OAKEY VETERINARY HOSPITAL - SINCE 1952

Breeding

“We consider each aspect of breeding and each mare’s individual treatment programme all the way from the 45 day positive to getting the foal on the ground.”

—Dr David Pascoe

Breeding in General

“It is much easier to have a good success rate, if a breeder is willing to listen and take on board advice that has been proven to be helpful,” says Dr. David Pascoe. “At OVH Repro, we try to think of a balance that suits both the breeder and the mare. While some mares require a set programme, others don’t. Sometimes, the breeder just needs some advice on how to manage the mare through the pregnancy – checking mares constantly throughout a pregnancy is a necessity. OVH Repro is all about reproductive efficiency and we think of the value for the farm that owns the stallion and the value for the mare owner,” he says.

David Finch is one client who has taken Dr. David Pascoe’s advice to heart and experienced great success. Known to many people for his hard work and his growing student band of young riders, David coaches throughout Queensland, passing on his knowledge of the trials and tribulations of being a successful showjumper.

David Finch has noted that breeders right across Australia are becoming more aware of the possibilities of breeding with frozen semen and embryo transfers. “Australians are only now realising the importance of breeding and training and improving their sports horse genetics. We can breed to some of the highest rated stallions in the world using imported semen which is becoming more popular but it is still very much in its infancy”.

David is very enthusiastic about this technique. “Showjumping could be considered a 10 year programme but we can fast track breeding whilst a mare is still competing,” he says. David believes there is great potential here by breeding outstanding classical imported warm bloods to notable Australian thoroughbred families.

“We are lucky because here in Australia we have wide open spaces for our horses so we can rear them as nature intended. On top of this, we then have one of the leading experts in the reproduction world in Dr. Pascoe. I have had a 100% success rate with frozen semen,” he says, “plus a good strike rate with embryo transfers and it’s not just been one year but it’s been happening for a number of years. It really comes down to following David’s advice and taking ideas on board such as information about nutrition to choosing the right mare as a surrogate mother”.

David is quick to applaud Dr. David Pascoe’s professionalism and has recommended him to a number of major breeders. It is easy to understand David’s satisfaction and enthusiasm since he is the proud owner of an outstanding 3YO Studbook Zangersheide warmblood colt. David bought the colt – who bred from frozen semen – by Cor D’Alme 1 Z out of Ego Gypsy – as a yearling.

David has used a few of the surrogate OVH mares and, since he plans to continue breeding with OVH Repro, he has asked Dr. Pascoe to check over his own small broodmare band for correct breeding “conformation”. Thankfully, his mares have all been cleared as perfect recipients.

As passionate as David Finch is about sports horses, Dr. David Pascoe is equally passionate about helping breeders overcome problems in their breeding programmes. He goes onto explain that mares need to be treated individually. “Some mares suffer from infection more than others; their immune system varies and it is necessary to be aware that a minor breeding hiccup could be a clue to an even bigger problem – even possibly as drastic as a mare not getting in foal the first time.”

“In addition to this,” he continues, “there are other factors such as a mare that did not need a caslicks in the previous year might need it done this time as with her changing body shape in the last trimester, infection can get in through the vagina which has been contorted by the pregnancy: research has shown that getting a mare in foal again can lower as much as 50% if a caslicks is not done within 48 hours of foaling because of infection through the vagina”.

Dr. Pascoe also has a very sober warning to camp drafters, polocrosse players and showjumpers – and he singles out top line horses in particular: “In sports horses, breeders need to be aware that there is tremendous wear and tear in the mare’s reproductive tracts even though they have never bred. In nature, a mare’s uterus is designed to have babies and not to be a top athlete. Therefore, it is necessary to try and reach a compromise. At OVH Repro, we suggest that breeders pick a year when the mare can have a foal and then go back into competition. This has worked successfully with camp drafters and should not be thought of as a negative setback. Horses always need to be treated as individuals for best results”.

back to top

Tips for the Care of Your Horses

  • MARES – It is necessary to make sure that all vaccinations are up to date for your dry mares as well as mares that are in foal. Ask your veterinarian if you are not sure about the following:
    • EHVI – 4. This is an Equine Herpes vaccine.
    • SALMONELLA
    • STRANGLES & TETANUS
  • FOALS – Obviously, if the mare vaccinations are current prior to foaling, the foal will only need:
    • SALMONELLA vaccination at three months of age continuing with two doses one month apart.
    • TETANUS & STRANGLES should be started at three months of age followed by a Strangles vaccine two weeks later and a combined vaccine again two weeks later.
    • EHVI – 4 vaccinations – your veterinarian will be the best person to advise for your specific area.
    • WORMING – all horses should be wormed every 6 to 8 weeks and this includes foals from 6 weeks of age and mares in foal even up to two weeks before foaling date. Always check the recommendations of your chosen wormer for safety periods to worm.
    • TEETH – should be checked annually. From two years of age, wolf teeth might need to be removed.
  • STALLIONS – prior to the breeding season:
    • 1. Ensure all vaccinations are up to date.
    • 2. A veterinarian should be called in to de-worm, check for bots and check teeth.
    • 3. A farrier should see if hooves need to be trimmed.
    • 4. Ensure that feed is supplemented with the necessary vitamins for health and fitness.
    • 5. Check that the insurance value is correct and up to date.

back to top

10 Hot Points for the Breeding Season

  1. NUTRITION – whether a dry, in foal or lactating mare – it is necessary to have a balanced diet. This means 1kg of feed would go up to 2kg in the last trimester to 2.5 kg when lactating.
  2. COLOSTRUM – at birth, this needs to be checked without fail. If it is not sufficient, it may be necessary to strip the mother’s colostrum and tube the foal for immediate gut protection against bacteria.
  3. CHECK AFTERBIRTH – this can lead to major complications if even a tiny part is left inside.
  4. POST NATAL COLIC – a mare that is stressing might have internal problems caused by gut displacement or excessive hormone released post foaling. If in doubt, call the veterinarian immediately.
  5. POST FOALING CHECK – to get the mare ready to breed again. With all the positive research that has been done, the breeder should consider caslicks treatment within 48 hrs of foaling.
  6. JAUNDICE or ALLERGIC FOAL – if you have a new mare or are using a new stallion (which can mean a different blood group) it is necessary to check with the previous owner or stallion owner so that you can be aware of this prior to foaling in case there are any complications through birth.
  7. DIARRHOEA – apart from the normal mucous that is passed within the first 12 hours, if a lighter coloured liquid is observed anytime after this it could mean the difference between life or death. The foal could have been infected in utero and need to be checked twice a day for the first 3 days.
  8. IMPORTANT ITEMS TO HAVE ON HAND – Extra Colostrum in case the mare does not have enough; Antiseptic Iodine to dip the navel against infection.
  9. CHECK FOALING AREA PRIOR TO FOALING – It is absolutely necessary to maintain a hygienic environment as dust free as possible. The paddock should be well grassed but kept short. If it is too long, bacteria grows in the moisture on top of the grass and is ingested by the foal. Keep this paddock solely for foaling and clear out manure at least three times a day. Once foaled, the new mare and foal should be moved to another paddock so as not to contaminate the area for the next foaling.
  10. MAIDEN MARES – Do not to assume that a mare will naturally take to her foal. The breeder needs to be vigilant and make sure the mare and foal do “mother up”. It is also important to be aware that more than one mare foaling in the same paddock can lead to foals being “stolen” in a panic situation.

back to top

Stress and Numbers in Paddocks

Horses are herd animals and they are governed by hierarchy laws – the ‘pecking order’ that we know as part of human society. This “pecking order” can cause stress levels within a paddock and can differentiate a happy horse from a stressed one. If there are too many horses in a paddock it can lead to problems.

Ideally, the ratio should be one horse per acre. But even in a 20 acre paddock, 20 horses might be too much because it then comes down to hierarchy within the mob.

Yet, regardless of how big the paddock is, horses will stay together in a group moving around the paddock and maintaining the chain of command. It is up to the breeder to keep an eye on this and ideally, 10 mares would be the maximum number of horses in a paddock.

It has been shown that even if feed bins are placed all over the paddock, the mares will congregate around the same group of feed bins and the “lowest” member of the pecking order will still not get a “look in” because they will stay with the herd rather than going off to another feed bin.

Sometimes it is not so easy to pick up on the bullying that is going on within the herd but the results can be as disastrous as a pregnancy loss. A pregnant mare will give everything to the foal but if she cannot get to the feed bin in time – or is being constantly picked on – then she will start to lose weight rapidly.

The obvious solution is to isolate this mare. For this to be as stress-free as possible, remove the bottom ranking mares and put them together in a paddock. Although a pecking order will re-establish itself again, this will not be as dominant as the first group.

Maiden mares can also face a dilemma when first being introduced into dry mare groups. If possible, maiden mares should be placed together in a small band rather than putting them in with older dry mares. If there is only one maiden mare, put her in with one other dry mare for a few days in a smaller paddock to establish a friendship.

back to top