When we consider that foaling rates overall range somewhere in the neighborhood of 55-60% it becomes instantly obvious that simply covering a mare and getting a foal are not a sure thing. The problem is not always with the mare.
A broodmare which fails to conceive or carry a foal to term can be an emotional and financial liability. For the backyard breeder, the liability might be primarily emotional, when that special mare you wanted to produce your next trail horse or
Eleven months is a considerable length of time to anticipate the birth of a foal. A great deal of hope, excitement, dreams, and financial investment can accompany the arrival of a newborn. Because of the long wait, most owners want to monitor th
Foal sharing, by definition, is an agreement under which a mare owner puts up the use of a mare while the stallion owner puts up the use of a season. Together, the two partners own the resulting foal with no currency having changed hands for a stud for a stud fee or lease of the mare.
It has been more than 40 years since Canadian investigators reported the birth of the first foal from the insemination of a mare using frozen stallion semen. Since then, the technology of semen freezing has evolved tremendously. On a
For all things there is a time and a season. Nowhere is this more true than in equine reproduction. Nature has established a definite time and season for mares to conceive and bear foals. It is a very sensible approach on the part of
Final preparations will need to be made so that the newborn foal gets the best chance at life.
Historically, mares have one of the lowest average conception/birth rates of any of the domestic species (somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-70%). Excellent breeding and overall management of mares and the blessing of
The birth of a long-awaited foal is an occasion to celebrate. But what if the unthinkable happens?
Progress in the field of genetics has been moving by leaps and bounds during the past few years. It wasn’t long ago that researchers discovered ways to unravel and study DNA, that elusive strand of genes that inhabits each and
For a successful domestic species, the fertility rate of the horse is surprisingly low. Coupled with an 11-month gestation period and a single offspring per year, producing a foal is a significant investment for any breeder. So, if you’re
Horse breeders noticed that they were having foaling problems with some mares which were grazing fescue grass or being fed fescue hay. Cattle producers reported that steers on fescue pastures or being fed fescue hay appeared to be unthrifty and that
Having a basic understanding of the anatomy and physiology, plus being aware of each individual stallion’s sperm production capability, can help the stallion manager to make better decisions concerning proper care of the horse and the number of mares to be booked each breeding season.
Moody. Inscrutable. Temperamental. Cantankerous. Mares seem to get tagged with such stereotypical labels. When your female equine displays inappropriate behavior, you might hear someone snort, Typical mare! Your mare’s nature and individual”P>Moody. Inscrutable. Temperamental. Cantankerou
A small percentage of broodmares will be afflicted with urine pooling, also known as vesicovaginal reflux (VVR) or urovagina. But when it does occur, it is a serious problem that sometimes can only be remedied with surgery. Simply put, urine
(Author’s note: Sera, Inc., who markets oral and IV equine IgG products approved by the USDA, sponsored a roundtable discussion on Biological Solutions for Biological Problems in Lexington, Ky. Participating in the roundtable were: Michelle
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