Breeding mares

[Magic Marker Minis]

I live in Tucson, AZ. Our mares started shedding back in Feb, but stalled out when our temps lowered.

The thing that is weird is our mares are very slow at coming into season. Last year all our mares started coming in in March, we held off until late April, early May to breed. Only two mares, out of eight, ended up pregnant and carried to term.

This year the mares are holding out. They are in better shape than last year, but slow at coming in. Had one mare come in early April. A second one end of April. Just had two (one foaled six weeks ago) come in. Have one that came in but we've had trouble getting her to settle, so didn't try breeding her. Still have the other mare that foaled to come in, but her foal is only a couple weeks old. The remaining two were bred late fall. One does not even look pregnant and she would be about seven months. The other one sometimes looks pregnant, but I think she is just a tad chubby.

Those last two have me stumped, unless they truely are pregnant.

Have any of your miniature mares been cycling normal this year?

 

So you have a way to put them under lights? Sometimes putting a difficult mare under lights early in the season (beginning in Jan / Feb) will bring them in a bit earlier.

 

[chandab]

I haven't noticed yet if any of mine are cycling, but it's a tad early here for normal, natural cycling. And, 5 out of 6 of my mares are exposed, and I'm pretty sure at least 4 are pregnant; the one unbred mare I haven't really paid attention to her cycle, as I don't have a stallion small enough to breed her to, except her sire.

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Last year all eight mares came in in April, all one on top of another. This year, they are spreading out.

 

[Jean_B]

I'm in northern Wisconsin and my open mares have been cycling since early March.

 

[amysue]

We had an odd season here, was very warm in the fall, mild early winter, very dry then got a cold snap. Since our last spring/ summer was so dry, the hay crop suffered. I feel this played a roll in our breeding season. I had 2 mares foal late, in August, and never stood in heat that season after foaling, they now are not showing heat signs like usual , but both stood to be bred this past week. I had 1 shetland wgo lost a pregnancy last October, we did not re breed, she is in with the stud now, but not standing quite yet. I think that a few weeks ago when it was unseasonably warm a few of my maidens cycled, but it has been cold and wet for the past two weeks and that is throwing everyone off, even my cows. I think putting a light on them is a good idea, I am going to try that.