- Breeding
- The History of Horse Breeding
- Horse Breeding, Part 1: The Estrous Cycle
- A Brief History of Horse Breeding
- Buying a Horse
- How to Buy Horses: A Step by Step Process
- The Top 4 Places to Find Horses for Sale
- Top 3 Ways Using Horse Classifieds Can Save You Money
- General Horse Articles
- Horseback Riding as Therapy
- Applying Natural Aids
- The Horse Links: How Digital Television has Revolutionized the Equestrian Community
- Horse Feeding
- 5 Horse Feeding "Don'ts"
- A Look at Horse Feed
- You’ve Got the Right Feed, Now What?: Proper Feeding Practices
- Horse Grooming
- eZall Shine & Detangler Transforms Ratty Manes and Tails Into Flowing Tresses
- Keeping Your Horse Beautiful with Horse Products
- Mane Saving Ideas
- Horse Health Issues
- Horse Dental Problems and Prevention
- How to Care for Your Horse in the Winter
- Sleep and Your Horse’s Health
- Horse Training
- Equestrian Education: Choosing the Right Horse School
- Training Mythunderstandings: Teach Your Horse Anything in 3 Simple Steps
- Emotionally Neutral Training
- Horses & History
- The Missing Equine Link: How the Modern Horse Came to Be
- Horses in Art: An Abridged History
- Horsing around the Sierra Madre - 1974 Style.
- Horses & Sports
- How to Prepare for Your First Equestrian Competition
- Nearly $7 Million Generated Annually for the District of Columbia
- In Defense of Horses in Sport
Horse Breeding, Part 2: Breeding and Gestation
05/26/2008
When deciding on whether or not to begin breeding horses, whether for horse racing or for show, it is important to look at the basics. Our previous article started you with the estrous cycle of the mare.
When deciding on whether or not to begin breeding horses, whether for horse racing or for show, it is important to look at the basics. Our previous article started you with the estrous cycle of the mare. This article will focus on conception and pregnancy.
If a farmer is looking to breed a horse “off-season,” such as during a winter month like January, they will put a mare in a barn under lights, so as to simulate a longer day. This will then cause the mare to go into the estrous cycle. Mares signal this cycle to a stallion by urinating and showing its vulva. The stallion will nip at the mare and nudge her, and will then smell the urine to see if she is ready to mate.
The fertilized egg descends into the uterus after approximately 5 ½ days, and the cell will be dividing. Gestation lasts for around 11 months. Early on, the embryo or fetus will be mobile – moving around the uterus until day 16, when fixation occurs. After around 35 days, true implantation occurs, and the placenta begins to form after 40-45 days. A heartbeat can be detected by 21 days, and gender can be determined in about 70 days. Sixty percent of fetal growth occurs in the final three months of pregnancy.
To ensure that the foal is and will be healthy, proper care and nutrition should be administered to the pregnant mare. Vaccinations must be given to protect from abortions, and pre-foaling vaccines should also be given 4-6 weeks before birth. Mares should also be dewormed, so as to not be a source of parasites for the foal.
Exercise for a pregnant mare is healthy and important, so riding is encouraged; however it should be done in moderation, especially during the later months of pregnancy. Excessive heat can hurt the foal, so exercise in high temperatures is not recommended.
The mare’s nutritional requirements increase throughout pregnancy, and the last few months are similar to that of a horse in full training. There is a high energy demand in a pregnant mare, and nutrition should be increased to accompany that – increased protein, calories, and vitamins and minerals. There are many feeds produced today that accompany these nutritional needs. These should only be fed to the mare during later months – overfeeding a pregnant mare early in pregnancy can cause birthing difficulties later on.
The next and final section on horse breeding will cover the birth of a foal and how to care for it.
