So we're now closing on August... Do you try again or

[EquusMagnificus]

And yet, I have no mares in foal!

I don't know if I should give it one last try or just suck it up and try again next year. What do you think? Babies born in July in QC? These are not HB babies, well except for one potential one (if the darn mare willingly gets in foal!).

What would you do?

I am very disapointed, with a now very low budget, but yet, keeping an open broodmare is not exactly cheap either.:no:

My personal circumstances are far from easy right now and I sort of *need* one foal for next year (although it isn't exactly reasonnable to rely on a m-a-r-e to provide me with happiness :lol:).

If I don't, I might just hold on to this year's baby so I can at least get some semi-baby-fix next year LOL Plus he's so damn gorgeous I am tempted to wait until he is under saddle to sell him! Oooh the insanity! :eek:

Anyways, are you breeders still going strong at it or are you letting go? Am I being a wuss? :winkgrin:

[Twinkletozzz]

and if the mares are proven, they are worth holding onto through the winter even though I know conventional wisdom says oithers

[Twinkletozzz]

sorry....my computer is not a very good typist.........

[ponygirl]

I know folks still breeding. I'm one of them. Last try for this year.

[paintjumper]

here in the muggy south I can't imagine a mare heavy in foal past May. I personally like my babies born the last of March through April, that is when the days are getting warmer (although our winters are mild compared to a large part of the country) and our grass is starting to grow. For some reason, Feb. is our coldest and when we are wet in Feb it is rain, not snow, so no babies for me before late March.

[tuckawayfarm]

I think it really depends on your climate. I have had foals born in late April during blizzards! Not easy for my vet to even find me, LOL. :eek:

I was in the same place you are last summer and bred four mares one last time in August. I have three fillies on the ground and am waiting on the last foal. It was definitely worth it! :)

I just rebred the first one and will breed the other three over the next month. In the past I left my mares who foaled late in the summer open to get an earlier start in the spring. I had a much harder time getting them to settle after time off, but my broodies are older.

Good Luck! :)

[misita]

I have two mares I'm still working on. One should be ready to breed today with any luck.:)

[Home Again Farm]

I have a mare that foaled July 4th. She has had 8 foals and is 15 years old, so I will rebreed her if at all possible. I do not want to leave her open because of her age and the number of foals she has produced. We can deal with the heat with plenty of fans and a mister.

If she was a younger mare who had had fewer foals, I'd wait until early 2010, but I am afraid that leaving her open might mean no more foals from this lovely lady.

[Quinn]

We have a mare to check next Tuesday and fingers are crossed she's in foal. If not, we'll try one more time. Your climate is pretty much the same as mine and so having a July baby is not the end of the world. I too prefer an earlier baby and to me the ultimate due date is May 24th (which happens to be Quinn's birthday) but Splash was a July baby and we weaned him late October of that year. That was an earlier weaning than ideal but he just had his 18th birthday so it musn't have done him any harm. Best of luck!

http://community.webshots.com/user/ballyduff

[Edgar]

Well you are not alone still breeding, We shipped 6 shipments yesterday and sold a new breeding and have several booked that have not started yet.

[StarflowerStables]

I have one mare to settle still....she's at the breeder's right now so fingers crossed she catches this time!

[dbts]

My last mare will have her 14 day preg check next Monday. Not sure if I will rebreed or not if she turns up open. In years past I have bred in August, but that was with an older broodmare who I definitely did not want to leave open. I don't mind late foals as I live in a climate with cool summers.

[clint]

My mare turned up open at her second preg. check in mid June. She wouldn't have been breedable until early July, and I elected to leave her open. I really don't like foals born in mid summer, for many reasons. Plus, since breeding her again this year would mean possibly a later breeding next year, I would rather start early with her next year than keep getting later and later in the year.

[TheBandit]

I have in the past and will most likely be doing it again this year. :(

[Dressage_Diva333]

Well I was late getting the girls in foal this year, no fault of their own (don't want to jinx myself, but they all caught first time), my bank account was not looking fantastic. Anyways, the mare thats farthest along is only 46 days, and I've got two others that are 22 and 27 days. And yes, I'm still going with trying to get one in foal. She foaled July 14th, decided that I must repeat the cross, and am waiting to get all the paperwork situated with the stallion owner. Then I will either short cycle her, or breed on 30 day heat. I'm in Nor Cal though, so the weather stays somewhat mild year round. It depends on your climate, like other people have said. It may also put the foals a little behind for Breed Shows and Inspections. However, I don't like pouring food into open broodmares ;)

[Sunny's Mom]

I waited this year. I got married in May and was too busy to get organized and then I went on the honeymoon! My broodmare is in east TX -- my friend who owns the farm tells me its too hot for them to be pregnant in full summer. My girl is a big bay mare too.

I'm feeling sad that I won't have a foal next year - but we're working on the human baby instead!!!

[TrueColours]

*TOUCH WOOD* all of mine are in foal ... phew ... but I still have 2 possibly 3 client mares to ship semen to / cover. Last year I was breeding into September (client mares) and year before into October (again a client mare and this one was in Northern Michigan of all places!)

I cut mine off the first part of July - if they arent pregnant by then, they can stay open and get a year off but thankfully Ive never had to do so ...

[savvy9]

I am trying one more time with my 15 year old mare - I don't want to miss another year - a late foal is better than no foal for 2010. She was in foal at 30 days and not at the 60 day check. Hoping to breed her tomorrow if she progresses as planned.

[Cloverbarley]

August is too late for me to allow any more breedings. If the mares aren't bred by end of June then I just leave it till the next year otherwise it messes it up for the following years. I guess if it was just a one-off breeding and I was planning to keep the foal then it might not bother me too much, although having foals born in the heat of the summer (flies, humidity etc) and then being weaned in the dead of winter would likely still be enough to make me decide to leave it till the next Spring.

Good luck whatever you decide though. :)

[dressagetraks]

I've decided to give up on even trying in 2009 and wait for 2010. I might push on August breedings in a normal year, but I found myself wondering if I really wanted to try my chances given my luck, equine and otherwise, so far this year. Um, nope, I'll take a fresh start.

For my equine luck this year that delayed my originally scheduled breeding efforts, see the My Mares Went to CEM Testing and All I Got Was a Lead Rope thread.

Better luck in 2010. :yes: