Responsible Breeding

Under Construction

Are you thinking about having a foal, with visions of soft whiskers and gangly legs and that "miracle moment" of birth to witness? There are a lot of wonderful things about raising a foal, but many people focus on those and don't take time to consider the whole picture before making a decision to breed their mare. We hope that before you breed, you will consider all ramifications of breeding and will develop a breeding philosophy that you can be proud of. A sound philosophy and purpose can help ensure that the foal you raise will have a long, happy, and healthy life whether it lives with you or it moves to another home at some time in its life.

There's no doubt that today's market (2010) is not what it was 5 or 10 years ago. Costs of raising and owning horses have risen, but prices of foals and horses in the marketplace have plummeted for many segments of the market. Before raising a foal of your own, be sure that what you are doing is truly the all-around best decision for you, or whether buying a foal that is exactly what you are looking for would be a smarter choice.

Factors to Consider

The Purpose of the Resulting Foal

• Family trail mount

• Competition

• Yard ornament

• Breeding stock

The Quality of the Mare

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

The Quality of the Stallion

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

The Risks Involved

• Uterine rupture

• Colic

• Miscarriage

• Foal death

The Likelihood of Getting "Exactly What You Hope For"

• Gender

• Conformation

• Disposition

• Athleticism

• Color

Your Facility's Safety

• Foals + poor facilities = high vet bills

The Foal's Next 30 Years of Life

• Your intention to keep the foal

• The market demand if you don't plan to keep the foal

• "What if" the foal has to be sold unexpectedly some day...will anyone want it?