Breeding
 

Breeder or amateur, you have bought your first miniature horse, found him/her a fiancé(e) and you dream of a first foal. 

Certain data must be taken into account before embarking on the adventure.

 

Choice of stallion

Choosing a stallion is first of all to think about what to expect  From this breeding, wanting a foal for fun is one thing, wanting a foal in order to breed and therefore be involved in the improvement of a breed is another. 

The stallion must be adapted to the size and morphology of your mare. He must not be taller than her and if the mare is refined it is essential to choose a refined stallion as well who produces refined foals (a stallion can have bony horses in his genetics, a look at foals and ascendants is essential).

Within the framework of a production for breeding, the stallion must be chosen in order to improve the qualities brought by the mare but also to correct her weeknesses. For example, it is a good idea to marry a mare that lacks a neck with a stallion that provides length and good orientation, or to marry a mare that has a pretty head with a stallion that will also have the type of head that you want. It is important to know that the foal will receive one or the other of the characteristics of the parents : short neck + long neck = either one or the other for the foal.

On the other hand, repeating the same cross on a regular basis will allow you to see what your mare and stallion transmits, to consider continuing or orienting this production differently.

 

Choice of mare

To foal a mare is to take a risk for its life, as for a human, gestation or foaling may not go as planned. We must be aware of this and assume this responsibility, both financially and from a knowledge point of view. It is imperative that you document and equip yourself accordingly to minimize the risks during gestation and foaling. In the miniature horse these risks are increased since the foals are born proportionately very large compared to the mare. The weight and size of a large breed newborn foal is considered to be 7-8% of that of the dam, in the miniature horse we are almost 15%.

It is not recommended to put a mare for service before she is 3 years old. Bone, muscle and internal development is not complete, a growing mare should not be bred. 

A 3-year-old mare may also not be ready, you have to know how to listen to them and make sure that she is suitable for reproduction, by means of an osteopathy session prior to a reproduction for example. A mare who is still a baby, in her head and in her body, and whose pelvis is still too narrow, is not ready to give birth safely. Do not hesitate to wait another year and keep in mind that taking your time, in matters of reproduction, is never a waste of time, it can avoid irreversible consequences.

As mentioned above, the choice of the stallion is important, it must be consistent with the morphology of your mare in order to facilitate foaling and allow the birth of a foal that will neither be too big nor too bony.

 

Choice of genetics

Knowing the genetics of future parents is essential  when one wishes to reproduce in a serious way.

It has been recognized that inbreeding fixes defects. In fact, it is advisable to choose two breeders who are distant from their ancestors over several generations. Depending on the papers of your miniature horse, the pedigree can be found on the IFCE, the breed studbook, and on the site www.allbreedpedigree.com  (if the data has not been saved, you can feed it yourself).

Certain coat color or marking genes are at the origin of health problems or even premature lethality for the foal : Silver, LWO, LP, Roan, SW3 ..

• Consult the Color section  of our website to find out more

In order to avoid producing horses with Dwarfism ( ACAN D1 to D4 and Skeletal Atavism ), it is essential to have your breeders tested. These tests have a certain cost but can be done gradually and the production can be guaranteed free by descent if neither of the parents are carriers.

• Consult the Dwarfism section  of our website to find out more

 

 

Choice of breeding

The choice of the type of breeding is to be adapted to your herd management, your installations and the situation (depending on whether you own the stallion and the mare or not, for example).

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• In hand : the mare is held or tied inside a riding bench, the stallion is brought on a lead near the mare to check his agreement. The majority of mares indicate whether they wish to be covered (tail lifted, legs spread, urine flow) or if it is not yet ready (mare turning around, laying down ears, rue). If the mare accepts the stallion, the driver will let the mating proceed to the end.

 

• In freedom : the horses are put together, with a presentation period in separate parks or not, and the mating will take place at the right time. A good stallion will only cover the mare if signs of acceptance are present. Although more natural and known to have a better fertility rate, this technique has two drawbacks ; complicated to set up with an aggressive/insistent stallion (unless you re-educate him completely and you still have to be the owner), requires precise monitoring to note the dates of service/refusal in order to estimate the term of gestation.

These two techniques are used in the miniature horse depending on the character of the horses and the facilities of the breeder. The protrusion in hand is generally less fertile than the natural protrusion. The two techniques can be combined in order to check the dates of mating and to ensure a better fertility rate. 

Covering by artificial insemination is not used in miniature horses, its size making handling difficult and unsuccessful.

The mare accepts the stallion only during its heat period. These last an average of 7 days, and are triggered every 21 days. We can therefore assume that fertilization is successful if the mare does not come back in heat within 2 to 3 weeks after refusal.

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The heat is triggered  mainly from spring to autumn, but climate change and global warming of our planet can disrupt the cycles of mares. It is no longer rare today to see a mare not only be in heat in the middle of winter, but also accept the stallion and be in foal.

Some mares allow themselves to be covered throughout the heat period, others refuse the stallion as soon as they are fertilized and this can happen from the first mating. The date of refusal of the service is taken into account to determine the term of gestation.

 

It is also worth remembering that some mares continue to accept the stallion even during gestation.

Finally, if you decide to do an external service, the price of the breeding, the pension, the reception and breeding conditions will have to be defined beforehand with the stallion.

The cost varies from one stallion to another without specific rules with a range going from 150 to 1500 €. However, a stallion fully genetically tested (Color + Dwarfism), with a good pedigree and recognition in shows, will logically be at a higher price than a paperless stallion.