Horse IQ

The miracle of birth – how exciting! Whether it is our own human children or those of our beloved horses. If you are thinking about breeding your horse, or if you are caring for a pregnant horse, then there are a few things that you should know about the reproductive cycle of the animals as well as the best way to care for them. Learn these tips and your chances of having a problem-free foal increase in a big way.

Horses have a long gestation period, meaning that a mare is pregnant from eleven to eleven and a half months. Pregnancy is diagnosed in a variety of ways, some more reliable than others. For the early stages, an ultrasound is highly reliable but also expensive. This can be used after about three weeks of the gestation, and often confirms the pregnancy diagnosis.

You Can Do What A Vet Would Do

A properly trained equine vet can do the same diagnosis during about the same period by reaching up the anus of the horse and feeling at the womb. This requires proper training, and is obviously somewhat uncomfortable for the horse. It is known as a “transrectal palpation.”

A less reliable method involves introducing the mare to a stallion. Most (but not all) pregnant mares will refuse the advances of a stallion. This test has the benefit of working (usually) as little as a day after breeding a mare. A blood test can also be taken to test for hormones, which is similar to the tests that humans take. It is highly reliable, mostly nonintrusive, and not as expensive as an ultrasound. It is effective after sixty days of gestation.

When You Know She’s Pregnant,
The Real Fun Begins

Once you have confirmed your horse is pregnant, you are ready to embark on the exciting job of caring for your mare and ultimately raising a foal. Your mare’s health should hopefully have been assessed for body condition and horse health problems before she is bred. If not, your vet should check her out as soon as possible.

The mare should begin at a healthy weight, and this should be maintained through the pregnancy. The best feed for a foaling mare, especially toward the third trimester, is a specific broodmare blend, and should be switched over to gradually to prevent upsetting your mare’s stomach. Exercise is a good thing in moderation, and horses can even be ridden until about half-way through their pregnancy.

You Can Always Call Your Vet For Advice

If your vet suggests a specific regimen such as a supplement or specific feed type, then you should ultimately take their advice – they know you and your horse best. Your vet might also suggest special vaccinations, like Rhino, to prevent spontaneous abortion in your mare (we’ll talk more about spontaneous abortion in a future article).

Avoid fescue grass and hay, which can contain a spore that causes abortion, toward the end of the pregnancy. Also beware of black cherry trees and webworms, which can be dangerous to a foaling mare.

You may want to re-vaccinate your mare just before she is due so that she passes on immunity to her foal at full strength. Ask your vet for his or her opinion on this practice. The mare should also be dewormed regularly. Twinning is also fairly common, and can be dangerous to the mare if not handled correctly. This is detected with an ultrasound early in her pregnancy. Your vet will help you decide how to handle this possibility.

With a little good fortune, the gestation period of the horse should be uneventful, and you should be able to delight in your new colt or filly. All it takes is good care of your mare as well as good communication with your vet to ensure that the process of breeding your mare is a rewarding one all around.

Yours for Better Horse Health,

Sierra Lynch

Tags: Horse Breeding

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