Posted 2016-08-02 3:37 PM Subject: breed her or not?
Veteran
Posts: 285
Okay so I am really wanting a baby out of my mare. She's 19 and has had two foals before. First foal we had was born with a clef pallet and vet recommended we put her down. The 2nd was a healthy boy that I kept for years then decided to sell. My mare is very athletic cow bred and I really want to have a foal so I can ride a compete on. I will have her vet checked before anything goes further but just wanted some opinions. I just started running her again and I forgot how much fun she is to run. I would like to run her for a few more years but also would like to breed. I have thought about a embryo transfer and have other mares to do it with, but they have never had a baby.
With your older mares do you think an embryo transfer is a smarter way to go or would you finished competing on her and breed?
Posted 2016-08-02 3:48 PM Subject: RE: breed her or not?
Veteran
Posts: 110
ET is really pricey so if you are going to go that way, be super sure that whatever mare you pick is delivery sound and able to do it, especially as a first foal.
Posted 2016-08-02 3:53 PM Subject: RE: breed her or not?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
You seem to be asking two different questions.
First one I think is, if you should breed her?
To which I can't give my full unbiased opinion on based on the information provided. Pedigree, conformation, etc is all important, but I would hesitate since she has had a deformed foal before - it might've been bad luck, but still.
Second one is if you do breed her, should you ET, or breed her later?
I think she is already a bit old to carry her own foals, depending on how long its been since her last foal. She will be 20 by the time you actually do breed her since it's too late in the year now, so 21 when she foals. Older mares have an increased risk for issues, and some older mares won't carry at all if they have been open for a while.
Posted 2016-08-02 4:15 PM Subject: RE: breed her or not?
That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
Older mares are incredibly difficult to get babies out of. You will likely have to do an ET and it will probably run you $5,000 plus the stud fee if there are no hicups. You can buy a pretty nice baby for $6,000+.
Posted 2016-08-02 6:30 PM Subject: RE: breed her or not?
Saint Stacey
There is no guarantee an ET will even work on an older mare. They do have less viable embryo's flushed out of older mares. We've had some that you couldn't get the embryo to stick. Breed the same mare to carry and it wasn't a problem. There is just no way to know what will work until you are doing the process.
Posted 2016-08-02 8:44 PM Subject: RE: breed her or not?
Veteran
Posts: 285
Thanks I was just wanting opinions. I don't plan on doing anything unless the vet thinks she is healthy to have a foal. Reason I would like to breed is she is a very smart athletic made and confo wise, put together very nicely. Plus she's my baby and I'd love to have one out of her to run in the future. But I won't do anything unless my the vet doesn't see a problem with it.
breed her or not?
