Our boy Merlin

[Riverdance]

The reasearch shows that hand breeding will be about 75% effective while pasture breeding is about 90% effective.

Thanks for sharing that information! I would have thought it would be the other way around, but due to all the other things that must be done in life, this is how we did it this year and now I feel better (great!) about doing the same this coming year. Thanks!!!

Jill,

The only problem with pasture breeding is knowing when your mares are due to foal, so more care has to be done in the spring checking for bags. And you need to be more aware of when the stallions are breeding the mares. The fact that the stallions prefer to bred at night, makes it even harder.

I have so many eyery other year mares and I am suspecting that I would have less every other year mares if I kept those mares with their foals, in with the stallions I want to breed them to. The boys know when the girls are in heat, better than we do. They also know when they are most likely to get pregnant when bred. Have you ever had boys that do not want to breed your mares when to you, the mares were in heat?

Anyway, I have always hand bred my mares that have foals by their sides and pasture bred all of the others. Well, all of my pasture bred mares get in foal, but many of my hand bred mares with foals on their side, do not. I hate to keep the mares with their foals in with the stallions, because they do not get a chance to go out to pasture then, or I have to let them out with the other mares in the AM. I have to be sure to keep the stallions behind who then call for their mares all day. Then in the evening, I have to separate all the mares and their foals out to get them into the right paddock areas. Oh so fun.

 

[Jill]

Oh, yes, I know. What I did was put the mare in when I knew she was in heat and handbred the first few times, then thought "this is for the birds" and left her in. I feel she caught on the first cycle as we didnt see them breeding again though DunIT did give a tentative try a few times and was refused

 

[stanlee]

Yea for Merlin and Parmela

Just saw this post and am so glad things are getting BETTER. Merlin sure is a STRIKING FELLA

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep up the good work and can't wait to see him clipped and also his future foals!!!!!!!!!!!! If he ever needs a vacation from MO send him here to IL and i'll pamper him for awhile with a few ladies TOO

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEE

 

[BannerBrat]

[SIZE=12pt]Oh my, Merlin is amazing.

[/SIZE]

if he was 37'' he'd be my perfect horse.

& very glad to hear he's settling in!

 

[MyBarakah]

Hi Parmela!

SOrry in being late to respond! He looks GREAT! Glad to hear you are getting along with him now!! Very nice! Wish you were closer!! I have a mare that would go well with him too!!