Maiden Mares

[VanishingPondFarm]

How old is too old for a maiden mare to be bred? I have a soon to be 15 yo Hanovarian/Tb cross that I would Like to breed. However, My husbands job is a little iffy. I was hoping to breed this year but maybe next. Her mother was 23 when she had her but she was her 3rd foal, all fillies. Tried to breed her 5 yrs ago but would not come into season that summer. I had shipped her east to friends farm. Has been in regular heats each year before and after that year. AND yes my friend is an experienced breeder so it was not being missed. We also worked w/ the vet. She was just being difficult tha year.

[BBowen]

VPF:

I bred my 17 y.o. Dutch/TB maiden with no issues. She was very fit, in good health and passed her repro. exam and culture. She had a big, healthy filly. Her pregnancy and delivery were textbook. I rode her throughout her pregnancy to keep her fit. She would let me know if anything was getting too hard and we would back off. We did lots of easy trail rides later in her pregnancy. Good luck.

[MaresNest]

My mare was 16 when she was bred and 17 when her one and only foal was born. She got pregnant on the second try, had an uneventful pregnancy, and had a very easy delivery. Her foal was quite small, but vibrant and healthy. At three, she is still small, but she's a WB, so it's hard to tell where she's going to end up. (I'll let you know when she's 7. ;) ) My mare was active and fit before getting pregnant and throughout her first 2 trimesters. I stopped riding in the third trimester and gave her lots of turnout.

So, while it's possible for things to go badly with older maidens, my old girl did quite well.

[Freedom Sporthorses]

Last year we bred a seventeen year old maiden mare and she took on the first breeding with frozen semen. She has done fine the entire pregnancy with plenty of turn out, cross fingers she is due any day now. I am only a bit concerned with the delivery, so she is at the vet facility to be monitored.

[facinated]

We have had good luck breeding Silvio to older maiden mares. I think you should pick a stallion who throws good heads. Don't go with an Irish horse, or any other potentialy coarse headed breed. It is always a good idea to foal at a good vet's facility. By that point it is almost a sure thing, and the extra insurance, and peace of mind is worth it.

[Fairview Horse Center]

We have bred a lot of older maidens successfully. It does become really important to be working with a good repro vet.

[YankeeLawyer]

We have had good luck breeding Silvio to older maiden mares. I think you should pick a stallion who throws good heads. Don't go with an Irish horse, or any other potentialy coarse headed breed. It is always a good idea to foal at a good vet's facility. By that point it is almost a sure thing, and the extra insurance, and peace of mind is worth it.

You don't ride the head : ). I think given the issue presented, the OP should focus on finding a stallion that compliments her mare and that is known to be very fertile.

[Dandilicious]

You don't ride the head but the head has to come through the birth canal with the front legs. The more head there is to pass through the more trouble your older mare may have.

[Fairview Horse Center]

The head would have to be elephant size to be larger than the shoulders or hips. ;)

[YankeeLawyer]

The head would have to be elephant size to be larger than the shoulders or hips. ;)

Seriously, LOL.

[BBowen]

Yes, it is always nice to have a pretty head, but pretty is in the eye of the beholder. Like others have said, I would want a stallion that would compliment my mare and improve her weaknesses. But for me, breeding for a good mind, is at the top of the list.

[okggo]

We have had good luck breeding Silvio to older maiden mares. I think you should pick a stallion who throws good heads. Don't go with an Irish horse, or any other potentialy coarse headed breed. It is always a good idea to foal at a good vet's facility. By that point it is almost a sure thing, and the extra insurance, and peace of mind is worth it.

Choke, snort, lol. I just spit water on my screen, that has to be the funniest response I've seen to a OP yet.

OP - is 15 years too old to breed a maiden
F - doesn't matter as long as it has a pretty head

Thanks for the chuckle ;) damn Irish horses

[AdAblurr02]

<SNIP>I think you should pick a stallion who throws good heads. Don't go with an Irish horse, or any other potentialy coarse headed breed.<SNIP>


SPELLING - that's "potentially"....

and while I have seen a few (not many!) Irishbreds with less than delicate heads, most are attractive, classy, distinguished and very acceptable - even for a former Arab-type head hunter like me.

Judge Carter Bass' comment on our boy, "Very masculine, adorable head."
Hmph..... rant over.

The OP asked for opinions and experiences for breeding an older maiden - I bred a good old TB mare for her first foal at 19 - she foaled (unanticipated) twins - big gorgeous bay filly born dead, tiny little obnoxious runty hellion of a grey colt, very much alive. Bred her back a year later, and got a wonderful big healthy tiger dun filly. She was such a good old mare, I still miss her.

With a healthy mare and good care, there's not really any reason not to. Just remember she's past her physical prime and care accordingly.

[facinated]

In the beef cattle business they use bulls on heifers that are calving ease bulls. Smaller heads. Several of you people must have well shaped heads or you would not be able to keep them where you do. It is much harder for a mare to deliver a coarse headed foal. More chance of problems!!

[okggo]

In the beef cattle business they use bulls on heifers that are calving ease bulls. Smaller heads. Several of you people must have well shaped heads or you would not be able to keep them where you do. It is much harder for a mare to deliver a coarse headed foal. More chance of problems!!

:D you are such a trip, thanks for another chuckle :) I admit I can't read whether you are serious, sarcastic, or just stirring the pot, but I do get a kick out of your posts, so thanks for that.

To the OP, I've known several folks with older maidens conceive and deliver with no problems. If you have a repro vet you are comfortable with, he/she should be able to assess your mare and see if she is viable. Since you didn't ask for stallion suggestions I won't give any insightful comments in that regard, as some have, other than to mention you really should breed to ImASmallFreak because he has small hooves and bones, and those bigger warmbloods might get stuck in the birth canal. It is not a pretty sight when the hoof can't fit through the vulva!

[facinated]

I am totaly serious about the shape of the head. I bred a nice big tb maiden mare to an King of Diamonds stud once. I named the baby Noggin, and the mare had a small prolapse, which finished her as a broodmare. Arab stallions are great for maiden mares, unfortunately you get a foal that is at least half Arab. Additionaly although we all rationalize away the fact that our horses have bad heads, when they do. No one ever needs to appologize for a good head, and it does give the horse an advantage throughout it's life.
I suspect that I am also on the money with the head up the ass reference.