A new-born foal - it is very exciting having a foal but not something to rush into
All owners view their own horse as a potential champion but when deciding to put a mare in foal you must be realistic. Does your mare have really good conformation, clean tendons, strong feet and sufficient quality to breed a top class foal? Try to be honest or better still get an independent appraisal of your horse’s conformation from a vet.
Ask yourself, ‘Why do I want a foal?’ Will there be a market for it? Have I the facilities to care for a foal or can I afford to pay someone else to look after it for me? Am I prepared for and understand all the risks involved to the mare in having a foal?
Putting a mare in foal to a high quality Stallion can be expensive and a live foal in eleven months time is far from guaranteed. For the best chances of success you need to get the mare into the correct body condition. Fat mares are very difficult to get in foal so ideally we should aim for her to be a little thin (Body Score 2.5) at the beginning of the season so that she can put on some weight in the early summer. It is vital to get your mare checked out by an equine stud vet early in the year at least three weeks before you intend having her ‘covered’. The vet will check the mare’s reproductive tract with an ultrasound scan and ensure everything is healthy. Usually swabs are taken to be tested in a laboratory for diseases such as Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) and a blood test for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA).
Vet Noelle Lowry doing a pre covering check on a mare.
Think carefully about the stallion you are going to use. Don’t be influenced by fashion. Will the stallion’s conformation enhance your mare’s? The old adage ‘no foot no horse’ is truer than ever today. So when you are selecting a stallion look at his feet first. This is especially true when breeding thoroughbreds and is frequently overlooked.
You can choose natural service or artificial insemination. Traditionally mares go to the stud and stay until they are confirmed in foal – this is ideal for the novice breeder but can be expensive as not only covering fees but livery has to be paid. Many studs will accept ‘walking in mares’. When ‘walking in’ the mare is prepared at home and taken to the stud on the correct day for covering. She will need regular scanning by an experienced vet to get the timings right. It is important to agree the terms on which your mare is to be covered before sending it to stud. There may be a no foal no fee arrangement or you may have to pay on ‘1st of October terms’ i.e. the stud fee is due if the mare is in foal on that date. Make sure you know exactly what is covered by the stud fee and what is not.
These days (except in the thoroughbred world) artificial insemination (AI) is very common and many veterinary practices offer an AI service. But do not think of AI as a cheap alternative to sending your mare to a stud. Preparing the mare and ensuring she is covered on the right day is time consuming and requires a great deal of work by your vet. Most stud vets offer an AI package so you can get this done at a predetermined price.
Advantages of AI.
- No risk of injury to the mare at covering and a decreased risk of venereal disease.
- Can use frozen semen so it is possible to cover the mare with a stallion from anywhere in the world (or even a stallion that is dead!)
- Most equine veterinary practices offer an AI service at BEVA approved clinics – usually offering a ‘package deal’.
- Minimises travelling.
- Good fertility rates with both ‘fresh chilled’ and ‘frozen’ semen.
The mare is a seasonally polyoestrus animal which means it ovulates about once every 21 days in the spring and summer months. As the day length decreases in the Autumn many mares stop cycling this is known as anoestrus.
During the 21 day cycle the mare will only stand for covering on around 5 days. In the ideal world the mare should be covered around 12 hours before ovulation (or for AI immediately afterwards). Vets scan the ovaries to determine the precise time when the mare will be fertile.
12 – 13 days pregnancy. The tiny conceptus is only just visible.
A 44 day pregnancy. You can start to imagine that a tiny foal is present.
After covering your vet will need to pregnancy check the mare at regular intervals starting at 14 days. It is important to ensure that there is only one pregnancy as mares cannot carry twins successfully. At 24 days the foetal ‘heart beat’ can be detected and this confirms a live pregnancy.
Gestation lasts 11 months and is extremely variable in the mare so we will add more information about preparing to have a foal.
A well bred foal from frozen semen at Pool House Equine Clinic.
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