HORSE AND BREEDING
TEXT: AMELIA CAMPBELL-HORNE
SO, YOU WANT TO BREED A FOAL? THE WHAT, WHEN, WHO AND HOW OF IT ALL...
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s we’re still in the heat of the breeding season, we thought we’d investigate exactly what goes into breeding a foal - from the moment the thought is conceived in your mind up until the bundle of joy graces you with his presence. To do this, we need to start right at the very beginning, and that is with the mare. THE MARE There are a few key questions to ask when considering breeding with your mare, namely ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what’. WHY? If you are a mare owner, why do you want to breed with her? Here are some things that you might want to consider before you decide to breed your mare:
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• Consider the equine industry in the country you live in, and ask yourself what will happen with the foal you want to breed, specifically, what will happen if the foal does not turn out to be the horse of your dreams and you need to sell him? • Don’t forget the personal and financial implications that come with breeding! Beyond getting your mare pregnant, you will have to feed and house both her and the foal for nearly five years before you can even sit on your foal and feel his potential for the first time. • Consider what you are trying to breed, and can you achieve this goal by breeding from your mare? For this, you need to evaluate her genetics, performance, conformation, temperament, age and health. If you’ve answered all of these questions and still want to proceed, the next question is…
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