Question on breeding on Foal Heat

[Heather T]

We don't normally breed on foal heat because we worry about what the heck to do with the foal. I need some input here because I really want to breed Shanza on her foal heat, which should be starting anytime.

How does the mare react with the foal there? Does the foal normally stay out of the way? If I leave the foal behind the mom with freak!!!

What do you guys do? So many of you already have your mares bred back and I haven't gotten Tess and Lily bred back yet because they weren't with a stallion. Now he's here and they haven't shown any signs yet. I don't want to miss out on Shanza....suggestions? Input?

[Vic]

Heather I know last year Bev at KBHilltop put foal in a pen right beside mare when breeding so foal couldn't get hurt and both could still see each other ;D .

[mythicfriesians]

Heather,

I don't really have that problem around here, since everything is AI But my best friend breeds Arabians and everything is live cover, so I usually go over and give her a hand. All we usually do is have an extra handler to hold on to the foal, and keep the foal in front of mom, in sight and not too far away. It's really going to depend on your setup - if you can have the foal in a pen close by but out of the way, that might work too.

Hope that helps!
Allison

[Golden Girl]

That is what we did at Breezy Acers Farm, either had someone hold the foal or use a 'foal pen' (which was just a poddock fence). These are full size horses, and the mare & foal could see each other, and were fine about it

At Dunbarton Farms, Laurie breeds Dartmore ponies. The stallion pasture breeds the mares, so the foals are right there. Buff, the stallion, is used to being out with the mares & foals though.

I will be trying to breeding my mare for the first time on her foal heat, and I plan on teasing her pretty good first through the gate, then leading the stallion to her with the colt right there. If that doesn't work then I will enlist the help of my husband to hold the colt while I try to get the cover done.

Good Luck! (to both of us) ;D

[brookhaven]

If you hand breed, leave the foal in the stall and tie or hold the mare right outside the door. I pasture breed and haven't had any problems with the foal getting in the way. Cloud was in her foal heat and backed up to the gate so I just let Secret in, he bred her, and then I threw him back out with the other mares. The mare will usually watch out for her foal and I don't know of many mini stallions that will hurt foals, but might try hand breeding first to be sure.

[coloredqh]

Heather,

We usually have a third handler for the foals, But and I say but. If you have a mare like Riley, who would rather kill your stallion, than let him look at her foal. It is a hard call with a grinchy mare. We had to take Zahvana out of Riley's sight before she would even consider breeding. Once we took Zahvana out of sight she bred just fine. We caught her on the first cover.
For the most part though, a third person to hold the foal usually is all you need.

Kelly

[joy]

In my experience, we just held the foal on the outside of the fence, right in front of the mare, she can see the baby, baby can see mama, stud can see mama and baby is not in the way of danger. It has worked very well for us. Good luck. Happy foaling.

[TessElaine]

Princess was took back to Sir on her foal heat.
It took 3 people. My dad handled Sir, my nephew handled
Princess and my daughter kept Chip outside the fence just
so Princess could see and smell Chip. Hope this helps.

[MarijeNL]

joy said:

In my experience, we just held the foal on the outside of the fence, right in front of the mare, she can see the baby, baby can see mama, stud can see mama and baby is not in the way of danger. It has worked very well for us. Good luck. Happy foaling.

We do it that way too when the mare and foal are not in the pasture with the stallion.
That way I don't need an extra person to lead the stallion or held the mare. My dad can simply open the fence to let the stallion in from the pasture next to the mare and I can hold the mare close to the fence where her foal is.
After breeding I take the mare back to her foal and put the stallion back in to the next pasture with the other mares.


Macy is looking at the stallion who is coming to her ;D
She wasn't bred at foal heat but with young foals it works the same.

When I don't have somebody to help, I let the foal in the stall and tie the mare in front of the stall. Then lead the stallion to the mare and bring him back after breeding.