Factors to Consider When Breeding a Horse

Horse breeding is not a walk-in-the park. A significant amount of time, money and effort is always invested when a mare owner decides to breed it. Before undertaking to breed a horse, however, any horse owner must always ask himself tough questions and squarely consider important factors.

One of the main considerations that must be brought to mind is the purpose by which the foal may be used. If it's for racing purposes, you'll have to ascertain if both the dam and the prospective sire will have the qualities and necessary characteristics that will make it successful on the track. Studs with a proven racetrack record make good sires, but the stud fee may also be sky-high.

This leads to another consideration any horse owner has to make before taking the final leap to breeding. Will the owner be able to handle the cost? Aside from the stud fee, expenses for food, veterinary care and management of the mare from the time of gestation until the foal is weaned do add up and must be taken into consideration as well.

Any potential breeder must also take the time to assess if the mare he intends to breed is fertile and physically fit. For horses, reproduction can be a rigorous time and the mare must be able to withstand the demands of pregnancy if she is to carry it to its full-term.

New breeders must also carefully consider their own skills and level of expertise in breeding horses. Having money is not enough. You will have to know how to properly care for the mare and the subsequent foal, or at least be able to pay someone who can do the task for you. Some might go into breeding just because they enjoy horses in general, but this generally a poor gauge for your breeding skills.

Finally the potential economic benefit must also be closely looked into if a horse owner wants to go into serious breeding. If truth be told, there is little profit to be had in horse breeding. If you don't put careful thought into your breeding, you may well be putting up your unwanted horses for slaughter and that won't give you a lot in terms of financial returns since the market is already saturated with these.

Before you breed, take a long-hard look at these considerations and mull over all the pros and cons. The foal that will result in the mating ultimately becomes your responsibility. You have to know beforehand why you've decided to "cause" its making in the first place.

View the original article here