In breeding your horse, one of the first decisions that must be made is the selection of a stallion. Stallion selection depends on many factors that mostly have to do with what your intended purpose for the foal will be. Aside from such personal decisions, it is important to learn of a potential stallion's fertility rate in mating with other mares.
Before breeding your horse, a veterinarian should determine the ability of the mare to reproduce. The mare must be in sound physical condition, and tests should be performed to determine her level of fertility. If all criteria are met regarding the mare and the stallion, then you are set to move forward.
Mares have a particular breeding season. The ideal time for breeding your horse is in late spring through summer; typically May through August. The normal gestation period for horses is approximately 330 days, but this can vary by as many as thirty to seventy days.
Many professionals believe that it is not a good idea to wait until May to start trying to breed your horse, however, because January 1 is typically recognized as the official birthday for all horses born in that calendar year. This particular action can make a huge difference for you if your purpose in breeding horses is to race them. In order to induce early breeding, it is necessary for the mare to be convinced, via artificial lighting, that an early spring has arrived.
It is believed that most failures in breeding your horse occur because of poor management of the whole process. If breeding is not handled properly and knowledgeably, then it is not likely to succeed.
If natural breeding of your horse does not succeed, then an alternative method that could be tried is artificial insemination. One might think that artificial insemination would be a more surefire way of achieving success, but this process actually introduces a much larger margin of human error into the equation. Artificial insemination must be carefully planned and executed in order to be successful.
Veterinarians can use ultrasonographs to determine whether a mare has conceived or not, and this procedure can be done as early as thirteen days after ovulation. If a mare has not conceived, it is best to try breeding her again as soon as possible. Ultrasonography is also useful in detecting twin pregnancies early so that they can be monitored closely. Twin pregnancies in horses are not common, and are usually unsuccessful, as they are very difficult.
For successfully breeding your horse, it is most important to remember to have skilled, competent management of the entire breeding process to ensure a desirable outcome.
