Everything Horse magazine Everything Horse UK Magazine, March 2015 | Page 17

BREEDING SPECIAL

Choosing the
Correct Mare and
Responsible Breeding

I

n this issue Cyden Stallions owner and
dressage rider Lara Dyson presents the
first in a series of features on breeding.
Here we focus on selecting the correct
mare and look at the reasons why you
should and shouldn’t breed from your
mare.
There can be nothing more exciting than
breeding a foal and if your home breed foal
grows up to be successful in your chosen
discipline, it can be all the more rewarding.
Careful consideration should be taken
before making the decision to actually
breed a foal and your reason for doing so
should be valid and not just because you
fancy seeing a little foal running around
your paddock and ‘ahh wouldn’t it be so
cute’. Sentimentality is not justification for
breeding a foal.
There are far too many unwanted horses
and ponies in this country with equine
charities bursting at the seams with
neglected and abandoned animals. So, first
and foremost, thought must be given as to
why you want to breed a foal, bringing this
new life into the world is a responsibility
that will be both time consuming and
costly.
Once you have established you are
breeding a foal for the correct reasons,
the next step on the journey is to assess
whether your mare is really suitable for
producing a quality foal. This requires an
owner to look at their mare honestly and
with an unbiased eye.
People often place too much emphasis
on their chosen stallion when breeding,
forgetting that the mare will make up 50
per cent of the genetic make-up of your
foal, some breeding experts would argue
that this percentage is even higher.

The Right Mare

Many people breed for the wrong reasons,
primarily because their mare is no longer
fit for any other purpose, such as an injury
ending a competition career. A mare that
is not fit for anything else is not always the
best candidate as a broodmare.

“Once you
have established
you are breeding
a foal for the
correct reasons, the
next step on the
journey is to assess
whether your mare
is really suitable for
producing a quality
foal”
A good temperament is crucial to passon to her off-spring. A foal with a good
temperament is likely to go on to be more
trainable and ride able in the future; this is
without a doubt one of the most important
things to look for.
Good confirmation is also vital, whatever
the future holds for your foal, it has to
be physically capable to do the job. Poor
confirmation can increase the risk of
injury, especially if they are destined for
the competition arena and be required
to withstand the rigors of a competitive
lifestyle.
Study your mares’ pedigree, any
undesirable qualities, be they
temperament issues or confirmation faults
further down the lineage, can potential
present in future progeny, missing a
generation.

Responsible Breeding

If you have already bred a foal from your
mare and are undecided whether to breed
again, study the current progeny your mare
has produced, accessing whether she has
passed on her good qualities that were a
factor in your decision to breed in the first
place.
Fertility is also a consideration for
second foals, how easy was it to get your
mare in foal? You might have the best
mare in the world but if her fertility is
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