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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 795
  
Location: GODS country | Is 18 years old to breed a maiden mare? She is a successful rodeo horse and we would like to give her a break and raise a colt out of her. Do most maiden mares foals tend to be small?
Thanks! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 274
| get a good exam done on her, flush her, culture her, bred her...all you can do is try...your chances of her getting in foal are alot less....most maiden mares, not matter age will produce a smaller foal....but not always I have had maiden mares that foaled smaller foals and the baby was a good height and weight and maturity. I have had some older maiden get in foal no prob, I have other that took me 5x + to get in foal. All depends on how the reproductive system of your mare looks.
I would take her to a good repro vet have her examined during normal estrus, and again at ovulation. You may have to use some HCG or possibly regumate. Its always a gamble. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Durango CO | Every vet in the e tire world will tell you that it's much harder to get an older mare to settle and carry to term as a maiden. It's not impossible but you can guarantee it will be more expensive. Follow the recommendations of the last post and make sure she is a little on the fatter side when you go to breed. I hope she settles for ya!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | If she is reproductive healthy, not too old. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430
Location: Purcell Ok | It's not only if she will settle but how hard will the foaling be on her. At that age with her not having any foals her cervix could be slightly hardened, this will make foaling difficult on her. I have seen it go both ways. Older maidens settle first try and have an easy foaling, as well as hard breeders and foaling complications. There are always risk to breeding mares. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 492
| I bred my mare as an 18 year old. We had to AI her 3 times that year, and the vet had to perform magic tricks and a fertility dance. We finally got her to take, and she had a healthy foal. Her baby was actually quote large. Unfortunately, I was only able to get one baby out of that mare, but I am lucky enough to have one amazing filly out of the most amazing mare I have and probably will ever ride! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | No but I would do a culture and biopsy before paying a stud fee to make sure she is reproductively sound |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| My sister got two of her rodeo mares bred as a maidens at 18 and had no problems getting them bred. However, I believe it was live cover. The mares did fine and had easy pregnancies and deliveries. The babies were healthy. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Warriors Mom - 2016-01-20 8:21 AM
get a good exam done on her, flush her, culture her, bred her...all you can do is try...your chances of her getting in foal are alot less....most maiden mares, not matter age will produce a smaller foal....but not always I have had maiden mares that foaled smaller foals and the baby was a good height and weight and maturity. I have had some older maiden get in foal no prob, I have other that took me 5x + to get in foal. All depends on how the reproductive system of your mare looks.
I would take her to a good repro vet have her examined during normal estrus, and again at ovulation. You may have to use some HCG or possibly regumate. Its always a gamble.
yes those first foals are always smaller. Mine was the first foal of a mare that was about 14-2 and he turned out to only be 16-1. No telling how tall he would have been if he hadn't been the first foal
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 Swedish Hippie Chick
Posts: 5537
Location: Deep South | I have a mare that had her first foal at 16. She's now in foal with her 3rd baby. Both her 2014 baby and 2015 baby were nice sized foals. My friend had a maiden mare, same age as mine. She tried to AI her 3 times with no luck, she tried again the next spring, once again no luck. She finally pasture bred her and she caught and had a filly the next spring. My mare was pasture bred all 3 times. Ran with other mares and a stud and caught on her first heat cycle with him. Caught easily the next 2 times as well. I realize that most stallion and mare owners don't do this much anymore(pasture breed). I totally understand why, can't take the risk of hurting the stud or the mare. I went that route because I was very familiar with that stud and the band of mare he ran with. It's not for everyone and it's better to be safe than sorry and not risk the chance of them getting hurt! Not that you were even considering pasture breeding anyway. Just wanted to share my experience with my maiden mare. Good luck with your mare!
Edited by runninroan 2016-01-20 4:09 PM
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 Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia |
It bothers me when people say mare's first foal is going to be small. Thats complete BS. To the OP, I bred my maiden mare at 15, she had the filly at 16 and it was all very textbook. Go for it! |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Many first foals ARE smaller at birth. However, by weaning they are just as big as any other foals and will grow as big as genetically designed and if fed properly. We bred a older maiden mare. We only got 2 foals from her. Her first colt was smaller at birth, however he is 15.3 as an adult and his mother is just a tick under 15 hands so he's alot bigger then her. So if anyone trys to say they are smaller, well yes but only at birth, One of mother nature's devine designs to help ease the first foaling. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1261
| Oh geez my maiden mare had a giant foal the first time born big and measures like she will be 16H at maturity. She's due with her second by the same stud in about 10 weeks I wonder how big this one will be if the first is always smaller!! |
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 Livin in the Dinosaur Age
Posts: 1993
Location: the other T-town, Oklahoma | My mare was 22, bred the second day if not the first day of her cycle. No probelms. Baby was smaller and still is smaller as a 4 year old. I did have to wean her at 16 weeks and then had to put my mare down several months later, not sure if it was related to pregancy/birthing/nursing or not. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 189
| Sooo.. how old is considered to old for a non maiden mare?
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 That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| RunfastNTurn - 2016-01-21 11:11 AM Sooo.. how old is considered to old for a non maiden mare?
Lots of people say there is a higher chance of complications/problems after the age of 10. Obviously the older they are the higher the risk. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 550
| I bred my maiden mare at 18. I had a repro exam done and the vet said everything looked good. When she looked like she was coming in, I took her to the vet for a check, he said it was perfect timing, ordered the semen, and she took that first time. I think he gave her some sort of shot at that time, but I didn't have to do anything. She had a big filly with no trouble, just laid down in the pasture and had her. The filly is about the same height as her dam right now coming 3, which is small. I wasn't expecting 16+ out of 14.1 & 14.3, so I'm happy with her.
My mare hasn't been as good since she came back though. Not sure if it is related or not, but she doesn't quite fire like she used to, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her physically.
She is a great mom, and I love my filly, so I would do it again though. |
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 Too Cute!
Posts: 5957
Location: at the rodeo. | I had a 21 year old maiden last year... I was super nervous about it.. But I talked to my vet, he examined her and said he didn't see why not. Had no issues getting her bred. Mare carried full term and had no problems with delivery. She had a tiny, nothing but legs filly in May. I had to help her up and nurse the first time but after that, no issues.. She was and is still full of spunk! Now she's 8 months old, & built like a tank! both are very healthy. |
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