TEXAS HORSE TALK MAGAZINE

APRIL 2007

ARTICLE BY DR. ANGEL CHENAULT

It's breeding season again; the time of long days and even longer nights for those interested in producing their own "perfect horse". Whether you are new to the practice or a seasoned veteran, knowing where to start and what to do, will hopefully give you a more successful season.

My preference is for the mares to be at least four years of age because this allows for the mare to be fully developed and matured physically. You also need to check the body score of your mare. One that is too fat or too skinny can be difficult to get in foal. The mares should be vaccinated and dewormed prior to breeding to allow for a safer pregnancy without added stress to the foal.

Begin the process by choosing the perfect stallion for your mare not just the most popular. The selection of the stallion should be based mostly on the intended use of the foal. If you have a broodmare that has a larger head and is lighter muscled through the hip; then you would want to look for a stallion that has a more petite head and has more volume of the hip. Another scenario would be if you have a broodmare that has a bad attitude then of course you do not want to breed to a stallion that has the same poor attitude or worse. The same goes for the performance world; if you are breeding for a barrel horse, then you would not want to breed to a horse that has western pleasure points and shows no potential for speed and athletic ability. However, always remember there are exceptions to the rules, so do your research. Many of the breed associations offer online databases that let you research pedigrees for race, performance, and progeny history. So if you want to find out how many colts or fillies, color percentage, or even how many point or money earners the stallion has produced; the answers are just a click away. Please remember just because the stallion is pretty, does not mean it is the best fit for your program.

Once your stallion has been chosen you need to find out the specific breeding requirements of the stallion owner. Does the owner of the stallion require a pre-breeding culture? The culture is done to make sure the mare is free of any harmful bacteria, or the presence of an inflammatory process. If the stallion owner does not require a pre-breeding culture, I still recommend my clients to have the culture done if their mare has been previously bred or is 12 years of age or older. This may save wasted time, money and effort if she is secretly harboring an infection. It is best to do this as soon as you mare begins to come into heat for the year so that there is plenty of time to treat any problems before it gets too late in the year.

The next process is to determine whether the mare will be "live covered" or artificially inseminated. Many times this is not your choice but rather the choice of the stallion owner. Also you need to decide if you are willing to send your mare off to a breeding farm or will the breeding be done at your veterinarian's clinic. "Live cover" is where the breeding process occurs naturally. The breeding should be ideally done near ovulation and if possible every other day until the mare is out of heat to allow for the best results. This type of breeding is potentially dangerous for the stallion, mare, and the handlers. Artificial Insemination (AI) is a safer method but is also more costly. AI involves collecting semen from the stallion using a dummy mount or sometimes a mare and then inseminating semen into the uterus of the mare. If you are going to AI your mare you may have the option of chilled or frozen semen. With chilled and frozen semen timing is everything. Using chilled semen requires you to palpate the mare every other day checking the follicle; where as frozen semen requires you to palpate the mare every six hours looking for signs of impending ovulation. It is important to know the time and days when the semen is collected and shipped. If you have attempted to order your semen and the stallion has already been collected for the day and will not be collected for another two days, then most likely you will have missed your mare's ovulation.

Now that your mare has been "live covered" or artificially inseminated you need to ultrasound her at 16-20 days to see if she is pregnant. If she is not in foal, then further plans can be made for rebreeding. You then ultrasound her again at 26-33 days to check for a heart beat of the fetus and for twins. There are also some costs involved in breeding. The first cost obviously is your breeding fee. You also have the veterinary services whether you "live cover" or AI. Using chilled semen can cost anywhere from $350.00 to $500.00 depending on the amount of work needed to get your mare bred. Using frozen semen is more expensive in the $500.00 to $700.00 range due to the more frequent ultrasounds and semen handling.

Once in foal, don't forget to vaccinate your mare at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation for Rhinopneumonitis and to deworm regularly. Repeat all usual vaccinations one month prior to foaling. Increases in feed are typically not needed until the last 2-3 months before foaling. Most importantly, be patient, average gestation is 340 days. Watch for any abnormal changes in your mare and keep in contact with your veterinarian during the pregnancy if you have any complications.