Horsemen's Blog

Horsemen's blog is what I call this page. I'm Hackamore Hoofpick and I'm happy you stopped by. People have been asking me questions about horses for years and since horses have been my lifelong friends, I'm always happy to oblige. I've been riding, training, showing and packing them for many years and find them easier to get along with than some people. Horses don't usually talk back but when they're upset or not happy with something you're trying to make them do, they can sure show some displeasure. Abuse them and you might get kicked, bit, stomped or bucked off. They might do that or then again, if someone saw your misdeed, they might step in and take the horse's side. Treat them kindly and with respect and you'll both be winners. Treat them badly and you'll end up in trouble and your horse will be hard to catch. A good policy is to always end the day as friends with your horse.

     I might be able to help with some of your questions, If I don't know the answer, I have a covey of world champion trainers, mentors and friends (the kind that know using horses inside and out) that can put us on the right trail. Don't hesitate to email hackamore@horsemanspress.com to ask questions or make suggestions. Your input (if it's useful information) will help everyone get along a little better with horses. So ride along to receive and contribute useful info that will improve everyone's horsemanship and learn how Hackamore can help you with your mount.
                                                                                                                          ~ Hackamore Hoofpick


                                                     Getting Started

You want to breed your good mare so you can raise a foal. You might know of a good stallion nearby or you have your eye on one in equine magazines. Do some research and look up the stud's performance record and pedigree. Does he have a winning background or is he an outstanding ranch horse? If you're a barrel racer or maybe a cutter, you want to find a stallion that has an impressive record in the events you participate. If you want a good ranch horse, ask the owner if you can watch the stallion work the next time he has a job to do.
Once you find the right stallion suited for your ambitions, decide if you want the stallion to live cover your mare (pasture breed the natural way) or have her artificial inseminated (a vet places the cooled semen in the mare.) Live cover requires your mare to spend her estrus cycle at the stallions barn. Artificial Insemination requires a vet to either palpate her or ultrasound the mare to determine when the mare may ovulate. She gets to stay at home during this process. It may take the vet several visits to predict when the mare will ovulate. You must have the cooled semen on hand on that day for the mare to be inseminated for the best chance of a successful breeding. Normally, after breeding, an ultra sound or palpation can be performed after 16 days to see if the mare has conceived.

A Live Foal

Now the waiting and worrying begins. Eleven months is a long time to wait for your baby to arrive. No matter how many times you put your ear to the mares belly listening and feeling for movement from the foal won't speed things up. Mother Nature has the upper hand and she does things on her own time schedule. Spend a few bucks and have the vet ultra sound the mare to make sure she hasn't conceived twins. Normally, they both won't survive and sometimes both are born dead. If she has conceived twins the vet can pinch one off allowing the other to survive. Check your calendar and ask your vet if you should give the mare shots of Pneumabort on the 5th, 7th and 9th month of her pregnancy to prevent abortion. Make sure she's up to date on all shots. Cover all the bases to give her the best chance of having a healthy foal. Her udder may start increasing in size, sometimes a month in advance of foaling. Don't let the increase in size fool you into thinking she's ready to foal. Figure her due date on a gestation calculator to get an idea of what day she may foal. The average gestation period is approximately 335 to 340 days. One or two days before parturition (foaling) her teats may show signs of waxing. Waxing is caused by colostrum (first milk) dripping down and leaving a residue on the nipple. Sometimes you can see it and sometimes it is not visible. If you see it, you know she is ready. Very seldom do mares foal while you are watching. Maybe they like privacy and want to be alone for the birth of their foal. One day you may check on her and find a beautiful new foal lying beside her or nursing with noisy exuberance. Congratulations! Your foal has arrived healthy and well.

To be continued

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Till next time,
Hackamore Hoofpick