I want to breed my mare but I'm not entirely sold on the idea yet.

[Not So Practical Horse(WO)man]

She's ten and to my knowledge has never been bred before. But I wouldnt be suprised if she has been considering the way she gets all maternal and protective whenever she sees a pony. That also might be because we turn her out with the babies.

Anyways I know she would make attractive babies but I'm not entirely sold on the idea yet. First of all: cost. I know it costs alot but I would really like to know how much. Or at least a price bracket for the whole ordeal, not including stud fee. Second of all: I want to breed her to a warmblood but she's a thoroughbred all the way and I dont know if warmblood people are picky about cross breeding. She is a fabulous jumper. I've only owned her since february and we've already done four foot and she's not stoping there and she has amazing form and is way to round and cracks her back to the point where my eq sucks because of it. Third: How do I even find a stallion. I'm not picky about color as long as its not a chesnut or liver color. And I want to get rid of her withers and want much taller. She's 16hh now and i want at least 16.2. A crestier neck would be nice too. And my fourth problem is I realy don't want any boys. So if she does produce a colt, how would I go about selling it. Is the market even right for it? I wish there was a way to ensure getting a filly lol.

So basically, I just want you guys to sell me on the idea or tell me not to do it if you think I shouldn't breed her.

Thanks. I've never posted on this forum before so I hope you are all a friendly folk!

[egontoast]

I'm not picky about color as long as its not a chesnut or liver color. And I want to get rid of her withers and want much taller. She's 16hh now and i want at least 16.2. A crestier neck would be nice too. And my fourth problem is I realy don't want any boys. So if she does produce a colt, how would I go about selling it. Is the market even right for it? I wish there was a way to ensure getting a filly lol.



haha. I'm calling troll now before this gets going!:lol:

[Not So Practical Horse(WO)man]

Troll?

[spacely]

Well....given all that you have said...it really is cheaper to go out & buy exactly what you want than to breed it.

For example, your mare & stallion could produce a chestnut even if both are bay (assuming one is not homozygous).

It's 50/50 whether you get a colt vs filly.

TB/WB crosses are very common, but you should have both mare & foal inspected & there are inspection & registration costs to go with that.

You also have to ask yourself if you'd be happy with a carbon copy of your mare. If not, then I would not breed her. A stallion can only improve on so much. You could breed to a 17h stallion & still end up with a 15.2h baby.

A mare can be "maternal" to a pony & still reject her own foal viloently. Then you are possibly looking at raising an orphan. There is also the possibility of losing the mare at delivery or during her pregnancy. I won't even go into getting her bred or if she aborts. I haven't even begun to go into those costs or the costs if the foal isn't healthy....

It sounds like you have more reasons for not breeding her than breeding her.

Good luck!:)

[horsetales]

I agree totally with Spacely. You are looking at least $500-1000 to get her in foal, possibly more if she takes multiple breedings. Then you have the costs with foaling (including vet checks, extra bedding, food, wormers etc.). I won't even talk about the costs you can rack up if things don't go textbook. You seem very specific in what you want, you would probably have a better chance of getting what you want buying it outright

[Fairview Horse Center]

You will need to do a pre-breeding exam including culture and cytology, + ultrasound and palpation, so at least a couple of hundred there. Then the stud fee ~ $500 - 2000. Vet bills and collection/shipping will run you another ~ $500 to $1000 per cycle. If you can't tell her cycle, or you don't have a really good repro vet, it can be much higher. It can take several cycles, or you could find out she just won't get pregnant, and either have to do more diagnostics, find another mare that is a match for that stallion to start over, or just lose all you have invested at that point.

If you get her in foal, she can slip the pregnancy, or lose the foal and or mare at birth. Foals can also be fragile, so you will need to decide to possibly spend thousands to try to save a sick foal.

After all of that, it may be a small chestnut colt. :winkgrin:

<sigh> why do we do this? :cool:

[Molly Malone]

and if it survives foalhood, it has 4 more years to try and kill itself...

[Kanga]

Molly & Fairview-

You both are so right!! I just love all of you breeders, telling it like it is!!
I have only bred 2 babies and can tell you the cost involved is far more than what you will pay for a nice baby. The people that do this for a living are just amazing humans, I honestly don't know how they can make a good living at it. They have to be doing it because their hearts are in it!

Go BUY a nice baby that is NOT chestnut and IS a filly! There are many out there!!!!

[Hunter_Rider]

I am with Spacely on this.

I had a mare that I wanted to breed, and I am soooo glad I did not, and sold her instead. I was able to go out and purchase exactly what I wanted. (Color, sex, movement, disposition etc.)

It's really a crap shoot and very expensive. So many things can go wrong, and there is always the possibility of losing your mare or your mare and foal.

SO many people breed because their horse has a uterus. Many people say "well she's too fresh, or too hot, I'll just breed her" and you end up with a "hot" baby. Last year when I bought my foal, I knew the mare's background, and pretty much knew what I was getting.

Unless you are in the business of breeding and have really done your homework, I would just go out and buy a youngster. Years ago I bred one of my mares and had a fabulous foal that was sold before he was even weaned, however, after adding up all the vet bills, stud fees and all the other costs associated with it- I broke even.

[Signature]

I agree with Hunter_Rider and those whose opinions fall along those lines. It is risky, you can lose the mare, foal or both. And costs...they can range from not too bad (if you get a discount to the stallion of your choice after talking with the SO, and if mare gets in foal first try), to $1000's invested and still nothing to show for it. My first breeding venture started with four attempts at AI the first year, over $2500 invested plus stud fee of $1800... no pregnancy - then tried different stallion and live cover second year (so new stud fee) and she did take... but in the end I had about $5000 - $6000 in the foal before it was born, plus two years of trying. In the end could have spent a little more and had a nice baby whose qualities you could see before buying two years sooner. I'd say our average foal cost to get on the ground, including normal stud fee (~$1500) and one to two cycles with the vet ($500-$1200), plus feeding mare for a year/vaccines/hormone supplement as needed results in about $4000-$5000 in the foal when born (not including any other indirect costs at all). We've had less and more.

Breeding is so fun though but it's not for the financially or emotionally weak. This year we lost 2 foals and had many $1000's in vet bills for another that did make it. We figure if we're breaking even we're doing good... :)

But, if you go into this knowing all the facts and risks, and really love your mare, I would try it. If you're not breeding for profit (haha!) and for a personal horse and you'd love to duplicate her, I say go for it. A good mare is more important than a good stallion we've found. Like H_R said, a ton of people breed a mare because she can't do anything else expecting the stallion to "improve" her, but never count on it. Having a proven, quality mare puts you way ahead of the game.

BTW, if you are financially strong, you may try an embryo transfer, which would greatly reduce the risk to your mare and you could keep on riding her, etc. But, I can imagine when all is said and done the ET would be $6000-$8000, or more? Experienced folks help me out here in this area! :)

[not again]

You should only breed your mare if you really want a clone of her. If you have a long list of things you want to change, then you should go shopping and find the horse you really want. Stallions are not miracle workers, and the foal fairy will not bring you your dream horse if you are breeding away from your mare; you will get everything you didn't want. ;) Oh yes, and you will have spent all of your new horse money on vet bills:eek:.

[philosoraptor]

(disclaimer: I am not a breeder so feel free to ignore me)

It's been my experience at least locally that a great quality foal can be had for less money (and risk and headache) than trying to breed one yourself. There are some *nice* foals on the ground right now.

The reality is that until you breed her a few times, you don't know what kind of babies she's likely to give you. Don't assume that because she has such-and-such traits that her baby will definitely have them.

Questions for you to ask yourself: What would you do if the baby turns out the wrong size or has some wonky joint rotation? Are you ok with the possibility of losing the mare or foal? Are you ok with something going wrong and having emergency vet fees for a 2am call... or rushing them to a vet clinic such as New Bolton for a minimum of several thousand dollars? If, in the unlikely event the foal is born with an issue that renders him unsound for riding, are you prepared to keep him the rest of his life? (It's darn near impossible to find a home for a permanently unsound foal) After getting to know two (awesome) local breeders, I've developed a huge respect for how hard this job is to do.

If I were in your shoes, especially having definite criteria of what the foa must be, I'd buy a foal rather than take a gamble. Just my 2 cents.

[lauriep]

Breeding is nothing to be lukewarm about, or not 150% committed to. It is not for the faint of heart, and it is not to be done unless you have done a LOT of studying about breedng/foaling and pedigrees and inheritance. Hunter_Rider said it well that far too many people breed their mares simply because they have a vagina and uterus. Breeding should only ever be the BEST to the BEST, in any species. And breeding horses can be particularly devastating both emotionally and financially, should things go wrong.

Save your money and shop for exactly what you want.

[tempichange]

I decided to breed a mare this year. While I've attended many births, this is my first that I've planned and "executed".

There are bargains to be had for stud fees. Every year various verbands, dressage association and charities put up the eye candy. I bought mine at a charity stallion auction for about 500 (normally listed for 1,500).

I'm up to 170 in vet fees (knock on wood) and 200 in shipping total. One big piece of advice: read the contract and make sure you understand it all, there are a lot of small hidden fees.

Making a grand total: $870. Unless someone owes you a favor, be prepared to shell out at minimum, 500.

This doesn't include her field board (175/month) or her feed ($30/month for now) or her upkeep (abt 37 plus whatever shots/worming is).

I'm lucky in the sense that I'm repro central and there are is a lot of competition between repro vets, I also cut costs by exchanging services out with a few people. Also caught on the second try. We'll go for our 100 day in about two weeks to know whether we're good.

A big piece of breeding is you have to love the mare enough to want a carbon copy of her. While the mare contributes 50 percent genetic, she's responsible for much of the behavior and attitude. I liked the mare I bred, however, I'm working with her to make her that much better.

As far as market goes, there is always a market for good well-bred geldings, it's even better if their broke. But if you're that picky about sex, color I suggest you look for something that's already on the ground.

[Star Creek]

I agree with Egotoast...

troll.

Jeez, what a waste of time.

[Not So Practical Horse(WO)man]

Honestly, I would be happy with a carbon copy of my mare. I love her. Her personality is just right for me. There are days when we hate each other and then the next day we have a blast school prelim cross country. And she is very attractive(I might be biased though). I talked to a friend who used to breed years ago and she thinks its a good idea but still couldn't give me a straight answer and cost. Would have $10,000 set aside be enough or would I need more? My mare is also insured, does mortality cover the death of a mare in foal?

Also, what if I looked at sending her away to be bred and letting the professionals deal with her during gestation? Would that be a better option for someone like me?

ETA: I would totally rather a carbon copy of my mare than anything else. I wonder how far science has come with regards to cloning....

[Dazednconfused]

I agree with Egotoast...

troll.

Jeez, what a waste of time.

Oh for craps sake, she's 15.

At least she's asking - most adults don't have the intelligence to ask knowledgeable people before jumping in headfirst, ending up with a pile of bills and nothing to show for it.

To the OP - if you need to be "sold" on the idea, and would not be okay with getting a colt (or a chestnut, for that matter), then you should not even be thinking of breeding. Go buy a horse that's what you want.

Also, how do you know she would make attractive babies? Since you've made no mention of her pedigree, I really don't think there's any way for you to know that. Lots of nice looking mares are complete duds in the breeding shed. In addition, breeding for a much larger foal can be risky. You will find lots of people who say the foal will grown no larger than the uterus allows, but then you will find an equal number that say just the opposite. Like others have said, you need to be perfectly content with ending up with a carbon copy of your mare. It doesn't sound like you would be, and that combined with needing to be 'sold' on the idea really says that you shouldn't breed her (IMHO).

[gubbyz]

"the foal fairy will not bring you your dream horse"

Oh Not Again, thanks for ruining it! :no::lol:

[Not So Practical Horse(WO)man]

I mainly need to be sold on spending that amount of money. I wouldnt breed her for a couple years anyways.

Jeeze people. I'm really not that picky. I know nothing about breeding. I was simply saying that I would prefer to not have a chesnut.

Her previous owner (still) hasnt given me her papers so I have no idea her breeding. I also need to call her previous owner and ask if she has been bred before. Because I know she was sent away to be bred but then when I came back to riding after taking the winter off and then spraining my back in the spring and then breaking my leg so I was not riding for quite awhile or even at the barn, she was back and I just never asked what happened. I knew her for about four or five years before I bought her.

[spacely]

I mainly need to be sold on spending that amount of money.

If you need to be sold on it, then you should not be doing it. My very first foal tried to die on me from the minute he hit the ground. Actually, before he hit the ground. I spend a week & many thousands of dollars saving his life (plasma, fluids, lots of supportive care, picking him up every hour to nurse, etc....). At 5 months, he had another issue that ended any chance of a riding career, but he has a job. He's a 7 year old now & raises my babies. I love this horse like no other & he will have a home with me for the rest of his life, but 20-25+ years is a long time to be paying for a lawn ornament. He's also my highest maintenance as he has allergies & requires daily meds, is my biggest so has the highest feed bill, not to mention he's an accident magnet.... I have more into him than I even want to think about. The list just keeps going, but he was my first & was bred with every intention of being a keeper & he is. I didn't get the filly I wanted, but ultimately it did not matter.

You need to think of every possible scenario & if you can't deal with every possible outcome that could happen, then you should not be considering it.

[Samotis]

I bred my mare last year and had a great colt this year. It was my first time.

It is not easy and many things can go wrong. I already have at least 4,000 into him and he has been very healthy!

I love him and I got extremly lucky with his type, but that may not happen for you and it may not have happened for me. There is always a chance the birth will go wrong, or mom rejects baby. Also, chestnut is a pretty dominant color. I got very lucky in that department as both mom and dads mothers were chestnut!

If I were you, I would save some money and just buy a yearling if you actually want to bring up a foal on your own. By waiting a year, you at least know a little more about the baby.

Not to mention all the stuff you have to do before they turn a year old. Such as weaning, inspecting, first shots, so on and so forth.

Good luck and I am glad you are doing your research. :)

[Donella]

No..go and buy a foal that would suit your needs. Breeding is an art and a science and a total passion all rolled in to one. If you don't understand that fully, you shouldn't be breeding horses. Everyone wants to breed their mare if they have one..but unless she is an outstanding example of her breed AND you have the money AND the know how AND you are realistic about the outcome (ie color and sex shouldn't even enter the equation..you should be crossing your fingers for a healthy mare and foal!) then you really should just buy something that you can see, that you know you will be happy with.

[lauriep]

"I know nothing about breeding."

Get an education and find a mentor to help you. Buy a weanling/yearling to experience that end of it to see if you really do want to start with a very young one. Attend foalings. Travel with a repro vet if you can and see that side of it. But don't do it now, at your age.

[Dazednconfused]

I love him and I got extremly lucky with his type, but that may not happen for you and it may not have happened for me. There is always a chance the birth will go wrong, or mom rejects baby. Also, chestnut is a pretty dominant color. I got very lucky in that department as both mom and dads mothers were chestnut!

Chestnut is recessive.;)

[facinated]

I have not read all of the posts yet but as usual I do not agree with one of the themes that is being repeated here. I think, and know from experience that if you do not have much money, and are the kind of person with no discipline about saving money, you can breed a much better horse than you can buy. Sure, by the time it is ready to do something, if you add up the money you have in it, you could probably buy a nice horse. But if you had not spent the money raising that horse you probably would have spent it on something else. I own several very nice horses, I like having them, and never would have been able to buy them.

[not again]

When I was fifteen, which your profile says is your age, my Mom helped me buy an unbroken two and half year old. We kept her with an older couple very experienced in starting young horses, so the horse and I learned together, with wise and calm supervision. If you have a situation where you can be mentored through the breeding/birthing process it can be very rewarding, but if you plan on college etc, a young horse could become a financial burden if your family is not there for you.

[Fairview Horse Center]

you can breed a much better horse than you can buy.

Well, yes, if, IF, you are experienced enough to choose the right cross, and IF you happen to have an easy breeding mare, and IF you know enough to select a really good repo vet, and IF you are lucky and the mare does not slip, and IF you are experienced enough to foal yourself, and IF you are lucky and have nothing go wrong, and no health issues with the foal. THEN if you were lucky enough to the the color/sex you wanted, yes, breeding can be cheaper.

I have many breeders that are so lucky. We even live cover to eliminate much of the vet expenses, and lack of vet expertise. For very little money, my breeders can get a super horse. BUT, I have seen the other side of the road too. Breeders that have spent a LOT of money, and still have no foal.

If your heart is into breeding your special mare, absolutely go for it, but if someone really has things like a certain sex that they must have, it can be a very long, and frustrating road.

Just ask Kathy (Equine Reproduction). I believe she had 49 colts before she got her filly. :lol: :lol: :dead:

[Star Creek]

Oh for craps sake, she's 15.



And you know this how / saw it where ?

I, like other posters here, are allowed to have the opinion that the poster is a Troll, NOT a child asking cute, innocent, childish questions. :lol:

[spacely]

Star Creek, it says the OP's age right in her profile. I had no problem with the original question. What I had an issues with was that the OP needed to be "sold" on breeding her mare.

[Nootka]

and if it survives foalhood, it has 4 more years to try and kill itself...

or more:yes: LOL that is sooo true

[Star Creek]

Star Creek, it says the OP's age right in her profile. I had no problem with the original question. What I had an issues with was that the OP needed to be "sold" on breeding her mare.

Thanks but I still don't see her age or year of birth on her profile. I must not be qualified to see it.

Seemed too much like a "Forum Troll" not a child, and not having benefit of seeing an age...

would never knowingly disregard a child's questions

[spacely]

Thanks but I still don't see her age or year of birth on her profile. I must not be qualified to see it.

The OP has since edited her profile.;)

[Dazednconfused]

The OP has since edited her profile.;)

Yep. Presumably after she sent me a snarky PM being upset about my "revealing" her age. I let her know anyone was able to see it...:lol:

[okggo]

Lets see, worst case scenario financially:
1. Stud fee (I won't add this in, per your request)
2. Breeding fees in my area are about $100 just to come out and palp (gag). If you short cycle, add another $100 plus for that. So, first try, 2 palps (could be one but I'm doing worst case), breeding, drugs, palp, u/s...comes up empty, first shot ~ 800$ + 100 Fed Ex, so $900

Second shot, now you have a collection fee and probably shipping fee on top of that, $1200 (900+300). Comes up empty and assume you have to do some flushing, antibiiotics, etc to get a clean culture b/c she comes up dirty. Add another $500.

So third shot = $1700.

I'm going to give you a pregnancy on the third shot in this hypothetical..So stud fee (what ever that is) + $3800 you have a couple more u/s so add another $200. She slips the foal. You are still early enough in the season to try again....another flush, round of antibiotics and breeding ($1700) total is now $5700 plus stud fee. Next round you place her on regumate and caslick post breeding, so add another large chunk of change.

If she gets in, you have the mares shots (they get a LOT more when preggo) u/s's and then if you foal out count on $1000 or more for that.

Anyway, point is you can rake up a LOT of money and get no where, she may not get in, she may slip it, she may abort late term, she may present badly and her and/or the foal may die. Have you thought about hospital costs if the mare/foal is in trouble? Most insurance places wont' insure a newborn so that would all be outta your pocket.

So...that is my worst case.

Best...
Stud fee + $900 first breeding + u/s's; shots + foaling out fees Probably looking at $3000 (ish) plus stud fee.

The only way to NOT get chestnut is to go with a homozygous black stallion or grey if you don't mind a chestnut that greys (unless your mare is homo black). There are prepotent stallions that may or may not fix the things you don't like about your mare. My question is this, if you just got this mare in Feb and you are enjoying riding her and showing her, why halt everything for another one of her, when you already have one? Particularly if you may not even WANT the foal (aka if it is a colt).

[Fairview Horse Center]

A 15 year old that is asking experienced breeders for advice before deciding whether to breed her mare? Evaluating her mare to see where she needs improvement? Sounds like she is doing the responsible thing. Wish more adults would follow her lead.