Breeding Horses

Breeding horses is an art that has been practiced for thousands of years. In the past thirty years, artificial insemination has become a more popular choice for large breeding farms, where a...

Methods of gathering horse sperm vary. One method uses a dummy mare with an artificial vagina to "trick" a male horse and collect the sperm.

Horses are mammals that belong to the equus family, which includes zebras, donkeys and mules. The word equus comes from the Greek language and is translated as quickness.

Breeding a horse live cover can be dangerous for handlers and both horses if done improperly. Some horse registries like the Jockey Club still require horses be bred live cover in order to...

Pregnant mares show few external signs that they are pregnant. If you are running a breeding farm, discovering that a mare isn't pregnant until late in the year can result in lost earnings....

Mares can be pregnant for an entire year, but often will deliver their foals at 11 months. It's usually in the final three or four months of the pregnancy that the foal will show and the mare will...

In the beginning, the foal embryo grows the slowest. It starts as the egg cell that divides many times for 2 weeks until the embryo resembles a blob. By day 32, it resembles a tadpole. According...

Early detection of equine pregnancy is important for horse breeders and enthusiasts alike to ensure chances to feed, supplements, turnout and veterinary care can be made at the appropriate times. ...

Breeding horses can be a profitable business if done correctly, though it takes a lot of hard work and money. Creating a successful breeding business can take years of trial and error but can...

Unlike most mammals, mares do not show many visible signs of pregnancy early in the process. If you suspect that your mare has mated with a stallion and could be pregnant, it is important to...

After you have spent weeks or months choosing the right horse for you, it is important to have that horse registered or transferred into your name. Here are the steps to getting this complete.

While determining whether a mare is pregnant is a very important part of horse breeding, it can be relatively difficult to accomplish. Most mares show few physical signs of pregnancy until late...

Female horses, or mares, are pregnant for 11 months---on average about 340 days. Unlike many other animals, horses can give birth to their baby several weeks early or late and have perfectly...

A lot of time, energy and money go into producing a healthy foal. Having a plan and knowing what to do right after the birth of your foal will help mare and baby stall healthy.

Regu-Mate is the brand name for altrenogest, which is progestin, a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone. This is given to a filly or mare to keep her from coming into heat at crucial...

Branding, for both horses and cattle, dates back to the Roman empire. Brands are an individual mark that identifies a horse as yours. A good brand should be easy to read from a distance, clearly...

A horse fetus takes about 11 months to fully form, and is usually born 334 to 340 days after conception. A foal born before 326 days is considered premature, and a horse born before 310 days has...

While there are very few sure methods of determining if a horse is pregnant, armed with a little information, you could prepare yourself for the new arrival more than just the day before.

Selecting the right stallion to breed your mare will help you produce a quality, healthy foal that will be able to perform in the discipline you bred it for.

For certain breeds such as the Thoroughbred racehorse, it is desirable to have a horse born as early in the season as possible. Races are categorized by age, so a horse born in January will be...

A mare's estrous cycles usually only occur in the spring, summer, and early fall. Mares cycle approximately once every 21-23 days, with some mares having longer or shorter cycles. Knowing how to...

Whether you breed your backyard mare or run a sophisticated breeding farm, your end goal is always the same -- to produce a healthy and happy foal. Your first step is to ensure that both your mare...

Mares are infamous for becoming moody and losing their focus while in heat. Regu-Mate is used to suppress the mare's heat cycle, allowing her to focus on her work. Breeders use Regu-Mate to...

Wrapping a mare's tail is an important step before she gives birth to keep the area as clean as possible for the birth of her foal. Wrap a mare's tail using gauze or veterinary wrap with advice...

Caring for a foal involves handling it to make it comfortable with human touch and separating out the male colt's after 1 or 2 years of age. Care for a foal after a mare has given birth with...

Foaling, a pregnant horse giving birth, can occur while the mare is standing or laying down, and she should be able to endure the process on her own without outside help. Observe the beautiful...

After the birth of a foal, observe the mare to make sure that she and the foal look healthy, and bring her to the veterinarian if she hasn't discharged the placenta within 10 hours of delivery....

Signs of trouble during a horse pregnancy include the mare being in labor for quite a long time, the foal being breached upon delivery or excessive bleeding or stress. Identify warning signs that...

A mare will exhibit signs of being ready to breed when she is in heat, which lasts for seven to 14 days, and she will become more irritable and will discharge to signal to the stallion that she is...

Breeding horses can be done through live coverage, where a stallion and mare are introduced to each other, or by artificial insemination done at the veterinarian's office. Choose a method of...

Signs that a horse is pregnant include a fuller belly area, a calmer disposition and milk production in her udders, but a quick trip to the veterinarian can confirm a pregnancy. Identify the signs...

Nutrition for a pregnant horse includes clean alfalfa hay given at least two or three times a day equaling at least two percent of the mare's body weight. Provide adequate nutrition for an...

A shelter for a pregnant horse should be maintained daily to keep fresh, clean bedding made of grass, straw or shavings designed for horses. Keep a stall clean and dry to prepare for a foal's...

Supplies to keep on hand for a horse pregnancy includes iodine, which is applied to the colt's belly where the umbilical cord has torn, rubber gloves and clean towels. Gather the necessary...

A pregnant horse should be handled often to make sure that she is sufficiently broken in, because she will be less attentive and less cooperative after the birth of her foal. Keep a pregnant mare...

When leading and handling a pregnant horse, keep a safe distance and make sure she is paying attention and can be led from both her right and left sides. Keep a pregnant horse comfortable when led...

When breeding a mare, make sure she is broken in, able to be ridden well and is comfortable around humans, and choose a stallion with similar attractive personality traits for the best results....

The average length of a mare's pregnancy is 1 months, but it can last an entire year. According to Dr. M. Phyllis Lose VMD, mares can stay fully active six months into pregnancy, but need to taper...

Miniature horses are friendly, fashionable pets that can be found worldwide serving as companion animals and working as service animals to those with disabilities. Though they are popular, they...

The female horse, or mare, is not fertile during all times of year. She only ovulates during the period of estrus, which begins after the vernal equinox, when days start to get longer. Ovulating...

Mankind has utilized horses for hundreds of years. Horses have helped to break ground, expand the country and carry humans to war. Developing a consistent, solid line of horses can be a challenge,...

Artificial insemination (or AI) is the preferred way of breeding horses, where the sire and dam don't even have to meet in order to make a foal. This is preferred to normal breeding because horses...

If you want to breed your mare, you'll need to come up with a budget for breeding and caring for your mare and her foal. There may be additional costs you aren't prepared for, so make sure you're...

First, Congratulations on your new arrival! This is a very exciting time, and you want to be sure your mare is comfortable when she's ready to drop her foal.

Trainers and other horse experts know that breeding can make a big difference when it comes to winning competitions. Horses from certain bloodlines are often easier to train. For instance, cutting...

Breeding horses can be rewarding, but it can also be difficult. In nature, a stallion will breed mares with their suckling foals close by. But in todays world, we must be careful in our small...

Breeding horses is rewarding, but can also be challenging. Most people think that a stallion is a breeding machine, and that there will be no problem with his libido or his ability to cover a...

Breeding horses is exciting and challenging. Producing a foal that you have "created" by choosing the sire and dam is like looking at a piece of art. But it takes a great deal of time,...

Breeding horses can be very rewarding, but it has its challenges. Stallions are often touted as the difficult ones to handle, especially during the breeding process. But mares can be touchy,...

Stallions are some of the most intense breeding animals in the world. They are as full of hormones and instinct as any animal on the planet. Handling them at any time can be dangerous, but never...