Horse Breeding
Horse breeding can provide a great deal of satisfaction, but there are tremendous risks, not least financial ones. Commercial breeders expect mares to breed every year, with very few years off or barren, something which does not occur in the natural world. Stallions, also, cover mares many more times than they would in the wild.
Top stallions from any equestrian discipline, are extremely expensive, and some are cosseted to the extent that they leave completely artificial lives with no natural contact with their mares, living in solitary confinement, turned out alone although sometimes at least able to see other horses.. It must admitted that this often gives them warped personalities and bad tempers.
Those stallions allowed a more natural life and closer contact with other horses, spending a great deal of time out, perhaps with a quiet non-breeding pony mare for company, and particularly those allowed to run free with and mate their mares naturally, are better balanced mentally, and easier and safer to handle. They quckly learn to adapt to natural manners, and are often adept at avoiding kicks from mares not fully in season and unready to be mated. It has been shown many times that natural mating produces a much higher conception rate.
BREEDING CYCLES
Mares come into season in the spring and summer months as lengthening days, increasing warmth and growing grass alert their brains into producing specific hormones (chemical messengers) to bring them into season and mating condition. These conditions produce a similar effect in the stallion, whose own hormones encourage the production of sperm ready for his mares coming into season. Breeders can bring their stock into breeding codition earlier in the year and extend the natural breeding season by rugging up thier animals, leaving lights on in the stables for longer on winter nights, increasing their feed and sometimes, by heating the stable buildings.
The mare will come into season at regular intervals of between 18 and 21 days, and will show her acceptance of the stallion ( who can breed at any time) by standing with her hind legs straddled, tal raised and to one side, opening and closing the entrance to her vagina (called “winking”), and not resisting his advances. Mares not ready to mate, even though in season, will kick out.
In domestic conditions, the act of mating is often highly artificial, with the mare being restrained, sometimes with a foreleg strapped up, hobbled or generally manhandled. It is said that this can rpevent a valuable stallion being kicked and seriously injured. For her own protection, the mare may wear a sacking or leather neck cover as stallions often bite during ejaculation.
PREGNANCY
After service (mating), if an egg has been fertilized the mare will “hold to service” ( not come into season again) and the pregnancy should procees. Blood and urine tests can inform the breeder whether or not the mare is pregnanct, but even after comfirmation, the mare can lose the embryo (developing eff and come into season again, necessiating aother service. Ultrasound ascanning is also now used in pregnancy detection.
The pregnancy lasts about 11 months. During the early months the mare can be ridden gently, and must not be overfed or restricted as this can adversely affect her health and that of her developing foal. For the last four months, the mare should not be ridden and her diet should be increased in accordance with the vet’s advice. As her time approaches, she will need more energy and protein but less bulk. She should be turned out so that she can exercise herself at will as this is essential to her health and that of the foetus (unborn foal) within her.
She must be kept calm and allowed the company of quiet, friendly horses, mares or geldings, who will not over-excite or annoy her. Separation from friends can cause anxiety and result in abortion.
The breeding season of a mare normally lasts from March to October. During that time ovulation occurs every 18-21 days. She is at her most fertile in the two days before and after ovulation. If a mare is mated at this time, conception is likelt, Orenancy lasts about 11 months.