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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
 
Location: SE KS | I get the overall idea of putting a mare under lights, would like a better description what that entails or is exactly? Thanks |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
 
| In general mares start cycling when the days get longer/warmer so you are trying to "trick" her into thinking its the time of year for breeding by making it lighter longer/warmer for her with the use of lights. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| I don't think temperature has any effect on them, just day light hours... |
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Location: Keeping up with the numbers! | I did this for my mare when I was wanting to breed in February for a January baby. I started putting her in the barn every day with lights two weeks before Thanksgiving up to her breeding date. I would bring her in before dusk and have to go back down and turn them off at 11pm every night. You also want to make sure the stall is fully lit with no shadows. |
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 No Name Nancy
Posts: 2715
Location: never in the right place | I worked at a halter barn and the horses were kept under light about 20 hrs a day- had to use a clear glass 200 (i think) watt bulb or a higher watt is they come that way. I just remember it had to be a clear bulb. not sure on the exact time the lights were kept on but it was long, they shed out like crazy |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| I read somewhere that the use of lights trick works through their eyes. Their eyes seeing "daylight" sends signals to their brain that it is spring/summer and their brain tells the body to operate as though it is by way of shedding, cycling, etc.
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Why would you want to make sure there are no shadows? Seems like you get a shadow from sunlight anyways. |
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| OutlawsLastDance - 2016-02-15 1:25 PM
I read somewhere that the use of lights trick works through their eyes. Their eyes seeing "daylight" sends signals to their brain that it is spring/summer and their brain tells the body to operate as though it is by way of shedding, cycling, etc.
This is true, they make a new mask that mares wear and you don't have to bother bringing them in at night. expensive but ingenious! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | You put them under lights starting in November and you bring them in before dusk and you do it religiously until about Feb when they should start developing a follicle. I have a JOH daughter we have had under lights but we lost power with both Oklahoma Ice storms so she is just now starting to develop a follicle. I was hoping to breed her asap in Feb for a Jan baby. The vet said no shadows and to make sure her stall is well lit. We used 200 watt bulbs and my barn looks super bright at night! lol. |
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Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | Where do you get the mask? What is it called? |
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| soonergirl98 - 2016-02-15 3:22 PM
Where do you get the mask? What is it called?
Equilume
There are several people that I know of, that are using them and are having great success with them... |
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| Days start getting longer about DEC 21st each year increasing one minute per day and then moves to 2-3 minutes per day ... shortest day was Dec 22, 2015
Longest day will be June 20-22, 2016 and time will slowly shorten the days again ...
Whether you use lights or not ..... always remember the first heat cycle is usually weak or false so wait on the next one with no drugs etc etc ..
increasing the days with lights .... per several stud stations must be done early of a morning and then turned on again of an evening to get a good solid reaction from mares during the 16 hour days you have created with lights ..
start well before sunrise and 2 hours before sunset ...
6am to 10pm is standard (use military time.. it makes it easier to figure 600 to 2200)
Also if they start shedding while under lights, you get them pregnant and turn off the lights ....... it screws up their natural shedding routine and can shed and then grow winter hair back thinking it is already fall ... and have to shed again ..
I have seen horses growing winter hair back or shedding all the way to July ....
Doing lights now will only confuse your natural start for heat cycles and may delay a mare having cycles or good normal cycles ... so be careful ... shipping CS IS EXPENSIVE ...
GOOD LUCK .
I have never considered using lights when breeding for barrel horses .. trying to get ahead a couple of months when the hard work for training on the pattern does not start until they are 3yo+ .. so 60 days is not going to help one way or another ... and if I lived where winters are cold cold cold ... I would stay with the norm and have my mares foal out in late April to early June because of the nasty weather ...
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2016-02-15 4:13 PM
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Location: Keeping up with the numbers! | I live in Texas and was not too concerned with foaling during the winter as it is usually mild. I had held my mare open in 2014 so I could specifically foal her FWOTR baby in January as it was going to be her last foal as we only breed for ourselves.
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| FlyingJT - 2016-02-15 2:41 PM
OutlawsLastDance - 2016-02-15 1:25 PM
I read somewhere that the use of lights trick works through their eyes. Their eyes seeing "daylight" sends signals to their brain that it is spring/summer and their brain tells the body to operate as though it is by way of shedding, cycling, etc.
This is true, they make a new mask that mares wear and you don't have to bother bringing them in at night. expensive but ingenious!
Wow - this is wild! |
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Veteran
Posts: 127
Location: Nebraska | It will inhibit melatonin production, which will stimulate the hypothalamus to create GnRH which will start the cycle. Basically, it tricks the mare's body into thinking it's later in the year and the days are getting longer, so she will start her heat cycles again. |
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