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To Breed or To Buy? Part 1

© Sally White

A knock-kneed foal wobbling towards you, his nose wrinkled in curiosity ... or a strapping three-year-old, full of beans and ready for riding? If you are thinking of finding a youngster to bring on yourself, you will have to make the choice. It's not easy, and there are plenty of pitfalls along the way. Make the right choice, and you and your youngster will have a bond for life. Make the wrong choice, and you will get frustrated and give up long before you have achieved your goal.

This month I'll be looking at the issues you will face if you want to breed your own foal. And if that puts you off, next month you can find out all about letting someone else do it all for you, and buying the result!

The breeding option
It may sound obvious, but to breed your youngster you will need a brood mare. This requires some careful thought. The old family mare, who taught you to ride when you were too young to remember, but is now past her energetic best, may well be ready to have a baby of her own. But take a long pause before you ring up the nearest stud.

Is she fit? This should be the first question you ask yourself. Age need not be a problem - I've known brood mares foal at 25 - but fitness is essential. Your mare must be alert, happy, and eating up well, with a good coat and muscle tone. She must be neither too fat nor too thin. Bad condition is one of the main reasons why mares fail to become pregnant.

Many mares are put in foal after they become unsound for riding through injury or a similar problem. But make sure you have resolved any injuries as far as possible. Your mare should not be on any painkiller dose, however small. Pregnancy is as hard on a mare's body as it is on a human's body, and any injuries will take far more strain than they do normally.

The University of Wisconsin publishes a more detailed list of considerations in an article on breeding soundness in mares. But if you are in any doubt as to whether to put your mare in foal, just ask your vet. Don't just go ahead anyway: you will risk damaging or losing your mare as well as your foal.

The next question is a hard one. Your beloved mare may be the most beautiful thing in the world to you. But be honest. Are you turning a blind eye to those pigeon toes and piggy eyes? Are you too forgiving of her ewe neck and uneven hocks? The harsh fact is that even perfectly-conformed stallions cannot make up for a dud mum.

The copyright of the article To Breed or To Buy? Part 1 in Young Horses/Foals is owned by Sally White. Permission to republish To Breed or To Buy? Part 1 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.