Setting Your Horse Up for Breeding Success
Breeding horses is an exciting and rewarding journey, but ensuring your mare’s optimal health is essential for a successful and healthy pregnancy. Below you will find a beginner’s guide to preparing your mare for breeding.
Maintaining Good Body Condition
Before considering breeding, your mare must be in ideal condition. A thin or overweight mare may struggle with fertility or pregnancy complications. Ideally, a body condition score (BCS) between 5 and 7 is recommended. This means the mare should have:
Visible muscle tone without excess fat
Slight fat cover over the ribs
A rounded topline but not overweight
No prominent bony structures
The right nutrition plan is key, so if you’re unsure where your mare stands, Gursky Veterinary Services can assess her condition and provide a tailored feeding regimen to ensure she’s in optimal health for breeding.
Up-to-Date Vaccinations
Vaccinations are critical for a healthy mare and the foal. Some diseases can be particularly harmful to pregnant mares or unborn foals, so ensuring your mare is up to date on her vaccines is essential. Key vaccinations include:
Tetanus
Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1)
NOTE: This is also known as Rhinopneumonitis and it is administered during the 5th, 7th, and 9th months of pregnancy to prevent abortion.
Equine Influenza
West Nile Virus
Rabies (depending on location and risk)
Consult your vet to determine the ideal vaccination schedule and make sure the mare is well-protected before and during pregnancy.
Proper Hoof Care
Proper hoof care is often overlooked but is vital for the overall health and well-being of your mare, especially when she’s carrying extra weight from pregnancy. Ensuring regular hoof trims by a farrier every 4-8 weeks will:
Prevent hoof cracks and splits
Maintain healthy growth and shape
Avoid lameness that could complicate pregnancy
Good hoof health supports the mare’s balance and reduces the risk of injury, ensuring she can stay active and comfortable throughout pregnancy.
Dental Care
Mares need to be in optimal health to support the demands of pregnancy, and dental health is a big part of this. Regular dental check-ups and floatings (filing down sharp points on the teeth) ensure your mare can:
Chew and digest food properly
Maintain a healthy weight
Absorb nutrients from her feed more efficiently
Proper dental care also prevents oral pain or infections, which can otherwise decrease feed intake, potentially impacting the mare’s body condition.
Taking the Next Step
Preparing your mare for breeding involves more than just planning for the perfect foal. It requires close attention to her health and well-being, from her body condition and vaccines to her hoof and dental care. Gursky Veterinary Services is here to ensure your mare is ready for a successful breeding journey. Our experienced team will work with you and your farrier to provide the best care and guidance throughout the process.
Ready to take the next step? Contact Gursky Veterinary Services today to schedule a consultation and make sure your mare is in the best possible condition for breeding!
