HN Breeding Focus
The Stallion’s Role
Chris Maudsley
Cristogracia Spanish Horse Stud & Training Facility
To breed from your mare is a big decision. HN
spoke with Chris Maudsley, owner and principal at
Cristogracia Spanish Horse Stud and Training facility,
Tarzali, to help you prepare your mare for the stallion’s
role.
The initial question you will be
asked is, “How old is your mare?“,
as obviously age on a mare can
count against her where fertility
is concerned. A maiden mare
of 12+ years could be barren
and to save time and money a
veterinary check-up can be a good
investment.
Knowing your mare’s breeding history regarding
whether she has had a foal previously and whether this
was by live cover or AI, will also be valuable information
for the breeder. Making the decision for live cover or
AI should also be reached during your discussion with
the breeder; Chris
suggests,
for
example, that an
eight year old mare
that has not had
her first foal should
be allowed to have
a natural serve
and birth, but if
the decision is to
use AI, the success rates can also be extremely good. The Cristogracia Stud has an excellent success rate to
date with AI from both of their PRE stallions, Alegria
Agraciado and Alegria Serio: the semen is collected and
immediately served to the mare.
the breeder has had time
to assess your mare, so that
the mare’s conformation
and temperament can be
matched with the stallion a service that is offered free
at the Cristogracia stud. Travelling your mare to
the stud should ideally
should be on Day 1 of her cycle; she will need to be
fully vaccinated, wormed and with shoes off, if usually
shod. Make sure you are aware of agistment fees for
the time your mare will stay at the stud; at Cristogracia,
for instance, no agistment fee is charged during the
breeding time (21 days,) but fees are payable after this. Be prepared for your mare to be away from home for a
minimum of 3 weeks and you will also be responsible
for supplying feed and rugs, so make sure you have
made all of the arrangements beforehand. ULTIMA
SUN SPECS
Knowing your mare and how she cycles is extremely
important: if your mare is running by herself in the
paddock, she may be silent with regards to cycling. Some mares will only show very subtle signs, so pay
particular attention to your mare’s tail set: it may only
rise by a couple of cm during her cycle; another sign to
look for is a change in how affectionate she is towards
any geldings she may be in contact with. So far all this has been about your mare. Your choice
of stallion is a decision that you should reach with the
expert help of the breeder. Meeting the stallions is a
great way to feel confident in your decision and at
the Cristogracia Stud this is actively encouraged; Chris
suggests that the final decision should be made when
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When your mare has arrived and settled in the teasing
begins, a very safe procedure. Usually on Day 2 both
horses are haltered and held with the stallion and mare
on opposite sides of
a safety barrier; the
mare is turned to
face the stallion and
the stallion is told to
wait. The courtship is
fascinating to watch: the stallion talks to
the mare, the mare
responding. If the
mare is not ready to
be served she will
squeal and strike
and at this point the
stallion is taken away. The teasing progresses on Day 3 when the mare is more
accepting: the mare is turned with her rear to the
stallion (still with the barrier between them for safety). If there is any sign of the mare lifting her hind legs, then
the stallion is taken away.
If the mare is accepting of the stallion then mating takes
place: the mare is prepared with her tail bandaged and
her
hindquarters
area washed with
plain water. Chris
explained that the
pH balance is crucial
to the success rate
of the sperm, so
no chemicals or
detergents are used. If the decision for AI has been made, it is at this stage
that the stallion is introduced to the dummy; the mare
is taken away, but in sight of the stallion as he mounts
the dummy coated in the mare’s urine. The semen is
collected and immediately served to the mare. The mare is only
served twice in a
cycle; usually on
Days 3 and 5; it is
probable that she
will ovulate on Day 4
or 5, although a quick
cycle may occur,
where the mare is
served on Days 2 and
4 (after carefully reading the mare’s behaviour). Chris
also commented that it can be possible to control the
gender of the foal by serving on specific days, although
no guarantees are given. On Days 12 to 14 the teasing will begin again: if the
mare does not return to a normal cycle then she is
scanned by a vet to ascertain whether she is in foal. If
this is not the case, then the recommendation is made
for further fertility investigation by the vet; if the scan
shows a pregnancy then you will be able to collect your
mare and travel her home for prenatal care. In some
circumstances the vet may require an additional scan
in 48 days. Finally, understand your contract with the breeder: the majority of foals are born healthy and active and
many breeders offer a live foal guarantee in view of this. However, this guarantee needs your scrutiny to know
what is and isn’t covered; a return service will certainly
require a veterinary certificate, if the worst should
happen.
We wish you all the success for a
happy breeding season.
Images taken at the Cristogracia Spanish Horse Stud & Training facility our thanks to:
Image 1 -6 Ruby Goodsell
Image 7 Karin Boldt