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Breeding My Arabian This Spring?

14K views 71 replies 29 participants last post by  KigerQueen 
#1 ·
I have always wanted to breed my horse, to watch and learn as her pregnancy progresses and later train the foal as it grows from baby to yearling to 3-year old and onward. It's always been my dream.

And now it looks like it's going to happen. :) Destiny is 8 years old, and she has allergies. We changed her feed because she was allergic to it, and she stopped coughing for a while, but it started up again as fall came. So we think she must have some sort of seasonal allergies, and her former owner agreed that she seems to. We believe this may cut her time as a riding horse short, and it would be best to breed her young for the first time, at least.

Yes, I understand it would cheaper to buy a foal from someone else than to breed one. Yes, I know there are a lot of horses that can't find homes, and it would be better (and cheaper) to buy one of these. But this is for sentimental reasons; I want to carry on Destiny's line, and I want to always have a part of her with me. I plan on keeping her foal, and Destiny is a purebred Arabian with good bloodlines. :P

My plan is to breed her to a homozygous tobiano Paint stallion, ensuring a tobiano foal. Not only do I love the color, but I love the Paint's quiet temperament, and I'm hoping the foal will take that kind of temperament because I'm hoping to train it myself and I'm not going to be the first one on the back of a spooky horse. I'm not quite that confident as a rider yet, lol. I've never trained one myself before. :P

I've found a couple of stallions that I like. One (bay tobiano) is a bit stockier, but he has more white on him (which I like, but in researching this it appears that this does not necessarily mean the foal will have more white). If both he and Destiny are red carriers (Ee), the foal could be chestnut tobiano (my favourite, but since Destiny is bay there will be little chance of that anyway). In order of most probable to least probable (assuming both horses are red carriers), the foal could be bay tobiano, black tobiano, or chestnut tobiano.

The second is a grullo tobiano. He is Ee (red carrier) and Dd (has the dun gene--50% chance of producing some type of dun tobiano). If Destiny is also a red carrier (she's never been genetically tested, as far as I know), they could produce a foal of the following colours, from most probable to least probable: bay tobiano, bay dun tobiano, black tobiano, grullo (black dun) tobiano, chestnut tobiano, or red dun tobiano.

So, anyway, I'm excited! I was considering posting this in the Horse Genetics forum, but I'm also talking about breeding just in general, so I decided to just post it here...I really hope this works out! :)
 
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#2 ·
While I understand your excitement, epecially with breeding an Arab mare to a Paint, because I am thinking of MAYBE doing the same thing, I am about to poor cold water all over you.

Breeding a mare with allergies, why would you? Think about the logic, you have a mare whose riding career is cut short by anything illness wise or conformational lameness wise, WHY would you want to breed from her.

So sorry if I am not jumping up and down and sharing your obvious enjoyment.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I am afraid that I agree with Golden horse on this one. I wouldn't breed that mare, not now, not ever. Why pass on a genetic predisposition to something like that? Not to mention the risk to the mare. Breathing can be made a bit more difficult by the weight of pregnancy, then add to it allergies that might impact her as well. Sorry but I wouldn't do it.

I too understand your excitement as I have a male Rottweiler that is very very nice. He is beautiful, put together so well and has the best temperament. I have had dozens of offers to use him as a stud but I won't ever breed him, not even once as he has had a seizure and I wouldn't consider chancing that he might pass it one.
 
#4 ·
I have to agree with Golden and Inga. As someone who has been stuffed up and have had a hard time breathing through my whole entire pregnancy it's a terrible thing to burden your mare with. The fact is her breathing will get worse while pregnant. And if you live in a hotter damp climate factor that times 3.

Chances she will.pass this condition on are at about 50%... it is not fair to the foal. And let. me ask you a question that you should answer before you ever breed anything. Are you willing to lose both your mare and the foal? Cause it happens... and if the answer is no, then don't breed.

Training a young horse is a lot of work. A lot, if you have never done anything like this before I strongly discourage you from breeding your mare as your first project.
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#5 ·
Another agreement here. I'm usually pretty laid back about people breeding for their own wants (as opposed to breeding to sell) - much moreso than a majority of the forum. That being said I do not think someone should breed a horse with health problems or genetic problems they're likely to pass on. It's absolutely not fair to the foal to inherit these issues and have the same struggles because an owner wants to keep a piece of her horse. Which, by the way, can backfire HORRIBLY - there was just recently a thread on here where someone lost both foal and mare in a pretty traumatic manner. It happens, and a mare with breathing problems an allergies is going to have a strike right off the bat - it WILL get worse with the pregnancy and added stress to her system.
 
#6 ·
I agree with the others. I'd never breed a mare that already shows any signs of genetic/physical flaw. And Respritory/Allergy issues are high up on the list.

Not only that...Lets face it, your breeding for color. You should be breeding for QUALITY. And passing on allergies is not a quality trait.

Take our advice, Don't breed this mare.

By the way, I have had several APHA's, and 75% of the ones I've owned have been a PITA. (And it's not me...) Including the sorrel in my avatar.
 
#7 ·
Has vet confirmed the cause of this cough?
That would be the first thing you need to do before breeding that mare. Then you will know if it is genetic or not and can base your decision on fact not a guess.
Remember also just because you breed to a loud paint doesnt mean that is what you will get. Especially from a solid mare.
As claporte said find a stallion that will compliment your mare then worry about the colour. There are homozygous tobiano half arabians that might be a better cross. Shalom
 
#9 ·
Yes, I understand some things can be passed on to the foal, and I understand that her allergies could affect her when she's pregnant. That is why I want to breed her now, rather than later. Maybe I exaggerated, but her allergies are not that bad. She was allergic to her feed (oats, soy, and I think wheat?) so we changed it and she was fine for a while, but she started coughing a bit again just recently. It's not that bad, and she doesn't have breathing problems. There are a few occasions when she'll put her head down and cough for a few seconds, but she doesn't have any breathing issues.

And then, allergies are allergies... they might not necessarily be passed on to a foal. If it were a genetic issue, would not some of Destiny's ancestors have the same kind of allergies? I was actually thinking about that before, but I do not see why worrying about a foal inheriting allergies should prevent one from breeding. Allergies can often be controlled, and they are not *that* bad as compared to other issues that are able to be genetically passed on. We have yet to see how bad Destiny's allergies will get as she gets older -- maybe they won't even be that bad. She MAY be rideable until 30 or older; it just depends.

And don't worry about a hot climate. I live in Canada. The worst thing would be the cold. :P

And yes, if it came to it, I would be prepared to lose both mare and foal. Of course, I would be devastated, as I love Destiny more than anything else in the world, but there is a very low chance of that happening and IF it did, I would have to deal with it. And I could.

And just for the record, I am not some idiot who has no idea what she's doing (well, okay, I don't know exactly what I'm doing, but I'm a lot closer than a lot of people!). I am NOT breeding just for colour. I like stockier horses, and Paints tend to have that, as well as colour. I wouldn't breed to a horse with extreme conformational issues just because he's homozygous for tobiano -- don't worry! The grullo tobiano I mentioned before has a more refined-Quarter Horse conformation with no major flaws. He'd be a good match for Destiny because he is a tad less stocky than most Paints out there, and I'm sure a foal from him and Destiny would be absolutely beautiful both in colour and in conformation.

And lastly, I know training a foal is a lot of work. Why is this not the best way to learn? I have someone to help me, and I will be able to work with and establish a bond with this foal from the very start, making the whole process a whole lot easier. I know training isn't easy, and IF, say, I wasn't up for it, I would send said foal to a trainer. Training is not an issue. Maybe I've never done it, but everyone had a first time, and maybe this is mine. :)

I have not spoken to our vet about the most recent allergy problems, but I'm sure I will soon.

Basically what I'm trying to say is, yes, my mare has allergies, but they are not really bad (as in, no breathing issues). A lot of horses have allergies of some sort -- so do people. My mom is allergic to horses. As far as I can tell, I am not allergic to anything.

Pictures available below (if it works...I don't know how to post pictures in this forum, lol) :


I would post some that are more side-on (her hind end looks sooo small in the first one and the second is a *very* weird angle o.o) and show her better, without me on her, but facebook is being stupid. Just give me a second and I'll see if I can find some.-_-
 
#25 ·
And yes, if it came to it, I would be prepared to lose both mare and foal. Of course, I would be devastated, as I love Destiny more than anything else in the world, but there is a very low chance of that happening and IF it did, I would have to deal with it. And I could.
You can say that you are prepared to lose both mare and foal all you want, but that does not necessarily make it true. True, I've never bred a horse before, I have a friend who did and lost the foal in an awful way. The foal was positioned wrong, was poorly formed, and had to be cut out of the mare in sections. That mare was not even a maiden, she was a seasoned broodmare, and it was true miracle (as said by the vet) that she survived. That same mare is now unrideable.

Are you really, really, truly willing to risk Destiny's life, health, and "rideability", or that of her foal's? What if you have to raise an orphan? Can you make that commitment? You said you want a foal for sentimental reasons . . . why, then, would you be so willing to lose your mare? In the end, it really is your decision, though. It's totally up to you, and I won't shame you if you decide to go through with breeding.

Sorry if that came out strange or awkward sounding, I have a killer migraine and get a little loopy on Tylenol :lol:
 
#11 ·
She is a really cute little mare :)

Hmm:think:I'm only going to throw my two cents in about the allergies/cough. Breeding her is completely up to you. You know her, and you know what she can and can't handle. I personally, don't think you should completely cross out breeding her just because of a suspected food allergy or seasonal allergy. But anytime you are thinking about bringing new life into this world, it should be thought about and weighed heavily!

I mean people are allergic to all kinds of stuff, and they still make babies:wink:

I would have her seen by a vet about the cough. Frequently (at least in the practice I work at) horses come through with just a mild dry cough. Generally we listen to their lungs and trachea, sometimes we pass an endoscope to check for mucous and things that could be causing the cough. If nothing appears to be out of the ordinary other than the cough, we put the horses on a light antibiotic and generally that fixes the problem if it's a chronic mild bacterial infection. If that doesn't work, we can assume that it's allergies...and normally we give them a steroid shot. That generally does the trick and they are back to being normal and completely functional performance/pleasure animals.

Moral of the story......I would have a vet do a general "physical" on her and see if you can pinpoint the exact problem before you seriously go forth breeding her. If he/she feels Destiny has a hereditary issue that isn't worth the risk of breeding, then I wouldn't do it. However if they decide she is capable of producing a nice healthy foal, go for it :thumbsup:

Best of luck:)
 
#12 ·
I mean people are allergic to all kinds of stuff, and they still make babies:wink:
Just because they can doesn't mean they should:wink: I don't think people are a good example to use, not sure if it is the results of breeding or environment or what, but when I was a kid seeing someone with asthma was a rare event, not now.

OP, from this thread of yours http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeding/considering-breeding-next-year-183097/

My cousin brought it up because she owns the barn where I keep Destiny and is thinking about breeding her QH/TB filly next year. She thought it would be cool to breed them at the same time. So it's up for consideration. In no way is this for sure, but it's at least fun to think about.
Thinking about breeding is great fun, I have lined up studs many times for my Arab, but ACTUALLY breeding, well that is a whole different ball game. Read as much as possible, research, do the maths, weigh up the risks, and then decide. DO NOT breed just because someone thinks it would be cool to breed them at the same time.
 
#14 ·
weeeell....I had a horse who's dam "was just a little allergic to dust", slight cough, not always, sometimes nothing for a long time. I lost that mare's daughter at age 15 to a heart failure due to heaves. She also had metabolic issues and had foundered. THANK HEAVENS I NEVER BRED HER, even tho it was very tempting.
I, personally, would be equally concerned about her weak pasterns behind.
 
#16 ·
It's like I'm reading my own post. I bought a filly who's dam had "slight" asthma. Filly developed slight allergies and breathing issues once or twice a year. As she aged they exploded into massive allergies and heaves. Had her tested, she was allergic to 30 of the things on the test. Went the whole 9 yards trying to fix her; ended up losing her anyway at 15. I had her put down when she stopped eating. Nowadays you couldn't pay me to take on a horse with allergies.

Whatever you decide please be sure to consult your vet and get an honest opinion.
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#17 ·
Thank you VLBUltraHot! I agree, she is very cute!

We've had her looked at (multiple times), endoscope too I believe, and there was no sign of a bacterial infection. We had her tested and found out that she is quite allergic to wheat, soy, and wheat, and a tiny bit to carrots. We changed her feed because it had oats and soy in it, which stopped her coughing, but then she started up again recently and we haven't had her looked at yet. We put some kind of supplement in her feed (I don't remember what it was called; my cousin gave it to her. She owns the barn and she knows more about horses than I do.) and she doesn't cough much, if at all, anymore. She's fine for now and we'll probably be talking to the vet in the spring about it.

GoldenHorse, I would never consider breeding just because someone else thinks it's a good idea. If I thought I wasn't ready, or Destiny couldn't handle it, or the foal wouldn't be worth bringing into the world, I wouldn't even be considering this. But I'm overly cautious for a lot of things, especially concerning my horse, and if I think I'm ready, then I am. And I will be speaking to our vet about breeding and see what she thinks, don't worry. :) I know actually breeding is way different than just thinking about it, and I have thought a lot about it, for years now. This isn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing. It's been a long time coming, in a way. I wasn't ready for it before, but I am now.
 
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#19 ·
Your mare is cute, but I am concerned about how she would suit your needs. You said she was young, others' experiences that they shared said that they had mares before that were mild when they were young and got really bad when they were older. Sounds like a bad gamble to me, you do not know how long she will remain in good health.

You also said that you wanted a foal that was laid back and not spooky like a sire you want to breed to. If your mare is spooky or hard to handle, she is more likely going to produce a foal like herself. Yes, you can get calm, gentle babies out of a jumpy and/or high strung mare, but not that often. The mother has greater influence on the foal, she is who raises the baby and nurtures their natural disposition.

If you want tobiano, there are thousands of homozygous tobianos out there but only a fraction are worth breeding to. Especially cross breeding. There are genetic diseases to watch out for, namely HYPP, which APHA does not test for and only a single copy is needed to effect a foal. Watch for stallions that are built downhill, this is common in stock horses but it is not desireable, especially in Arabs and half Arabs. The other issue with tobiano, is you are only guaranteed a copy of the gene when you breed to a homozygous tobiano. There is no guarantee that will get any pattern at all, you can have a solid baby with no white but still have a tobiano gene.

Since you have something particular that you personally want, go buy that baby. The market is flooded with weanlings every year. Find your dream horse, one whose personality fits with you, has the temperament, conformation, build, color, etc.
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#21 ·
I hate to jump on the bandwagon, but I have to agree with everyone else...

Or, kind of.

The biggest question here is what you want to use the baby for. Do you have a discipline in mind? Or do you just want a baby?

Destiny is very cute, by the way!
 
#22 ·
Even if your horse didn't have asthma issues, I would not breed her. Sure, she's cute and I'm sure she's a great horse and you love her to death, but she is not breeding quality. You will merely be producing another ok quality horse (at best) in a world over full of them.

You have also said you've never worked with babies before. I would suggest finding someone experienced who has a baby who will allow you to help train it to get some experience. This person can teach you. Babies are a ridiculous amount of work and money and if you don't start them out right and stay consistent, you will have a real problem on your hands.

You are young, and as much as many girls think they will be able to continue riding horses throughout their college years, the majority are not able to. Many have to give up horses for a time, for one reason or another. If you have a young horse, what are you going to do with her/him when you go off to college? Also, since you are young, you are supported by your parents. I don't know if you do some work to pay for your horse or if it is all funded by them, but when you become a young adult, living on your own and having to support two horses, pay off student loans, etc. you will find things very difficult.

I know the thought of having a baby horse is exciting and you want to try your hand at training one from the ground up, but unless you truly have the time and money to be able to do this well (and it takes a lot more time than you realize) then it is not fair to the horse. I would suggest waiting until you have graduated college and know that you are in a financially stable situation before ever thinking about breeding and then, do it with a different mare or better yet, buy a weanling.
 
#23 ·
SunnyDraco, yes, I am breeding to a Paint because I prefer a quiet, laid-back foal. I realize this may not be what I get, but I am hoping for it. ;) My mare can be spooky, but she isn't exceptionally crazy and she isn't high-strung at all. She's actually very quiet for an Arab, and I can do pretty much anything with her. She just has her moments sometimes, especially when she's in heat, lol.

I also understand that I may not necessarily get a colored foal. I've been doing some research, actually. Basically, out of a solid-colored mare, I could get a foal with a lot of white, a little bit of white, or pretty much no white at all. It's a gamble, but with Destiny as the dam, that doesn't matter to me. :)

Thanks for the tips, too!
 
#24 ·
Zexious, thank you! :)
I would be using the baby as a pleasure trail riding horse. I don't show, never been interested, but I love exploring the trails around the barn! I also watch videos on youtube of people doing cool things with their horses, like having them pull sleds in the winter or riding bareback and bridleless (I do that with Destiny) or just doing things that clearly show the horse is very laid-back, like dragging tarps over them or going through the drive-through at a fast-food place (don't worry, I wouldn't be doing that one, lol). I'd love to have a horse that I could do things like that with -- just unique, unusual things like that. :P

TessaMay, to me, she is breeding quality. And apparently (as I have been told, anyway) a crossbred foal from her would be worth about $5000; a purebred, $20,000. That's from others' perspectives...to me, obviously, her foal would be worth much more. And don't get me wrong, I wouldn't breed her if her allergies were really bad and she couldn't handle it! But I'm sure people have bred horses with worse. Some people breed just to breed...at least I examine every perspective and have a perfectly sound horse with good conformation (don't quote me on that, as I am not an expert at conformation; but I have been told by many that she has good conformation by many knowledged horse people) and am looking for a sire that could complement her conformation. :P
And, well, we have a baby (well, she's not a baby anymore...she's 3, but I've known her since she was a weanling). So I know they aren't easy! But I have handled her (not training though, I've never worked with her and she's not broke to ride yet -- she's going for training soon) and I'd have help with my own foal. I know what I'm doing at least, I'm just a tad inexperienced. :P
Also...I get the whole college thing. I still have no idea what I'm gonna be doing, I don't know what I want to do. I don't have a "dteam job". My dream is only one thing -- to ride, to have horses, to train my own foal and know it from the day it's born. Okay, that's 4 things, but they're all related. :P And I will do whatever I have to do to make that dream reality. When I go to college, I'll be going somewhere near my home and staying at home. I currently am working at the barn in exchange for free board. I know that, whatever happens, I'll always have Destiny - I could never sell her. And if she had a foal, I'd feel the same way about her foal, too.
 
#29 ·
See my comments in green :)

TessaMay, to me, she is breeding quality. And apparently (as I have been told, anyway) a crossbred foal from her would be worth about $5000; a purebred, $20,000.

Not sure who told you this, but highly unlikely. Crosses don't go for that much unless they have proven themselves to be very good at something in the show ring. Even a warmblood would not go for that in my area and they are incredibly popular and people will pay more than they are worth half the time.

I don't know Arab bloodlines, but even if your horse has very good lines and so does the stud, you are not going to sell any baby out of her for that much.

But I'm sure people have bred horses with worse.

Of course they have, that doesn't justify you doing it too.

Some people breed just to breed...at least I examine every perspective and have a perfectly sound horse with good conformation (don't quote me on that, as I am not an expert at conformation; but I have been told by many that she has good conformation by many knowledged horse people)

Glad she's sound, but from what I see, she has a very short back and long pasterns in the back. Also, back to the asthma, you are thinking you'll have to retire her early because of it. Not necessarily something she'll pass on, but would still keep many responsible people from breeding her and taking the chance.

But I have handled her (not training though, I've never worked with her and she's not broke to ride yet -- she's going for training soon) and I'd have help with my own foal. I know what I'm doing at least, I'm just a tad inexperienced. :P

Bit of a contradiction...

Also...I get the whole college thing. I still have no idea what I'm gonna be doing, I don't know what I want to do. I don't have a "dteam job". My dream is only one thing -- to ride, to have horses, to train my own foal and know it from the day it's born. Okay, that's 4 things, but they're all related. :P And I will do whatever I have to do to make that dream reality. When I go to college, I'll be going somewhere near my home and staying at home.

If you have no idea what you are going to do after high school, then that is just more reason to wait and not breed your mare.
 
#27 ·
^With the filly, when I said "I've never worked with her", I meant like lunging or desensitizing, training. That kind of work.

I have shooed her away, convinced her to respect me and back away when I ask her to (because she LOVES to try to follow me into the feed room), and led her from place to place in a halter...I know that doesn't correspond to training my own foal, because then I'd have to teach it everything from standing to tying to picking up its feet to lunging to allowing me to put a saddle on its back and ride it...but at least I have been around babies and know how...stubborn and headstrong and just plain annoying they can be at times.
 
#28 ·
EliRose- yeah, I know, it's different if it actually happens. But the point is...is anyone really prepared to lose their mare? One cannot prepare for that, but if it happens, they deal with it. And I am no less able to do that than someone else. I am, by no means, willing to lose my mare. I love her to death and if anything happened to her, I would die (not literally, but you know what I mean :P). But I'd deal with it...somehow. Believe me, if I had to raise an orphan foal, I wouldn't hesitate to make that commitment.
And thank you! Don't worry, it didn't sound strange at all! :) Lol!
 
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#30 ·
post the pedigree of your mare and I can tell you if the 20k for a purebred foal is realistic.
In the meantime I can assure you that 20k $ foals don't come from unknown backyard breeders. It's the big breeders who can get this much for a foal, but they breed about40, 50 mares a year and that results in maybe one or two high priced ones. The other 38 usually go to auction or directly on the meat truck.
IF your mare were a proven show mare, especially halter, with national titles under her belt, and you would use a stallion with the same credentials or better, you might stand a chance.

I still think conformation of her hindend is way less than ideal, looks like she has DSLD(I can only judge from the pics you posted, of course).

IMHO, you're much better off getting one of those auction foals, where you can pick color and gender, and raise that and make a good equine citizen out of it. That way you won't endanger your mare's life, and do a good deed in the process.
 
#31 ·
TessaMay- I doubt I'd sell her foals for that much, but it's what I've been told. XD
I'm not saying it justifies me to do so, but I could do worse. :P That was what I meant, really.
She has a short back, yes. She's an Arabian. Arabians are known for having short backs. That is not necessarily dreadfully awful. :P And I am not sure about her allergies, but even if I have to retire her early, I honestly don't see why allergies are such a big problem unless, obviously, they lead to much worse (which they haven't yet, and if I wait to see if they do, she'll be too old to breed. If I breed her now, there's a chance and there's no chance. Only a possibility.)
My point is, I have some amount of experience with babies, just not the official groundwork and getting on their backs for the first time. The training isn't a problem. I may not have a lot of experience, but I know at least partially what I am doing. I use Clinton Anderson's groundwork methods which are basically the same whether adult or foal, so what I am doing is not going to be a whole lot different from what I do with Destiny -- just the horse will be different, and what the horse does. For once, I have confidence in myself so I know that this is possible. :P
And actually, I was wrong...I do have an idea of what I'm going to do. I just haven't decided yet. But I have time to decide. There's always time. Sort of. Ish. :P
 
#37 ·
I honestly don't see why allergies are such a big problem unless, obviously, they lead to much worse (which they haven't yet, and if I wait to see if they do, she'll be too old to breed. If I breed her now, there's a chance and there's no chance. Only a possibility.)
There is always a possibility that you could be selling the foal. Life is uncertain, you cannot see what may or may not happen in the future. Which is why it is best to breed the best to the best and give a foal the best possibility to be wanted in a market full of average horses selling cheap and free. You are young, you don't even know what you will do after high school to support a hobby of riding, training and taking care of horses you love.

As far as age is concerned, why do you think your mare will be too old to breed if you wait to see what happens as she ages? She is 8 yrs old right now, coming into her prime. Wait until you finish High School and figure out how you will financially afford breeding and care of two horses for their entire natural lives.

True story. My oldest sister bred her mare while in High School, she was fortunate enough to take her mare and filly to college with her. Train her young filly through the 4 yrs of college. She had it very hard most of the time, with finances and actually have time outside of school to be with her horses. She held strong and made many sacrifices to keep her horses. When that foal she bred and raised turned 17, she was bred and had her first foal at the age of 18. Now, my next older sister, also bred a mare while she was in High School. She ended up selling the mare a year after the colt was born because she knew she couldn't afford both while in college. Just after that, the colt (yearling gelding) got collic and all the money from selling the mother went to paying vet bills. Years later, after college, that sister had a hard time finding a job and was doing temp jobs but there were long periods of not having any work. She then sold her gelding due to lack of work and she was burning through all her savings just paying bills.

All in all, your mare is still young, she can wait a few years before you start hunting for stallions. Her health may improve or get worse which would put her in jeopardy for being high risk. Yes, there is sentimental wishes to keep a part of your mare, but do not get selfish and put a foal at risk if things don't work out.

In addition, you had stated before that you weren't sure of your mare's color status. From the pedigree posted, her sire is black and her dam was chestnut. So, for your bay mare, she is Ee Aa

And a final note, you may hope to get something in breeding, but you may get something you did not want and would not want to keep after the cute baby stage ended. Breeding is a huge gamble, the only way to improve your odds if breeding a mare and stallion that possess all the traits you want, in build, temperament, height, etc.
 
#34 ·
deserthorsewoman- pedigree: Ben-adhem Aswad Ameera Arabian
I honestly can't imagine her foals going for 20k, but whatever. XD

But, uh, what's DSLD? lol, sorry, I haven't been in this forum long and probably don't know that many horsey terms. :3
Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Disease (It effects the hind end I believe)

I think that if you have the means and the facilities that it is a really neat experience to breed and raise at least one horse in a persons life time. I've done it once and I don't know if I'll do it again or not. I keep waffling. Pretty neat experience, scary, and huge responsibility. I also think that if you are going to breed, then it really needs to be done carefully and with great thought. I have a pretty mare or my horse is the sweetest animal in the world should not be the reason.

Your mare is really cute and (I don't know Arabian bloodlines really well) is registered but with her health issues it is really important that you go into this with an open mind and really seek out the advice of a vet. I do believe that allergies are inherited. I don't know the percentages on it but I do know that you will have a chance of passing an allergy on. I'm thinking that breeding this particular mare may not be the right decision for you but honestly, talk to your vet, see what they say.....
 
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