# a mini bred to a full sized appy stud =[



## lizard13 (Aug 25, 2008)

*just my opinion*

well first of all almost every breeder breeds their mare back while the foal is suckling if not the day after birth for foal heat because around 60% of mares might never come in foal again if you give them a year off, ive seen it happen many times and am having problems with one of my mares because of this very thing i thought i should give her a year of and then was told otherwise. and second of all horses have complete utarian power they can keep a baby at a certain size, it wont let it get too big. I am going to college for equine breeding and nutrition and we bred a clydesdale to a mini and she had a mini clydesdale it wasnt too big by any means. I do agree some horses have problems during birth and I have had a mare with a baby too big and she is a giant horse, it has nothing to do with the mare being a mini if she has problems believe me it is just genetical that she cant have big babies and no way of controlling it but very few hav this problem.


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## Dvine (Aug 26, 2008)

ahhh I see I did not know that it just seemed wrong at the time but I guess I should read up on all that next time before I freak out like that.. but thanks for the info I'll pass it to the owner so she wont be so worried.. and hearing that I'm to worried now either thanks =]


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

*Re: just my opinion*



lizard13 said:


> 60% of mares might never come in foal again if you give them a year off, ive seen it happen many times and am having problems with one of my mares because of this very thing i thought i should give her a year of and then was told otherwise.


I do not believe this for a second, and neither should you. Honestly, that was someone pulling the wool over your eyes. I would really like to see some proof.... 
And, no, I'm not attacking you, but it's myths like this that make horse owners breed more than they should.


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## Dvine (Aug 26, 2008)

*Re: just my opinion*



JustDressageIt said:


> lizard13 said:
> 
> 
> > 60% of mares might never come in foal again if you give them a year off, ive seen it happen many times and am having problems with one of my mares because of this very thing i thought i should give her a year of and then was told otherwise.
> ...


Just DressageIt, do you think it's something the minis owner should be concerned with?


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## TxHorseMom (Mar 4, 2007)

While it's true that many do breed back on foal heat, it is something I NEVER have done. The part about them not breeding back is a myth. The foal heat is "natures way" of them cleaning out the uterus after having the foal. I have bred back on the next heat or the following heat but I only let my mares have 2 foals then they got the year off. The only time I have ever had "difficulty" getting a mare to take after having a year off is if they are a bit older. I always let them come into heat naturally (no shots to bring them in) and if they are older and don't take, that's that is "natures way" of telling me that they don't need to have any more foals. My girls were never baby factories. I still own all of my retired mares (that are still alive) I also won't sell them after they get too old to have a foal. To me, they deserve retirement. To some, that my not seem to be very "good business" but it is the way I do business.

I can't honestly say with first hand experience that you can/should breed much larger stallions to smaller dams. I always did it the opposite. If anything, the stallion was smaller than the mare. I do have one QH/pony cross that I bred my stallion to, but she is aprox 13.3 to 14 hh and my stallion is 15.1h. Not that big of a difference. I personally would be very concerned with an appy/mini cross and I definately would ask my vet.

BTW my daughter has a bachelors of Equine Science and is working on getting into vet school, and I am a nurse, so I do have some background to what I am saying.


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## Dvine (Aug 26, 2008)

TxHorseMom said:


> While it's true that many do breed back on foal heat, it is something I NEVER have done. The part about them not breeding back is a myth. The foal heat is "natures way" of them cleaning out the uterus after having the foal. I have bred back on the next heat or the following heat but I only let my mares have 2 foals then they got the year off. The only time I have ever had "difficulty" getting a mare to take after having a year off is if they are a bit older. I always let them come into heat naturally (no shots to bring them in) and if they are older and don't take, that's that is "natures way" of telling me that they don't need to have any more foals. My girls were never baby factories. I still own all of my retired mares (that are still alive) I also won't sell them after they get too old to have a foal. To me, they deserve retirement. To some, that my not seem to be very "good business" but it is the way I do business.
> 
> I can't honestly say with first hand experience that you can/should breed much larger stallions to smaller dams. I always did it the opposite. If anything, the stallion was smaller than the mare. I do have one qh/pony cross that I bred my stallion to, but she is aprox 13.3 to 14 hh and my stallion is 15.1h. Not that big of a difference. I personally would be very concerned with an appy/mini cross and I definately would ask my vet.
> 
> BTW my daughter has a bachelors of Equine Science and is working on getting into vet school, and I am a nurse, so I do have some background to what I am saying.


ok thanks..

just to add I talked to the owner of the mini now and the way it sounds to me is she's had 3 foals back to back, well thats not counting the one she's prego with right now... to me that seems a lil messed up.. thats just my opinion I beleive there should be some time off, that's just the way I think though... then again, idk much about horse breeding or anything... I could be wrong it's just something I need to read up on I guess...



[also let me add that's just 3 previous to the one she's prego with now that the owner now knows about; apperently the org owner always had her in the same pin as the stallion who knows though]


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

God...I just keep trying to picture the mechanics of a full-sized stud and a mini mare...


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## Dvine (Aug 26, 2008)

yea idk I stilll fel bad for her she has to be pooped if I go out there before she has the foal I'll take pics.. the lady that has her now seen one of the foals she had she said full sized it was the size of her halflinger cross (some other pony breed)... hopefully the mini wont have any problems having it and the foal will be healthy


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## aappyfan1 (Jun 28, 2008)

We are talking "mother nature" here " if there is a way they will find it"!!! lol


I have never bred my mares on their foal heats I always waited a heat or two because I didn't want any early babies. We can and have had Snow Storms up until the first week in May Just too stressful for me to worry about.


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## Abnormal (Mar 12, 2012)

im interested to see this baby...


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## CessBee (Dec 6, 2008)

Echoing what the others have said about the whole size thing, there is very little risk as studies have shown that the foal will only grow as large as it can fit, then once the it is born it shows rapid growth and soon outstrips it's mother for height.

Now to the "issue" of being bred back to back repeatedly. From what I know, most Broodmares are bred like that, if you can provide proper mare care then it is not as taxing as you would assume, in the wild it wouldn't be uncommon for a mare to have foal after foal as there is no control, often starting very young with the first one, once again due to lack of control over the whole process.


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

I remember seeing a mustang photo where a foal was nursing on it's mom while it's mom was nursing on it's grandmother.

I have nothing to add since everyone has said everything already. Back to back breedings are common in wild horses. As long as the mare is properly cared for, she should be alright.


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## WyndellaRose (Nov 7, 2011)

This thread was started in 2008...


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## CessBee (Dec 6, 2008)

WyndellaRose said:


> This thread was started in 2008...


Well it is to! I am usually good at spotting that! Haha


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

JustDressageIt said:


> I do not believe this for a second, and neither should you. Honestly, that was someone pulling the wool over your eyes. I would really like to see some proof....
> And, no, I'm not attacking you, but it's myths like this that make horse owners breed more than they should.


Haha...of course you don't believe it, because it isn't true. I was a breeder for many years and periodically gave my broodmares a year off - it doesn't affect their fertility a bit. I don't know where myths like that start, but there sure are a lot of them...:rofl:


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