nss official programme
The British Horse Society, “Think Before You Breed” campaign has continued to encourage horse owners to think very sensibly before making the decision to breed a horse or pony – as the resulting foal can mean a serious, long term commitment. Breeding indiscriminately has hugely important welfare implications. There are now more horses in this country than there are knowledgeable and experienced people, willing and able to care for them.
Think carefully before breeding a foal. Even if you plan to provide a home for the foal for life, you should seriously consider the future commercial value. As horses nowadays frequently live well beyond their twenties, breeding a foal is a massive undertaking and you must consider what would happen to your foal if you find yourself no longer able to care for it. The effects of the recession have brought the issue of overproduction of low quality, low value horses in the UK, into sharp focus. Surely all who care for horses should be concerned about what the future holds for a colt that has changed hands for under £40? Even competition horses, capable of success at the lower levels, are worth little more than they would have been twenty years ago.
What are your reasons for putting your mare in foal? A mare should not be put in foal
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just because: • She is injured and needs to spend time off work. When a mare has to be rested for a long period it may seem like a good idea to put her in foal, but the extra weight of carrying the foetus may actually cause further damage to her injuries.
• She is your perfect horse. Most of us love our horses but they are like children – we are often blind to their faults! Remember that, whatever your plans, the foal must have a future commercial value.
• She is growing old or has been retired. Older mares often have lower levels of fertility, and the stresses of pregnancy have welfare implications for the equine pensioner, particularly if she suffers from arthritis or a similar condition.
• You have nothing else to do with her. Keeping a horse fit is time- consuming but caring for a newborn foal will be even more so, and if the foal isn’t saleable, you will have twice the number of horses to care for.
The Ideal Broodmare Good broodmares are usually of known breeding and registered (or eligible for registration) with a breed society. A foal with recognised breeding is likely to be more desirable, and hence more valuable.
If a mare has had a successful career, and accompanying
performance record, her offspring will have more value than those with an unproven dam. If the mare has not had the chance to prove herself, the records of her ancestors and relations should be considered.
The mare’s conformation should always be considered. Most conformational traits have a genetic basis and may therefore be passed on to the foal from its parents. Although it is more obviously affected by management and the environment in which it is reared, character is in part, inherited. Hence a foal may inherit his mother’s difficult temperament. A potential broodmare should be in good health and a veterinary check is always advised. The ideal body condition score is 2.5- 3 (on a 0-5 scale). Mares that are underweight, or overweight, frequently have difficulty conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy. A mare’s fertility peaks between the ages of five and twelve and fertility declines with age, as does the ability to carry a foal to term safely.
Choosing a Stallion Careful consideration must be given to the choice of stallion as although he makes the same genetic contribution as the mare, he will make a greater contribution to the foal’s value. Where possible, it is always best to visit a number of stallions, however if this is not
feasible, advances in Artificial Insemination (AI) have made it possible to use stallions based abroad.
The stallion’s pedigree and bloodlines are of the utmost importance. The vast majority of good stallions will be registered with a breed society and these will be able to provide you with invaluable guidance. If you plan to produce a part-bred rather than pedigree foal, consider whether the cross is likely to produce a commercially desirable foal suitable for your intended discipline. A stallion’s conformation and temperament must be thoroughly evaluated both independently and in the light of the mare’s qualities. It is common practice to put a mare to a stallion larger than she is to increase the size of the foal, but too large a stallion may be detrimental to her welfare at covering and may cause difficulties during foaling. The performance record of the stallion is obviously important. If he has proven himself, his progeny are more likely – but not guaranteed – to inherit his talent, and this may increase their marketability and value. Provided he has been working as a stallion for long enough to have foals on the ground, the stud will often have offspring you can view and knowledge of the success of his previous progeny. Researching the prices his previous foals have attained can give you a good idea of how commercial his progeny are.
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