At what age do your colt's start covering..? EDITED

[Calekio]

As the title states really? What age do you first use a young stallion on mares? And how many mares do you give them for there first year?

And do you allow them to run with them or cover in hand?

Edited:

Thanks for all the replies. Certainly seems to be a cover at either 2 or 3yrs old.

So my next question relates to my own young stallion.

He's 2yr old and extremely sweet to handle and quiet. I covered him in hand and then let him run with him mare about 2 months ago. He's been very sweet to her the whole time and i saw her have 2 seasons. So i presumed that now she is in foal as i hadn't seen him cover her again or her in season. He still remains very sweet and doesn't bully her around (if anything its the the other way around! lol)

However when we took the pair for a walk yesterday we have to walk past a gypsy cob stallion who screams and runs the fence at you.. que the mare showing in season... (which then cued an assortment of other problems of getting her past said stallion! lol)

However even when back home in there field my young stallion shows no interest in her what so ever, she pays him a lot of attention but he is not interested. He doesn't talk to mare and to me i'm just wondering if he isn't mentally mature enough yet.

That's not the issue.. if a get a foal from this mare next year is irrelevent, however knowing that she is in season and most likely not in foal and he shows no interest what so ever in any mares (we've walked him over to talk to the others and he doesn't talk to them.. if anything.. he still baby yaps the moment they show agression towards him!)

Should i leave the pair together, he isn't showing any sign of being nasty to her and they seem content together?

Or should i separate them and return the stallion to the field with the yearling colts in who he does get on with and play with and mare back with her friends?

Either way i don't think i'm going to get a foal next year and my feeling is my boy isn't mature enough mentally.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Two years old.

Never let loose at this age, they need to learn manners and respect, and whatever people may tell you NO mare in season is ever going to do this, and I would rather not have my mares raped, thankyou!!

I play the number they have the first year by ear, I have had two year olds who will cover five or six mares, possibly even more, without problems, but I do only breed my own mares that first year!

 

[icspots]

I agree with Rabbits Fizz, I'll start them at 2 but never pasture breed at that age, only hand breed and only a couple, over breeding a youngster can ruin them in my opinion, and it can be frustrating for you if you try too many, because at age two motility seems a little bit hit or miss

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I don't think its smart or ethical to breed colts, period. I start them as stallions, three or four years old. They are too imature at 2.

 

[weerunner]

I started breeding my stallion to my mares when he was two, but did not get one pregnant until his fourth year. Now he does not leave a mare open. If you dont mind them not necessarily getting pregnant you could start early, but I found it very dissappointing and even thought I had a sterile stallion for the first few years. It just took him some time to mature. They also have no idea if a mare is in heat or not when they are so young and inexperienced.

 

[Matt73]

Royal covered Lexus at 2. Produced a gorgeous filly and Royal is still a pussy cat

If I had a colt that was a little begger...I'd wait or geld, of course... Also, If I was breeding big horses I'd wait until 3 for various reasons.

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Our new boy Doc was 2 when Chesa covered his first mares with him, covered 4 and settled all of them, unfortunately one mare slipped later on, but he has three NICE colts on the ground this season

, he's very quiet and 99.9% of the time you'd never guess he was still intact

Just sold a 2 year old colt to Missouri and they plan on covering one to two mares for next year.. My Royal will be a 2 year old next year and depending on his mentality/maturity come next spring, he may get a mare or two..

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Curious as to why you would use a different age for minis vs large horses?

 

[~Lisa~]

I prefer to wait I have used a 2 yr old but I see no rush in breeding and while of course the job is different really feel a 2 yr old stallion is just as immature as a 2 yr old mare which I would NEVER breed

 

[christina_ski]

Two years old.Never let loose at this age, they need to learn manners and respect, and whatever people may tell you NO mare in season is ever going to do this, and I would rather not have my mares raped, thankyou!!

Thats exactly what happened with my now gelding Krackerjack, my friend (She owned him at the time) Hand bred him one time to the mare, then turned him out with the mare when he was a 2 yr old. The mare was a hussy (and a maiden) and of course let him do whatever he wanted as long as he got the job done. As soon as she went out of heat and no longer wanted to breed he attacked her with a vengance and would run run run her until he could do as HE wanted, after that he also turned into a raging lunatic with no other option but to geld. And you would never know how he is now that that happened (thank goodness

). That mistake will never be made on this place again.

Christina

 

[Marty]

I'm with Nathan. I did breed a two year old but he was very imature. I'd wait until they are atleast 3.

 

[Calekio]

Thanks for all the replies. Certainly seems to be a cover at either 2 or 3yrs old.

So my next question relates to my own young stallion.

He's 2yr old and extremely sweet to handle and quiet. I covered him in hand and then let him run with him mare. He's been very sweet to her the whole time and i saw her have 2 seasons. So i presumed that now she is in foal as i hadn't seen him cover her again or her in season. He still remains very sweet and doesn't bully her around (if anything its the the other way around! lol)

However when we took the pair for a walk yesterday we have to walk past a gypsy cob stallion who screams and runs the fence at you.. que the mare showing in season... (which then cued an assortment of other problems of getting her past said stallion! lol)

However even when back home in there field my young stallion shows no interest in her what so ever, she pays him a lot of attention but he is not interested. He doesn't talk to mare and to me i'm just wondering if he isn't mentally mature enough yet.

That's not the issue.. if a get a foal from this mare next year is irrelevent, however knowing that she is in season and most likely not in foal and he shows no interest what so ever in any mares (we've walked him over to talk to the others and he doesn't talk to them.. in anything.. he still baby yaps the moment they show agression towards him!)

Should i leave the pair together, he isn't showing any sign of being nasty to her and they seem content together?

Or should i separate them and return the stallion to the field with the yearling colts in who he does get on with and play with and mare back with her friends?

Either way i don't think i'm going to get a foal next year and my feeling is my boy isn't mature enough mentally.

 

[christina_ski]

I think you answered your own question there at the end, he is not mentally mature enough yet to handle breeding and settling the mare. It will just take time and patience. Theres no rushing these things lol

 

[Mona]

Edited:
Thanks for all the replies. Certainly seems to be a cover at either 2 or 3yrs old.

So my next question relates to my own young stallion.

He's 2yr old and extremely sweet to handle and quiet. I covered him in hand and then let him run with him mare about 2 months ago. He's been very sweet to her the whole time and i saw her have 2 seasons. So i presumed that now she is in foal as i hadn't seen him cover her again or her in season. He still remains very sweet and doesn't bully her around (if anything its the the other way around! lol)

However when we took the pair for a walk yesterday we have to walk past a gypsy cob stallion who screams and runs the fence at you.. que the mare showing in season... (which then cued an assortment of other problems of getting her past said stallion! lol)

However even when back home in there field my young stallion shows no interest in her what so ever, she pays him a lot of attention but he is not interested. He doesn't talk to mare and to me i'm just wondering if he isn't mentally mature enough yet.

That's not the issue.. if a get a foal from this mare next year is irrelevent, however knowing that she is in season and most likely not in foal and he shows no interest what so ever in any mares (we've walked him over to talk to the others and he doesn't talk to them.. if anything.. he still baby yaps the moment they show agression towards him!)

Should i leave the pair together, he isn't showing any sign of being nasty to her and they seem content together?

Or should i separate them and return the stallion to the field with the yearling colts in who he does get on with and play with and mare back with her friends?

Either way i don't think i'm going to get a foal next year and my feeling is my boy isn't mature enough mentally.

It sounds like probably your mare is bred/settled, but the other stallion was just acting like stallions do, and came running and screaming because of the "new" horses he saw. (he was showing off) Your mare was likely intimidated by his behavior, thus appearing to be in heat, but likely not really so.

If your 2 are getting along so well together, I see no reason to separate them, other than to ensure you have no late year foals if she does come back into heat later on in the season. You really should separate them before she is due to foal next year though. (in my opinion)

In answer to your original question, I too have used 2 year olds to hand breed. No problems have ever resulted from my doing so. I personally would not compare it to breeding 2 year old fillies, as the colt does not have the foal growing inside of him for 11 months. I think there is a huge difference in comparing the two.

 

[Kira98]

I agree with Mona about your mare probably being bred and that other stallion was doing what a stallion does SHOW OFF to a new mare

My full size arabian mare she will be infoal and still act like shes open but only for like the first 2months

and its prob okay if they are getting along to leave them together - I pasture my two full size horses the mare and stallion when she is in foal then seperate when she is due and they get along like two peas in a pod. but if your boy is mean at all to your I wouldnt leave them together

best bet would be to have her checked to see if she is in foal to make sure that if she isnt that she doesnt have such a late foal next year - that may be reason enuff there to seperate them til the spring and try again.

2-3yrs for breeding a stallion is okay you just dont want to over do it as they dont produce enuff good semen to settle all the mares so you want to limit it to IMHO no more than 5 mares and not at the same time. and when he is young I agree that you should hand breed to tech him the necissary manners that he needs to learn and not just let him do as he wishes when he wishes - they all need to have manners so that they know when to be a stallion and when to be a gentleman - my opinion

i bred my full size stallion at age 3 and he settled then i didnt breed him til he was 5 I think and when he was 3 he got just one mare to cover (more or less to test his attitude to see if he was goin to need an shall we say adjustment

) well he still acts just as sweet and laid back so he got no adjustment

If you feel that your lil stallion is still controlable and not being unruly here is my suggestion - do what you think is safe for your animals everybody has their own way of doing things and no one way is either the right way or the wrong way. Just as long as all are safe well taken care of and not in danger or being hurt etc.... Good luck

 

[Calekio]

Thanks for the replies.

I decided to try splitting them... it didn't work for 2 reasons.. as my 5 weeks old has turned into a horror (see other post.. i need help!) and also they did seem to call for each other and she certainly seemed to want her little fella instead of the other mares.. so they are back together.. its nice as they are always side by side.. to graze.. drink.. eat and sleep.. however.. she does appear to be back in season though and he did cover her again today... however.. if 'faking it' is hereditary... i could be wrong (her mother is well known for faking a second season after the first covering has taken.. although normally not as long as the first one) so we'll just wait and see... either way the pair seem very happy and content with each other.

 

[~Lisa~]

Mona I totally agree that there is a difference when the filly is carrying a foal I was not talking about the physical that aside I do not feel a 2 yr old even a 3 yr old in many cases is mentally mature enough to be a mom. I realize not many mini people agree with me. We are in such a rush for everything even down to retiring show horses at 3 or 4 years old. In the big horse world it is common thought a horse does not reach it's show prime until much later in life

 

[Mona]

Sorry Lisa, yes, I did misunderstand. I did think you meant physical. Sorry.

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Curious as to why you would use a different age for minis vs large horses?

Actually there are several top notch/quality AQHA/APHA/ApHC breeders who give their 2 year old colts a test mare or two, many of these are show colts who continue to show and be competitive..

I know I'm late to the conversation, but I do start my stallions at age 2. However, they are only given experienced mares who just seem to "KNOW" how to settle under the most difficult circumstances. I put them together for pasture breeding when the mare is NOT in season, and see how they get along--usually quite fine. Then, "ole Miss Experience" seems to take the lead, and my young stallions learn how to court, nuzzle, talk and figure out what goes where. If they settle that mare, I may give them a 2nd experienced mare, but no more. So their first season is learning, being successful and generally positive all the way around. I spend a little more time in the pasture with the young stallion and his matron during the "heat cycle" so he's familiar with handling during this time, and we generally do quite well.

Pretty much what I plan to do with my 2 year old next year if I feel he is in fact ready.. Not sure if I'll do pasture breeding, but will let one of the experienced girls "show him the ropes" so to say

 

[~Lisa~]

I know once again many will disagree with me and that is more then ok but.. there is a danger in putting a young horse out with the most experienced mare or any mare. I personally will always hobble a mare now period .

I hand bred for years and have put them together in a pen with no problem but you know the saying all it takes is once.

My colt got kicked it very well could have been a one in a million shot but odds didnt matter the fact is she kicked him he then became infertile and is now a gelding.

Odds are honestly I would have gelded him anyway as that seems to be the fate of any stallion we have had here on our farm

but it was very disappointing to me at the time and very painful for him.

I know many of you do not do this and have had no issues but it is something that should be in the back of your mind when making choices