When is it too late to breed...

[gubbyz]

When do you say it is too late in the yr. to breed? Will a baby born in May or June do ok showing on the line as a yearling, or will he always be a bit behind some born earlier? Do sport horse breeders want babies early like in the TB racing world? Thanks in advance for any help!

[YankeeLawyer]

Many, if not most, WB babies are born in May and June. The ideal time for foaling depends in part on where you are located, due to differences in climate from region to region. Generally, though, most like to have their mares foal when it is neither too hot nor too cold.

We got a relatively early start this year and I have one due in mid-March 09 and another due the first week of April 09.

Regarding how late is "too late," I think you are taking a risk if you wait too far into summer, because if the mare does not take on the first try she may be already in her transitional heat phase (starting to shut down for winter) by the time you attempt to breed again. As indicated above, I also don't like to have foals born during the sweltering months.

Besides in-hand showing, breeders also consider available foal inspection dates for their registries. Mine are registered with the AHS, which typically holds inspections from July through September in my area. Ideally, the foal would be presented at around 3 months of age -- not too young, and before any weanling gawkiness becomes an issue.

[camohn]

For sport horses later foals is not a huge deal like it is for race horses. My mares are all old so I shot for breeding them when they are most fertile/already have a couple cycles under their belt....which here is May to July. The latest foal we ever had born was August...though that is awful for the mare since that is when it is beastly hot here.

[tri]

It would be interesting if someone had some statistics on those young horses who actually do compete in the age restricted classes to determine if they are born early in the year or not.

I've asked this question before: regarding horses being born at all times of the year in europe yet, in europe, they have so many 3/4/5/6/7 year old classes; how do they do that?

I would think it would be impossible to do the hunter breeding classes as those horses are already so mature looking for their ages. To have one that was 6 months or more younger than the rest would be hard to be competitive.

Also, with the young jumper series, how would you get a 5 year old Young jumper competitive with a 6 month or more age difference?

[Fairview Horse Center]

I had a filly born July 5th. We took her do Devon in September. She was a bit timid in her first class, but still finished in the top half of a very competitive class of 36 (open Fillies), and less than 4% behind the winning score.

She was 2nd to a Trakehner Stallion in the AWS class, and just 1.1% behind a USDF HOY in the AHS class. At her inspection a week later, she scored high enough to be the #1 Weanling filly in the US for 2002.

She was the youngest I have taken to Devon, and she would have probably done even better if I had not brought 3 other mares and foals to get into all of their classes, with only a couple of other people to help me for the week. Unfortunately I lost her to an unknown cause as a 3 year old.

Consider your stabling situation. My barns are very cool with the fans going, so I can foal safely in July and August. I can turn those foals out at night within just a few days of birth.

[Carrera]

I have 2 that were born late June. June 19th and June 22nd. One is a yearling the other is an 8 yearold show horse. I haven't noticed that he is furthur behind other horses at all. I like my babies born on grass, not mud.

[dbts]

Depends on the age of your mare too. My top producer as she aged, got further along each summer. At the end I was breeding in late August. All totaled, she had 12 foals.

[risingstarfarm]

My young stallion was born July 2. He'll be five this year. He consistently did very well in the USDF breed show classes and now, with less than a year under saddle training, is holding his own in the 5 yo YJ classes. He is jumping clear rounds at 3'9. I don't think his late birth has held him back in any way - he was also Premium at his foal inspection in August of his birth year.

[nsm]

We stand our older stallion through October. I personally have often times bred late for various reasons. My young stallion was born September 8th. He showed on the line as a 2 year old and off of 12 shows was 4th nationally for USEF Hunter Breeding-2 year olds and 3rd in the country for PHR Silver Stirrup. So far this year he has been Best Young Horse 6 out of 7 times. I am merely citing this as an example that late ones can hold their own in HB. Maybe not in yearlings, but in 2-3 year old classes I don't see a problem.
This year I have one foaling the end of August. I think it all depends on your plans for the foal.

Nancy

[pintopiaffe]

I have a couple of fall foals, and I LOVE having fall foals. Late August/September is ideal up here. Heat is not unbearable, bugs are mostly gone...

HOWEVER, they missed inspections. One was born the day AFTER inspections. So if I am going for a registry that requires foal-at-side inspections, I can't fall breed.

The mares, however, are quite happy and regular through Nov/Dec up here. April & May, OTOH, are still really, really transitional--especially when we hit weeks of dark and cold like we just have.

[FriesianX]

I'll sound like a broken record since everyone else has already said it... Later is better for most of us! I too, prefer my foals are born in April, May, and June - so I can turn them out onto pasture instead of mud-bath. And it is warmer when I'm huddled in the barn at mid-night :lol:

I had a colt, two years ago, come on June 28 - he was 3 weeks early, we were in the middle of a heat wave, and mare said "I'm through carrying this kid in 110 weather". He never looked "behind the curve". Since we don't show our babies under saddle at 2 years in the sporthorse world, by 3 they have caught up, so it isn't an issue. Early babies can be at a disadvantage in the Fall inspections because they have lost that bouncy baby movement and may be gawky looking!

[tri]

You don't show your horses as 2 year olds? But they are showing as 3 year olds? Aren't they really just 2 1/2 year olds then? And so you DO show them as 2 year olds after all. In hunterland, you have to be qualified by July so if your 3 year old is going to qualify for anything, the horse is qualifying for it as a 2 1/2 year old if he/she was born later.

[YankeeLawyer]

My horses are not started under saddle until age 3, and I determine age by actual birthdate, not by calendar year (e.g., Jan.1 "birthdate" or the like).

[spacely]

It's no where near too late to breed for the year. I had a June foal last year after previously having April foals & I loved it! I'd prefer late April to mid-June foals from now on but have & will breed for earlier foals just in case the mare does not cooperate.

[rideagoldenpony]

August 1st is my own personal cut off date for my own mares. Pretty much, if they aren't in foal by then, then we will wait until next year.

I have three mares due THIS year from 7/31 and 8/1 breedings last year!

Besides those three left to foal (two of which will be bred back on their foal heats), I still have two more mares to breed this season. Once is doing something funky and didn't take on a bizarro 2 week cycle (no big surprise there), and the other one has not showed any signs since she's been up at the barn..... Those two are the ones that are on my "we'll do anything" to get in foal mares, so even if it takes longer (I HOPE it doesn't), I'd keep trying with them into September if I had to.

[goodmorning]

Well, I will be in school for a little while longer...so there's no way a foal can come during finals! So, mid-May to June is best, and it just so happens that is the best time of year here in the North East :)

[VirginiaBred]

I like our foals born by the end of May. I feel they have much more of an advantage the following year. That being said, I have a mare due the first of November......... Don't ask questions. I'm just glad she's in foal.

[gubbyz]

Thanks everyone! Oh and Virginiabred, ummmm....nevermind. :D

[lelevic]

That being said, I have a mare due the first of November......... Don't ask questions. I'm just glad she's in foal.

I have a late mamma also! My mare is due the end of September!! The stallion just turned 31 this year, so I was thankful that she even caught! Where we are located, our fall and winter months are mild, so snow/super-cold weather isn't an issue for our baby at all.

[tri]

So are any of you with sept/oct/nov babies planning on them competing in age related classes such as 3 year old material classes, 4 year old classes, 5 year old young jumpers or anything like that?

[VirginiaBred]

Thanks everyone! Oh and Virginiabred, ummmm....nevermind. :D

In reality she's more likely the latter part of October. Don't ask me how that happened ( I KNOW how "that" happened, but what I don't know is how she was cycling at that time..........).

At any rate, after trying and trying multiple times for the past three years, she IS (still) in foal, so I just want it here, and healthy!!!!!!!!

[Fairview Horse Center]

So are any of you with sept/oct/nov babies planning on them competing in age related classes such as 3 year old material classes, 4 year old classes, 5 year old young jumpers or anything like that?

One of my breeders had a filly late October. Owner is a vet, and didn't want to be foaling her own in the middle of her busy season. They planned to do the 4 year old Event Horse program. The filly was going well, and they started her Novice that spring (she was actually 3 1/2). Unfortunately, they only got her out once or twice, but this was her at Novice Level. I don't believe her age would have been a problem, but their time is, trying to get her to the shows.

[Altamont Sport Horses]

We had two foals in July last year and it really wasn't that bad. The weather is unpredictable in the spring from one year to the next so although it was warm here last April, this April was horrible...it was bad in May too. So I didn't even start making an effort for breeding until May came around. I'll probably end up with some hot weather babies again but it's ok. My goal is to produce a high quality foal that will grow up to be a solid competitor and suitable companion...not to produce a horse that must win in 3, 4 or 5 year old classes. If you have the flexibility to do that, great, but I'd rather not lose an entire breeding year by waiting just so I won't have a summer or fall baby.

I took my late July baby to inspection in October. She was exactly 3 months old and did well even though I thought she was already getting into her uglies. Good thing I didn't wait to produce her another year when she could be a little older at inspection because she didn't come out of her uglies until 10 months. Another colt that was born in April was 6 months at inspection. He really didn't start coming together until he was 5 months and looked fabulous at 6 months. With my foals I've found that they mature so differently that I wouldn't put much weight on breeding for their age at inspection, it's kinda a crapshoot. Same thing definitely goes for yearlings and sometimes also two year olds.

Just dropped two mares off at the repro clinic for breeding. The earliest I would expect to see their foals, provided all goes well, is mid-May. But as breeding goes, I expect there to be obstacles so maybe we'll end up with June or even July babies (one is an ET).

[Majestic Gaits]

We ship the fresh season through mid August and are on standby for breeders to call in until then. We will do shipping after that with a bit extra coordination.

I like to breed early myself so I can have foaling done before I'm heavily shipping season, but mares are not always on my time schedule.

Kathy
www.majesticgaits.com

[gillenwaterfarm]

I prefer to have a March foal, because it's just too darn hot by May, and stays that way till September. I feel that a March foal is old enough and "durable" enough to take the heat that comes by May, but couldn't imagine having one born now...today it was 95F with 70% Humidity...that feels like 124F!!! Our only saving grace here is the Gulf breeze that constantly blows.

I haven't done it myself, but have seen a few October/November foals locally, and they seem to do really well. Our coldest month is Feburary (at an average temp of 40F), and our mares cycle year round.

I don't think it makes much of a difference in sport horse in hand competitions for yearlings and up. I can see a late weanling having the advantage of being at the balanced point of growth though.

[amdfarm]

I had a colt born in late September one year. Was not exactly a planned pregnancy and she carried that baby a lot longer than I anticipated based on when they got together. Heat and bugs weren't near as bad, but weaning in the winter is a different experience. Though no ill effects and he grew like the other foals born earlier in the year, in fact he is just as tall as his year older brother now. I couldn't believe it. Granted he's all legs and no body yet, but that will come next year. Very gangly almost 16hh 2yo.

Otherwise I'm used to February - May babies, usually April or May, despite the mud which would have been horrible this year!!

Good luck!

[patch work farm]

Certainly not optimum but I did have a July foal, he was fine throughout the summer, what I found disconcerting was weaning him at Thanksgiving! Most of my foals have been born in March and April with a two in February (bought in utero/imported), a few in May and the one in July. I usually try to breed early because I feel most mares are more "ready" early in the year than later.

As a Hanoverian breeder, I do not take my foals to inspections so that is not dictating what I do, I have them inspected/branded at my farm. Doing this at home keeps them from being introduced to unnecessary/additional germs, nor do I have to worry about trying to load my mares (two of them will convey with my property because they WILL NOT load!).

I breed until they get pregnant...that said, I do have one just confirmed in foal and the other one is just not cooperating but HAS to get pregnant this year!

[Jesse'sMom]

my mare zejaluna, dam of Zalani (Donavan), Zeja Vu (Ironman), Zahnya (Glorioso) & Days Go By (Danone) - She is getting the year off.. she will be ready to breed this week, but thats a late May 09- too hot here for the foal ,and too late for showing in hand. So she gets the year off & I'll start with her in Feb..