Breeding question...

[bluerogue]

My mom's appy mare has been in a standing heat for the past 10 days. My colt has been happily breeding her every day. She is not showing signs of going out anytime soon, although she is starting to move around a bit more when he's finishing. Is this too long to be a normal heat cycle? This is a 6 year old mare who has been hard to get bred in the past. She's only had one foal (last year), but has been bred every year since she was 3, and was confirmed in foal at 3 but absorbed or aborted during shipment. Should I continue breeding her as long as she'll stand for him? She does seem to like him an awful lot, could she not be in heat anymore, and just like him? One of our other mares came in today, and I don't want to over do it with him. Could Cho just have long heat cycles?

 

[slaneyrose]

Hi Blue rogue I had a mare last year that was in season for 9 days and covered often! She didnt come back into "season" but whenever my stallion went to cover her she let him!! Hussy!!

Last time was December. She didnt get pregnant last year but has just been covered again today so heres hopin......

 

[sedeh]

I had a mare last year did the same thing......stayed in season forever.......didn't come back in season later but was not in foal either. Hormones are very strange in these mini's! Good luck with yours. I don't think it will hurt anything to let the colt keep breeding her if she keeps accepting him. Who knows when her egg is ready.

 

[wiccanz]

I had a maiden mare last year, who initially had 14 day seasons, then after foaling, refused to come back into season until I started day weaning her foal. Then when she finally came in, stayed in for around 12 days, and only willingly bred on one occasion... :new_shocked: ...talk about dodge the flying hooves!! :lol:

But she has a +ve blood test :aktion033:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have had mares stay in heat right through to the next cycle- complete time was - with one of them- thirty days from start to finish.

As I had a number of other mares to breed at the same time I just teased her every day and checked she was till in.

When she started to get "iffy" I covered her again.

She got in foal.

I have mares at the moment who have been in season for ten days- I consider that pretty normal!!

:

I only breed them every other day- a low grade infection can set up in the womb with these "long term" mares and it would be well worth your while having her washed out with a dilute iodine/ peroxide pessary or antibiotics- that would be up to your Vet.

I have done this often and had very good results.

This low grade infection thing is a nuisance- it does not damage, it cause no temperature yet it can sit there un-noticed and prevent conception.

Worth the Vets bill, it should not be expensive if you take her in, and is very simple.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I am guessing this is a new mare to you? Some mares just have longer cycles. I have a mare who is normally 15-18 days the first time I thought i was going crazy and must have written the dates down wrong - even quit breeding her that cycle. The next month the same thing and I bred her all the way thru she settled and gave us a beautiful colt who we just gelded and sold (he is 2 now). Bred her again when he was a couple months old and yep once again she was in for 16 days settled on that cycle and last year gave us a beautiful pintaloosa filly. This year she was short for her and had a 14 day cycle which I did breed her all the way thru. I should have an idea soon as she is due back in the 9th. I have another mare I was breeding at the same time she is a maiden mare and her normal cycles are 4 days

:

 

[bluerogue]

Not really new, Lisa, we bought her right after she was bred for the foal she had last year. I have come to the conclusion that she will not breed back if she has a foal at side, so this is my first time breeding her, as when we bought her from my friend she was being bred to one of her stallions. Cho was covered by my colt twice last year in one heat cycle, but she didn't catch, and I think it's because she was worried about her colt at the time. Since I didn't see her in heat last year, except the once, and she only accepted him on the last two days, so I don't know how long she normally stays in. I'll be keeping track of this, so it won't worry me in the future. Wow, that's quite a bit of a difference, Lisa. Would be nice if your 4 day maiden catches really easy too! Maybe our Cho is like your other girl, and just has longer cycles. Hand breeding is new for me, as before we were pasture breeding at my friends ranch, since King wasn't old enough yet. I'm learning about our mares cycles, and it's just taking me a bit of time. I didn't think mares cycles could last this long! Thanks for all the advice! It is very appreciated!