POV
with frozen semen. Imagine our surprise to see three days worth of emergency fees! Tuition is expensive and that bill was an education.” Fernando Cardenas of 3H Equestrian Center in Ocala,
Florida also cautions breeders to “breed as simply as pos- sible.” Methods like embryo transfer and the use of frozen semen can be tempting, but they can also be expensive. Often, especially for a new breeder, it can be easier and less expensive to start with simpler methods like basic shipped chilled semen. Luckily there are a wide variety of quality stallions available via shipped semen in North America. In this same vein, long time breeder Maryanna Hay-
mon of Marydell Farm also cautions against the expenses that can be incurred breeding older problem mares. “In the beginning we could not afford the type and quality of mare I desired, so we bought older or more difficult mares instead,” she says. “But I was unprepared for the costs involved in trying to breed and then maintain the pregnancies with these mares. Overall I ended up paying the veterinarian what I would have paid to purchase a top mare to begin with.”
Handle Your Foals Shelley Housh owns Sterling Shagya Sporthorses in California. She says one of the biggest lessons she’s learned is the impor- tance of working with the foals. Foals are much easier to han- dle when they are younger and smaller. She had her first foal in 2007 and admits she wishes she’d started his training sooner.
Shelley Housh of Sterling Shagya Sport- horses with one of her weanlings Sterling’s Brigadier SH.
to foal can attest to how exhaust- ing foaling season can be. However, there are many products avail- able now to make the mare owner’s experience much easier and reduce the number of nights spent in the
barn waiting on a mare who may not be ready to foal for an- other week or more. Products like the Predict-A-Foal kits come pre-packaged and allow a person to test the mare’s milk to pre- dict, usually within a few days, when foaling is imminent. Some various pool test strips and water hardness test strips can also be used to measure the pH and calcium in a mare’s milk to help predict when she may be closer to foaling. Many breeders also utilize various intercom and camera
systems. Mary Procopio of New Horizons Haflinger Sport Horses in Michigan says one of the most valuable lessons she learned was to invest in cameras for the barn for foaling season. “For the first five years or so, I used intercoms instead of cameras,” she says. “I was running out to the barn half a dozen times each night throughout foaling season because one of my mares (who wasn’t even pregnant) would lie flat out and snore and groan. She sounded just like a mare going into labor!”
Anissa Cottongim of Emerald Acres with her 2013 colt Emerald Phoenix.
Since then she’s come to appreciate the importance of early handling and has even incorporated some natural horseman- ship techniques into her routine. She also likes taking the foals to in-hand breed shows and feels the show experience, and the clipping, bathing and trailering experiences that go with it, are incredibly valuable for a youngster.
Foaling Time Tips Sometimes the simplest advice can still be a huge help. Any- one who’s spent night after sleepless night waiting for a mare
Warmbloods Today 77
Mary Procopio of New Horizons Haflinger Sport Horses stands with Romantique of Lilac Farms.
Never-Ending Learning Process Successful horse breeding is part art and part science. Some people begin breeding horses with a head full of knowledge al- ready, and others begin breeding with nothing more than star- ry eyed optimism and a favorite mare. Either way, the best breeders are always con- tinuing to learn— studying pedigrees and conformation and performance records and keep- ing up to date on the latest develop- ments. They also
network with other breeders and share ideas and experiences. Here’s to a successful career in horse breeding!
Courtesy Anissa Cottongiwm
Courtesy Mary Procopio
Photo by McCool ‘12
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