??? about stallion

[T.C. Miniature Horse Farm]

Hello,how are ya'll yet again,ok I promise this is my LAST post for tonight.. :lol:

I am planning on breeding my stallion to 3 of my mares next year,well I am wondering last year he only got 2 mares bred out of 8,I am wondering if he needs something to boost him,so to speak,he was 3yrs old then,so I am also wondering if it had something to do with the age?Also it was on the pasture,so just wondering what you guys think about this. Thanks for all of your advice,and can't wait to hear back! Sometimes I feel so stupid for asking these questions,but guess we all gotta learn.

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[Nathan Luszcz]

A stallion is not sexually mature until they are 4-5, so for a 3yo may have a good excuse. I REFUSE to do pasture breeding, I've seen the damage that it can cause. Its fine for "natural" horses, but I prefer to trump Darwin rather than prove him right.

There is NOTHING you can do to "boost" him other than to let him age.

There is no wonder drug, no training, no anything you can do medically to help him. There are a number of things you could do if you really wanted to know why he was having trouble. What I would suggest is bringing him to a reprocutive facility and having them do a BSE (Breeding Soundness Exam). That involves an external evaluation and two collections. Looking at his semen twice (an hour apart) can tell you alot about his ability.

I would also suggest teasing more and hand breeding. That way you know what's happening, if he's actually doing his duty, etc. A dominant mare can EASILY prevent a stallion from covering any other mare in the herd. That happens ALL THE TIME. Ideally you pull out each mare as they are bred to allow the more timid mares a chance. And that's assuming the stallion is willing. If he doesn't care unless they force themselves on him, he won't breed!

 

[Robin1]

A 3 yr old is still young and could easily explain why. I also only hand breed my horses. I want to know exactly when they were bred and to avoid any injuries.

If you feel the need to give him a "boost". You can give him some wheatgerm oil and/or a some Red Cell.

Robin

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I've always had my best breeding results with two year old colts- 100% fertility hand bred to three ot four mares- and then the next year acceptable results with a three year old and acceptable but not good with four year olds- this could of course be mere coincidence but it has happened every time!!

I only hand breed although I will now do controlled natural breeding with one mare at a time.

This is due merely to my deteriorating physical condition, if I could have done I would have continued with hand breeding only as I have always got the best results this way.

The only time I had to leave a stallion (who I had bought used to pasture breeding, so he was "proven" as it were) to get on with it I got four mares out of 11 in foal!!!- I cannot really afford that sort of odds.

 

[Bluerocket]

Hand breeding and covering a particular mare every other day is one way to do it -- sometimes with pasture breeding a stallion will prefer one mare over others and if more than one is in season at the same time, will only cover the mare he prefers.

Also - sometimes in a pasture breeding situation - you might have one mare that will not permit the stallion to breed any other mare (e.g. kick him while he is mounting another mare).

You can make sure each mare is bred at the appropriate time - with hand breeding.

Also - mares tend to ovulate nearer to the end of their cycle than at the beginning of the "in season" cycle. Semen can last 48 hours in the mare - so breeding every other day - or one time a day on a mare can do the trick - (Sometimes mares don't catch no matter what you do).

If you have problems with a particular mare it might be worth your money to have her checked by your vet for breeding soundness and a culture.

JJay

 

[Dairygirl]

O.K. I have a question. What do you do about mares who are silent heaters, may not be the term everyone uses but I have a mare who I never catch in heat. I spend a lot of time with my minis because I like the company. Any way every year she has a foal so I know something is getting done. I usually give up about July and turn a stud out for one month. The stud I would love to breed her to is only good for hand breeding because he is a a** to be honest.

Plus to add to the drama this mare is very hard to catch. She has the sweetest, loving foals every year you couldn't ask for better babies but to catch that mare is a job.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Do you have an active teasing program, or do you just try to watch her? Try letting the stallion woo her every day in a small area. ie put her in her stall, or in a small rail pen, etc and lead him to her and let him talk to her, touch her, etc. Then watch her reaction. If you do this consistantly, every day, you will get to know exactly what she's thinking. One day she may not kill him, and that may mean she's in heat as she'll get. Once you get some notes down (always record what you see so you can go back and look at patterns) you can figure how long she's in heat for, how often, etc. Restraint can also get a quiet (or aggressive) mare to show heat. Do the same thing as before, but have someone hold her near the stallion. Twitch her if nessesary. A good tease stallion will make a mare fall all over him without being agressive. Sometimes the louder and more outgoing the stallion is the better.

You just don't want to let him get so close as to try to mount her.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have a mare like that- Oh BOY is she fun!!!

And exactly the same problem- stallion I put her to does not pasture breed!!

I got her on the foal heat- which for her came at 13 days- but I am not at all sure she is set- NOTHING zilch, NADA since then- would kill the stallion with a single poisonous look if she could!!

She is pastured in a field with the idiot stallion on one side and a colt up and raring to go on the other and she has not shown a single sign.

Last year she came back into heat after I weaned the foal- I just LOVE late foals, it is SO much fun sitting up in a caravan in December!!!

 

[T.C. Miniature Horse Farm]

Thanks you guys !!

Maybe it was the age thing,he will be 5 next year,and planning on 3 mares,so hopefully he can cover them easily! I just don't see how you hear of the full size stallions covering like 100-150,(like I heard on HRTV yesterday YIKES)

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

With AI that's easy

If the average ejaculate has enough for, say, three mares, and you collect him every other day, that's 45 mares a month

And that's a low figure, hehe. The TB's who actually live cover that many breed UP TO FIVE MARES A DAY. One at 6am, 10, 4, 8, and midnight. Its rediculous. Those poor stallions end up with major behavoral issues... but hey, if you can command a $500,000 stud fee, PER COVER, why not? ick...

 

[Matt73]

With AI that's easy

If the average ejaculate has enough for, say, three mares, and you collect him every other day, that's 45 mares a month

And that's a low figure, hehe. The TB's who actually live cover that many breed UP TO FIVE MARES A DAY. One at 6am, 10, 4, 8, and midnight. Its rediculous. Those poor stallions end up with major behavoral issues... but hey, if you can command a $500,000 stud fee, PER COVER, why not? ick...

Forgive me in advance...but that is one lucky stallion, I'd say

: ! :lol:

 

[Dairygirl]

Thanks Nathan for the tip. I'll sure try it on her next year after she foals. Maybe more of the hands on will help her over come running from me like her butt was on fire. Oh that drives me crazy. Now that I'm out walking more I love it when they run now because I get behind them and walk until they give up and let me catch them. LOL. My doctor told me the best exercise I could get was to get a halter and try to catch a crazy horse out in the pasture. LOL. Bad thing is they can out walk me if they want.