Your First Foal - Horse breeding for beginners

Conventional stable yards, particularly those designed for riding horses are not really suitable for brood mares and foals. This is because, in the last third of pregnancy, the mare needs a quieter environment and an undisturbed retreat. She should also not be exposed to new horses on a regular basis as there is a risk of infection from them. For the actual birth, she needs a clean separate area with plenty of straw somewhere where the foaling can easily be observed. Even native breeds may require assistance and a muddy shared paddock is not suitable.

Foaling outside is ideal for hygienic reasons but it is difficult to observe. Mares, particularly maidens with a first foal, fiercely protect their newborn from other horses and people. A spacious stable gives them the necessary peace and quiet during this important bonding phase. However, locking up a mare used to living in a herd in a stable without visual contact with other horses is not a good idea. It causes far too much stress!

If you cannot offer your mare a suitable area for foaling and for the first few weeks after the birth, it is better to take her to an experienced breeder to foal down. Your foal will then also have playmates to grow up with. Understandably, every owner would like to see their ‘once in a lifetime’ foal being born and grow up and have it all to themselves. The welfare of mother and foal, however, should always be more important than the fulfilment of your own dreams. If you really do not wish to send the mare away for foaling a possible compromise is to alter your stable layout to suit her needs. Perhaps you could do it together with another local single-mare-owning breeder? Whatever arrangement you choose, the most important requirement is a large, high-quality pasture. A young foal should be turned out during summer, day and night! For this reason alone, most riding stables are not ideal for breeding.

Advice
Make sure there are no hazards in the vicinity of the mare and foal. No protruding nails, sharp edges, small gaps (under doors and partitions as well), no hayracks in which the small feet of a foal could get trapped.

The most important questions for new breeders are:

• What do you want your foal to become?

Do you want an eventer, show jumper, dressage star, hunter, show pony, endurance horse or an all-round pleasure horse for the family? Set a specific goal and choose the sire and dam accordingly.

• Are you going to keep your foal or sell it?

Do you want to ride your youngster yourself? Can you break it in yourself? Do you want to sell it as a weanling, a just-backed youngster or as an educated adult horse?

• Do you have sufficient space to raise a foal and possibly keep it for 4 years or even the rest of its life?

Is the stable and pasture suitable for a brood mare and her youngster?

• Have you got enough time to look after them properly?

A mare and foal need as much time as a riding horse, possibly even more!

• Is your knowledge of how to handle and raise a foal sufficient to deal with all situations?

• Do you know enough about breeding?

Or are you at least prepared to learn everything you need?

• Are you persistent enough?

Horse breeding requires persistence. Success takes time, setbacks are common. It takes years before your dream of an adult horse becomes true.

• Do you have enough money?

Attempting to breed your own foal can be very expensive. It is not a way to get a cheap replacement for your mare. Keep savings for additional vet’s bills and extras.

• What does your family say about it?

Not an unimportant question, especially if they are not as enthusiastic as you are.

Photo: N. Sachs