Posted 2015-03-13 5:26 PM Subject: Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
Expert
Posts: 2685
Mare has been under lights for a while. Taking her to the stallion farm to be live covered tomorrow. She will not be lighted while there so she will get the natural 12 hours of daylight. Do you think this will mess her up? I know once bred we don't need lights and I know missing a day or two won't mess her up but we are talking about a week.... :/
Posted 2015-03-13 6:42 PM Subject: RE: Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
BHW's Lance Armstrong
Posts: 11134 Location: Somewhere between S@%&# stirrer and Saint
how many days has she been under lights? I usually start mine on November 1. Then on the first week of Feb. They were ready to go the first week or last few days of Jan. I did have a mare go to a place that the barn was dark and I do feel it messed her up. Not sure how long it takes for a dark barn to mess them up but the barn was at a vets and he should have known.
Posted 2015-03-13 6:50 PM Subject: RE: Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
BHW's Lance Armstrong
Posts: 11134 Location: Somewhere between S@%&# stirrer and Saint
RoaniePonie11 - 2015-03-13 6:44 PM
Since Dec 1.
60-90 days is needed but I always do over kill in everything I do. So 90 days for me. Now this is important. If you breed a mare under the lights you must foal them under the lights. Some mares may get up and walk away from a baby. Mother nature is telling them it is not time to have a baby. Usually that is will young mares or first time mares
Posted 2015-03-13 7:00 PM Subject: RE: Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
Expert
Posts: 4121 Location: SE Louisiana
RoaniePonie11 - 2015-03-13 6:55 PM
I have never heard that before. Thank you :)
I've never heard that before either. But if the mare will be there for a week they should have facilities to keep her under lights. Oh, I'd hope if you are breeding to foal this early you would have her in a barn (under lights) to foal anyway.
Posted 2015-03-13 8:19 PM Subject: RE: Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
Elite Veteran
Posts: 886 Location: Where its cold and hot
Douglas J Gordon - 2015-03-13 6:50 PM
RoaniePonie11 - 2015-03-13 6:44 PM
Since Dec 1.
60-90 days is needed but I always do over kill in everything I do. So 90 days for me. Now this is important. If you breed a mare under the lights you must foal them under the lights. Some mares may get up and walk away from a baby. Mother nature is telling them it is not time to have a baby. Usually that is will young mares or first time mares
We kept two mares under lights to breed last year, one would be a maiden and one was an old pro. Neither mare was put under lights prior to foaling as I did want the mares to have some kind of winter coat. Both mares had beautiful healthy babies this winter and the maiden did not turn her foal away. So to each his own...
Posted 2015-03-15 2:56 PM Subject: RE: Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
BHW's Lance Armstrong
Posts: 11134 Location: Somewhere between S@%&# stirrer and Saint
komet. - 2015-03-13 7:46 PM
Douglas J Gordon - 2015-03-13 7:30 PM
Also you need to have the mare under lights at foaling so she can come into heat so you can breed her again.
I thought the foaling heat came naturally 3 or 4 days later??
No a 9 day foal heat will not come naturally if she doesn't have enough light. That is important if you are breeding at the first of February.. March also in some places up north.
Posted 2015-03-18 7:43 PM Subject: RE: Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
Expert
Posts: 3147
Mares should be under lights starting the first of november. One 60 watt light bulb won't cut it. Light needs to be very close to the amount of sunlight Mother Nature puts out. Our mares and all our clients didn't need lights to foal or come back into heat after foaling. Some mares will skip a foal heat, but 99% of them will have a 30 day heat cycle. Sometimes they will not show signs of heat and this makes it difficult to get them in foal at this time, but they can settle on a non showing heat cycle. AI is necessary for a non heat showing mare. Older mares don't always benefit from lights. i had an older mare-fifteen or so-who would not show at thirty days after foaling, but she would get in foal from breeding at that time. If she didn't have a foal you couldn't get her in foal before late April either no matter what you did.
Quick question about breeding mares that are under lights
