Breeding?

[kardokusbr]

Hi Everyone! New member here! I have some questions about breeding miniature horses.

Situation:
I have a very nice mare from Gallery's Original Miniature horses that I would like to breed at some point. She has wins in the halter ring and has been used for driving, in-hand trail, showmanship, in-hand trail and jumping, etc. Basically, I want to buy a stallion to breed her to. I found one that I like that is for sale. Good color, type, size, and temperament that would compliment her nicely. The stallion (2 years old) is sired by a decorated stallion and has some experience showing and he has been started on driving. I am 15 and will be partnering with a friend (16) to split the costs. Ideally, we would sell the foal to try to break even/ maybe earn something but probably not which is fine and we are aware of. (We are set up to keep the foal if something happens). I am really wanting to do this but I also want to be responsible and not jump into something without knowing all of the risks/ things that I need to do. I have many people that have bred horses overseeing and helping me but I also want a general consensus on these topics from more mini breeding experienced people. Here are my questions (in the situation that I buy a stallion).

Questions:
1. ultrasounds? Are these necessary and if so when?
2. I know stallions often have to get their sheaths cleaned frequently is this necessary with a mini?
3. Does he need to be tested for the dwarfism gene? The seller said that none of her horses have ever bred dwarfs and none of the herds she got them from ever did.
4. Am I being a completely irresponsible person by considering breeding? (I really feel like the combination of the two would produce a nice foal that would better the breed)
5. Are there any questions I need to ask the seller of the mini? (I would go see him before I buy but anything I should ask beforehand)

I know that was really long so kudos to anyone who read the whole thing lol

Picture of mini mare attached.

 

[dalvers63]

My first question is - why buy a stallion? Why not just breed your mare and not have to worry about caring for another horse? The money you would pay for the stallion can be used to pay vet care for the mare and foal

When it comes to breeding it sounds like you're starting out right by having mentors to help you learn. Remember that breeding any animal is not usually a way to make money. Between mare care, possible foaling issues including losing both mom and baby, and then raising the baby it can get expensive. I'd chat with your vet and mentors to figure out how much you should be ready to pay in the worst case scenario.

Your reason for breeding is valid to me. Your mare has proven she can perform. If the stallion you are talking about is good enough and has confirmation that will correct or compliment any of her faults then you could have a good match. If you're prepared to keep the baby that is always good. What happens when you graduate high school? Do you plan to go to college and if so who will be caring for the horses? Not to discourage you just something to think about going forward.

 

[kardokusbr]

Thank you for the info and for raising those questions! I think we just got excited when we saw this stallion because he checked a lot of the boxes we were looking for. Do you know of any mini stallions standing at stud in Washington or Oregon? I think that definitely appeals to me more than buying after thinking about college (I am pretty much for sure going) and how we would need to be selling two horses instead of just the foal.

 

[dalvers63]

I think there are lots of opportunities in WA and OR for high quality stallion services. We are just starting show season - if you can I'd suggest going to some of the local shows and talk to people. Get to know them and their horses and I bet you will find some good prospects.

 

[Ourpairofminicolts]

We found the farm we got our mini's from, on equinenow.com. You can filter search by miniature horse, and a lot of the listings are for stud services. Just search in your area, within how far you're willing to travel.

 

[JFNM miniatures]

About ultrasounds... If you have the money for that, I think it would be the best way to confirm pregnancy. But first, find out if your vet will do internal on a mini, because some vets are not equipped to do internal on a mini because of the size of the probe.

If your vet can't do internal, than she might be able to do external, but only later in pregnancy. My vet told me she could do external starting at 5-6 months of pregnancy for minis. The problem with this is that it's sort of a waste of time especially if the mare was not pregnant after all, because you have to wait for so long before you can know if she is pregnant, or if you need to bring her back to the stud. If your vet cannot do internal, ask if she can palpate the fetus. That may be another option to look into.

Hope this makes sense, and helps !

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

If you REALLY like the stallion that's for sale, perhaps the owner would be willing to offer a stud service to you? One word of caution, though. If the owner provides any guarantees for the stud service, those guarantees may not necessarily go along to a new owner, if he is sold later on down the road, ie. - a live foal guarantee, for example.

 

[Dragon Hill]

One other consideration, since you and your friend are both still in school, will you be able to time your foaling date so it doesn't coincide with finals, a vacation, or holiday? That there are two of you is great, but minis are a little more unpredictable on foaling dates and a lot more likely to have problems, so are you willing, and able, to check one her throughout the day and night when she gets close? You may want to read some of the threads about the foal watch experience. Your mare is gorgeous, and it's great that you are researching breeding before jumping in.

 

[RainSong]

There are a lot of good mini stallions in Oregon and Washington. There is a show coming up the 29th-31st here in Oregon at the Oregon Horse Center - check the Northwest Miniature Horse Club's site for more information