Teasing, breeding Covering Mares

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AJ, at 45-1/4", was a Shetland, not a miniature. He did sire several foals that would have qualified for AMHR registration at maturity, had we or their owners wanted to go that route. He covered mainly our own mares - of which we had 4 mares that only had 1 foal each (2 Arabians that were covered from a ramp & 1 - 13.1 hh 1/2 arab pony mare that jumped into his pen OVER a 5' gate; 40" shetland mare) and 2 that had 5 each (both mares larger than him - 1 covered on his own, then with the ramp; the other, though larger at 12.1 hh - he covered easily). 1 arab that had 2 (bred with ramp) and 1 Xbred arab that had 2. 1 that had 4 & 1 that had 3 (both Shetlands smaller than him).

of the outside mares that produced foals by him - 4 were Shetlands, 1 was a 12.2 hh xbred, 2 arabians and 1 QH. Not sure how the 1st QH & Arab were covered before I purchased him. The 2nd Arab and the Xbred mare were bred from our ramp. He was hand bred to two of the shetlands while on our property, and ran with the other 2 for 1 season while on a lease.

You can see the actual listings here - AJs Foals

We still own 4 of AJs offspring. 1 small Shetland mare, his very first foal for us in 1997; a 2008 1/2 arab gelding; a 2011 Shetland stallion (soon to be gelded) and AJs last purebred Shetland, now our youngest stallion. Echo, born in April 2013 (10 months after AJ passed) is so like his sire at times that sometimes I wonder if AJ didn't come back in his son's body!! Echo is, right now, the same age as AJ was when I purchased AJ in 1995 (3 yrs old). We have 3 AJ "grand children" - 2 silver tobi geldings out of his 97 daughter and a 2016 black tobi colt by Echo. Echo, like his sire, is homozygous for the Tobiano gene (meaning he will always sire a "painted" baby) and he is also larger like his sire. He has his sire's GREAT personality - which is exactly what I'd been looking for.

Only time will tell...
 
Well, chances are I will be handling the mare and stud alone unless I pasture breed. There is not much help around here now that the girls have jobs. Most of my friends aren't my next door neighbors. I will add a ring to the wall of the barn to tie the mare to, if need be I guess. The Standardbred is in heat this week. The stud is still much more calm than I expected. He diffiently knows she is in heat. but I can still lead him around the yard with the lead snapped in the bottom ring of the halter.
 
I actually broke my thumb breeding a mare. My fault - she was a nasty thing and I wasn't prepared for her assault.

She was SUPER mom. She was in foal heat but didn't care, she thought my cloudy was trying to steal her baby. She put her head between her knees and kicked up so hard after acting like she was standing - was like a rodeo pony. He was going to mount so I tossed my hand in front of his eyes and she got me so hard I broke my thumb and my thumb nail fell off.

Hobbles may be a good investment if going at it alone.
 
I found this picture on the internet, and I thought this looked like a safer set up, with the mare on one side of the wall, and the handler standing on the other side. In my case, if I added a post to tie her head to... then the side wall lets the stud handler stand on the other side of it as well......... does this look safe? I don't have demensions, but I see where it comes to on the horses in the picture, and I could measure my horses in the same place for a height.

I won't be building anything this fall, I am just going to pasture breed my one mare, but in the spring if anyone did want to use him... then I might want to look professional.

teasing wall.jpg
 
That is a super nice set up. Notice several things -

1 - the ground where the mare is is quite a bit lower than where the stallion is. Lowers her height. GREAT. But you need to plan so you don't build something like that only to have it under water when you need it.

2 - you can see how the mare's tail is wrapped.

3 - hard to see, but there is padding on something on the other side of the mare (shows between the mare and the stud). Believe it is a "mount" - allowing the mare to stand in the pseudo stocks and allow for collecting a stallion.

You other comment made me laugh. THANK YOU, LOLOLOLLOLOL...
default_smile.png
 
I am so glad that I posted the picture. I really only noticed that there were walls to stand behind.. You pointed out several things I didn't even see.........

I don't think I will be doing any AI, I am more a ohnatural kind of guy.
 
For those that are pasture breeders, do you usually see them breeding? or at least teasing?

Our stud has been here 17 days and haven't seen any signs of the little mare being in heat... She should be in heat 7 days and out for 14 days, right?

The first week he was here, I took him outside with her morning and night, and ever since then, they are stalled at night, and run in the pasture together all day...... I figure that way he will try her every morning when I put them out and I should be able to see that is on...... and still nothing at day 17..... does that mean it is too late for this year? are there some mares that just don't come into heat?
 
Every mare is unique. I believe it is approx every 21 days that she will cycle and the cycle lasts approx 7 days. She should only conceive at the end of the cycle. If you do not know when her cycle starts or ends, it is best to keep them together all of the time so you do not miss it. In extreme heat or cold, mares may not cycle. It has been 100° for the last week here and now all of my mares are off. Give it time, they'll figure it out. Just remember that approx 11 months after breeding will be her due date, so be sure not to get her bred with a foaling date in the middle of winter unless you want to run heat lamps out in the barn. Good luck.
 
Answering your last question.......... Mares when in heat show very differently. I have one mare that is "very" noticeable. My other mare I had a vet look at 18 months ago as I didnt think she was cycling, well she was and when the vet gave her a PG shot to bring her into season , I noticed I had two very different mares when in season. If you dont think she is cycling at all, might be best to make a call to your vet to find out if she is or not.

Ryan
 
I am hoping that being around the stallion will make her show her heats......... If she doesn't breeding in the next few weeks it will have to wait until spring. Even breeding now means that foal won't wean until the end of next year. Any later than that would cause me housing issues.
 
The miniature mare is in heat today. When I put them out this morning, she called to the stud. He came and sniffed her all over, she is winking like crazy. He worked himself, up and then just walked away from her. He must figure it's not time yet........... I guess. She is being a pain to him though following him, rubbing up against him, backing into his face. I turned them out together for the day. Do I just let nature take it's course and assume he will breed her when he is ready? or should I separate them and put the back together later, So he gets excited again?
 
I should mark down today's date though right? cause if he doesn't breed her she will be in heat again 3 weeks from today? And if she doesn't she if probably bred? Once he figures it's time to breed will he breed enough times a day that I will probably catch them?
 
I've been pasture breeding my mini mares for over 20 years and rarely do I see a stallion cover the mares...sometimes they are sneaky and it must have been done under cover of darkness because the conception rate here has been around 95%. Several years, even when I had over 20 mares, the conception rate was 100% and I never saw it....and I was out in the barn and pastures a lot. I just note when I saw a mare come in heat so I have some idea of when she will foal.
 
An experienced, gentleman, stallion can sense when a mare is "ripe" and won't risk his "manhood" or waste his energy until then.

You didn't mention how old your fellow is..... You may be blessed with one!

I agree with documenting your mare's heat cycles. You may not witness a breeding, but you'll notice when she doesn't come back in.
 

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