Sorry if this is a silly question but how often

[Willow Glen]

if the stallion is just new to it, I was thinking morning and night would that give him enough time to recover himself?. or do people bred the mare and stallion more often during the day.

 

[Willow Glen]

So no one no's lol,

Come on please tell me how many times a stallion can serve a mare in 1 day.

 

[victoria]

Emma we breed morning and night if we have 2 mares in season at the same time.

PM me if you want... Just got back from our first show and Im exhausted...

 

[valshingle]

When I am breeding one mare to the stallion at a time (only one mare in season), then we breed every other day. This allows the stallion to completely recharge the sperm, so to speak. If we have two mares in season, then we breed mare A on day A, Mare B on Day B, Mare A on Day C, Mare B on Day D. So each mare is bred every other day. The sperm stays alive in the mare for more than 24 hours, so breeding every other day is fine. Breeding the mare more often than necessary increases the risk of a uterine infection. Make sure the stallion and mare are 'cleaned' prior to each breeding - plain water is fine, soap can kill the sperm. Using this method, we achieved 100% conception this year with all of our stallions. As much as the stallion would like to breed the mare more frequently, it isn't necessary and he will still learn what to do. Obviously, if you are pasture breeding the mare will probably be bred more than once a day. We have done it both ways and prefer hand breeding because then I will know exactly when the mare was bred and can tell the vet when she ultrasounds what length of pregnancy to look for.

And there are no silly questions.

 

[Willow Glen]

Great thank you very much, I couldnt remember and what you have said is what I was thinking,

So thank you guys very much.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I was confused by the question....a stallion can serve a mare every time he is able, if loose with her!!!

There is, however, no advantage to serving her more often than every other day, and that is what I have always done when covering in hand.

Loose in the field he does what he pleases

 

[weerunner]

Iguess you really need to know the mare you are breeding also. I have one mare that goes into receptive heat for only two days!!! Yup both years I've had her she was insanely receptive (insistant on being bred NOW) for just two days and one both years she got in foal easily in those two days and never came into heat again. She's a woman who knows her mind and her body. Anyways, the every two days wouldn't work with her. I breed her morning and night for both days and the deed is done. She's the only one I have like that but I wish I had more. There's no doubt about if she's pregnant or not as she NEVER comes back into heat.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Given a herd of receptive mares and the ability for him to choose when and where, a stallion will spend his whole day breeding. 20+ times a day isn't unheard of! However, after about three or four mares he'll be shooting blanks... but even blanks have a purpose! They have the ability to extend the life of the sperm already in the mare (hypothesized).

In a managed breeding program once every other day is the accepted protocol to maximize the stallion's use and minimize fustration, bordom, and fluid in the mare.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I Guess you really need to know the mare you are breeding also. I have one mare that goes into receptive heat for only two days!!! Yup both years I've had her she was insanely receptive (insistent on being bred NOW) for just two days and one both years she got in foal easily in those two days and never came into heat again. She's a woman who knows her mind and her body. Anyways, the every two days wouldn't work with her. I breed her morning and night for both days and the deed is done. She's the only one I have like that but I wish I had more. There's no doubt about if she's pregnant or not as she NEVER comes back into heat.

Once every two days would work perfectly well for this mare, covered on the first day of heat, assumed ovulation sometime that day, going off the next and off by the third she would be set in foal with one breeding!!

One of my Arabs, we ascertained, ovulated on the second day as she was never in season more than three days.

Whether she actually did ovulate on this day was irrelevant as, bred one, on the second day, she got in foal safely.

Every other day was the accepted rate of service for every stud I knew that bred in hand, any more is really a waste, although if there are no other mares to breed, every day is fine.

Twice a day is not only pointless but it is considered that over breeding can lead to a low grade infection.

My stallion will breed, on average, around four times a day when loose with mares, less if he only has a couple of mares in season (and I try to keep it at that level) as he doesn't see the point of continually breeding the same mare (wise chap!!)

 

[alphahorses]

I agree 100% with valshingle . Every other day should be enough.

I have a mare that is only in heat for a couple of days, and she gets covered just once - unless we have an inexperienced stallion who backs off too early. Breeding more often just increases the chances of infection or injury, not the chances of conception. Even some of my mares that have longer cycles only get covered once if I know their cycles well.

 

[Relic]

We have a few mares that only cycle about 4 days start to finish so if you know that and it repeats each year they are only bred one time on day 3 and so far they have always taken and foals were born the following year. lf on the other hand some have longer cycles 6/9 days they are bred starting on day 5 every second day till out..l do know some breeders who start to breed as soon as mares are in heat till done but myself don't agree with that...