometimes, getting a mare in foal isn't as easy as we think.

There are cultures that need to be done to check for infection and other health problems. A palpation might need to be done if the owner isn't sure whether the mare is in the regular heat cycle or to check to see that the ovaries are functioning properly. An ultrasound might be needed to check for pregnancy before bringing the mare home, especially if you have hauled her clear across the country. A very necessary item is a thorough vaccination schedule prior to and during the pregnancy. Be sure to check with your vet for the recommended shots and when they need to be administered. These are a few of the things that might need to be done depending on where you take your mare.

Costs will vary from region to region and the distance you're required to move your mare. If you want to be real accurate in figuring the cost of that baby, you would also add the mare's maintenance costs for time she's in foal and nursing the foal.

To help reduce costs, remember that the easier it is for the breeder to detect your mare's heat, the easier it will be to get her bred and consequently, the quicker that you can take her home. The longer it takes to get a mare in foal, the higher the costs. If your mare is hard to get in foal, inform the breeder so they can make modifications.

If your mare has a foal at her side, you can figure out her cycle. Every mare cycles within days of her foaling. This is called a foal heat. She ovulates from 9-12 days after foaling. Write down the day the foal was born and then count ahead. A "normal" cycle of 21 days will begin counting the first day of the foal heat.

Ways to lower costs:

1. Have your vet check for infection so any problems can be cleared up at home.
2. Know where your mare is in her heat cycle so you can keep your mare home until she's almost ready to cycle.
3. Inform the breeder of your mare's breeding history so he can be most effective in covering your mare.

Is it less expensive to keep my mare home and A.I. her?

• You will save the mare care expense and the expense of transporting your mare to the breeding facility.
• However, the breeder charges a fee to collect and ship the semen and if you are not trained to A.I. your mare yourself, there will be more vet charges to have it done. There will also be additional vet charges to palpate your mare regularly so that semen can be shipped to arrive at the exact time needed. Two shipments of semen are often needed so expenses can add up in a hurry.
• [A.I. not allowed for registered Thoroughbreds.]

Care and Management of the Stallion
By Barb Dubois
reprinted with permission from the Montana Horseman's Journal, Jan. 2000

The breeding season is approaching quickly and proper care and management of the stallion is imperative to the success of the breeding program. This business can be as technical as collecting semen and shipping it across a continent or as simple as pasture breeding. Breeders have a universal quest – taking care of their investment.

A healthy stallion is a year-round concern. This involves exercise and conditioning, vaccinations, routine deworming, adequate nutrition, housing and safe handling.

In preparation of the breeding season, stallions should have a breeding soundness exam (BSE). The BSE involves having a veterinarian take a culture of the semen and evaluate the total number per ejaculate, motility and any abnormalities. This helps the breeder decide how many mares the stallion can cover during the breeding season. Also during the BSE, the stallion is checked for soundness and his ability to mount the mare or the breeding dummy.

Stallion management varies among breeders and each have their own style that works for them depending on the size of the operation, climate and number of customers.

Always on the mind of the breeder is the safety of their stallion and visiting mares. An injury to either could be detrimental to a breeding program. Safe breeding practices and sound facilities help in the prevention of this risk of injury.