when to breed mares

[auledasacres]

I am sure this is a stupid question but when do most of you start breeding your mares. I have asked a few other breeders around me but still confused.

Do you wait until they are 3 or do you breed as a 2 year old to drop there first foal at 3.

Thanks

Traci

 

[Skittlebittie]

Well, I guess it depends on who you ask. I myself, wait until they are 3 to breed them, so they foal at 4. I feel they are more mature and need time to grow themselves first, before being bred. But, some people do breed at 2 depending on the horse's maturity/size. I have even heard of some being bred as yearlings, but most people will agree that that is way too young.

Lori

 

[Ashley]

IT all depends on the mare and the maturety that they are. We have bred some at two and some not until 4 or 5. We have one mare who will foal this year that will be 3. We also have a couple 2 year olds this year that probably will be held back until next year.

 

[Marty]

I know that some people think it's ok to be breeding a two year old but honestly just how developed does anyone think a horse can be that mature when they themselves are still growing physically and mentally? They are still babies themselves. I personally see absolutely no reason in the world for doing this. What is the big rush here is what I would like to know for people that do this?

I don't like to consider breeding a mare until she is 4 years old.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I breed them usually at age 3 or sometimes four depending on how mature they are. I had had one pregnancy of a 2 year old( shame on me) due to an accident... long story) Fortunately this 2 year old is very mature, and sensible. I would rather she not be pregnant at age two. She will be a little over three when her foal is born. Its like asking a 13 year old girl to have babies.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

As everyone has said routinely breeding two year olds is not really a good idea, breeding two year olds you have thought about and know to be mature and ready, well then it is a considered risk. Breeding at any age can be risky, there is no perfect age. We have all heard of yearlings that have been bred, on purpose!!- and been OK- would anyone suggest doing it?? I do not think so, in fact I would be happy to see the foal unregistrable as a result, so really it is up to the mare owner and the individual mare.

 

[Jesper]

No younger then 3 and definetly not a 2 yr old they are not ready even though they might "look" ready and showing heat and all that.

transfer that to humans, are they ready when they are 9-10 yr old? just because they get their period?

No thanks, 3+ yr here

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Me..I like em to be 3.

 

[REO]

For us...Absolutely NOT until they are at least three and in some cases 4 or more.

Even the Farmer's Almanac says 3.

IMO, a two year old filly is like an 11 year old girl. "But she's tall and mature looking!" SO WHAT? Tall and mature looking does not make her older.

Back in the beginning when we didn't know any better, we started breeding them at two. But I didn't have a computer or the forum. Luckily I learned from my mistakes and started waiting until the fillies were older.

This is my opinion

:

 

[Miniv]

We wait til they are at least 3. There have been a couple of girls that we even waited til age 4 because of their size and maturity...... I'm glad we did.

MA

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I agree a 2yr old MUST be PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY ready to breed.

My 2yr old now she was ready as a yearling lol, I had to watch her, this year her mind is ready but her body still needs to develop more, by 3 she should be ready, but the new owners will need to decide on that lol.

 

[Chandler@RoyalPalm]

I would honestly wait until 3. HOWEVER it truely depends on each horse. Example- The mare in my avatar is 4 years old and I am showing her this year since she is extremely refined. I rather wait a year or two and have fun showing her, and then cross her to an ultra refined stallion. Yes, she still will have risk when she goes to have her foal but HOPEFULLY less than if I had bred her younger.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I would never breed a 2 yr old, my gosh--there stll growing, and there bodies havent deleloped completely. Everyone talks about minis and "over population" , well, then why breed a 2 yr old?? I wait till mine are 4 yrs old...and some of mine are 5 and never been bred, not that its there fault at all..its my choice, and I dont believe in breeding every single mare..every single year.

 

[DebiM]

I won't say that I will never again breed a 2 year old but I can't see me doing it now. I once bred a full 2 yr old because she was SO mature. She never played with the younger horses anymore, I couldn't see any childish behaviour, she had not grown in a few months and was well accepted into the mare herd. Well, she quit on me half way through delivery. Just stopped pushing and we had heck. Then for the first couple of weeks of her foals life she was the worst Mother I'd ever had. She would wander off grazing completely forgetting about baby. If I was out there holding and working with baby then she just left her with me! I mean just left and didn't come back. I'd have to go find her to give the baby back. That said by the time her foal was 2 months old you couldn't ask for a better Mama! She was just too young to begin with so it was my mistake, not hers. I gave her the next year off waiting til she was 4 to rebreed her.

We normally breed most of our mares at the age of 3. There have been a couple of mares that I waited til they were four because they didn't seem to be emotionally ready.

However, I would never be critical of someone that did breed at 2. I'm just not comfortable with it after my experience. I also don't agree with the comparison of a 2 yr old to a 9/10 yr old girl. I've never had one of mine who were that immature at 2. I MYSELF normally think of them as teenagers.

Debi

EDITED for typing errors.........one day I am going to learn that my 49 yr old brain doesn't work as fast as my typing fingers always have!

 

[minih]

We have been breeding ours at three, and on one I waited until she was 4. We have had a couple of foalings in the past that turned out bad, so I try to take all the precautions I can. I do not like seeing my babies go thru a harder time than necessary.

 

[Songcatcher]

I have had mares I bought that were bred as two year-olds who did just fine. Foaled without problems, were good mothers, absolutely no problems. HOWEVER, I doubt that I will ever again purposely breed one at two (although I did once with no problems). I think three is a better age and I have one three year-old right now that I am hesitant about breeding this year. She is so small and petite. I am strongly considering waiting another year on her even though I am really anxious to see what she will produce.

Waiting till three does NOT guarantee there will be no problems. I have one mare (32") who was not bred until three, bred to a tiny 27-28 inch stallion, and nearly died having her foal. Not because she lacked maturity, it was just one of those things that sometimes happens.

 

[small herd]

I would NEVER even consider breeding a 2 year old. I feel very strong about that.

 

[bluerogue]

We are going to hold back and wait for our two 3 year old fillies this year. They both seem mature physically, and most of the time mentally. But I would rather wait than have them give up during foaling, or be a bad mom because I chose to let them breed before they were ready. I'd rather they be ready for the baby, than so-so about it. One of our mares was bred as a 2 year old, and foaled at 3. This was before we owned her. She was not really smart about her filly, although you would never have guessed it now. She's a great mom. Besides, my breeding stallion this year is a rookie (he's 3, and only bred one mare twice last spring). I'd rather give him a chance with the older mares who know what's going on first. I don't know what he's going to throw, so I'd rather wait for my two maidens than have them have potential problems from the stallion's foals. Now all that said, if King was a proven stallion, we might re-think not breeding at least one of these fillies (I want to show the other this year). But I would not choose to breed a 2 year old filly. It's just not worth it to me. There are too many risks involved.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

My personal feeling is if a horse isnt ready to ride at 2, how on earth could they be ready to be bred at that age.

3 is my minimum -

 

[Minimor]

4. There's no way we'd breed a 2 year old; at 3 ours are learning to go in harness, so no earlier than 4.