Notes from years of breeding miniatures:
- A mare will typically come into heat 18 days after the last days she accepts a stallion - if she is not pregnant.
- Mares can still show signs of interest in a stallion when even if they are bred. Most will pin their ears and kick if they are bred.
- Breed your mares every other day. Sperm will live about 48 hours so you don't need to breed daily.
- Some mares don't conceive until they are four or five years old, they are just not mature enough.
- We have had many mares that need to have their cervix dilated, by the vet, in order to conceive. Not uncommon for maiden mares.
- Regumate, synthetic progesterone, is typically used to regulate a heat cycle. It is give for 14 consecutive days then stopped. A mare will come into heat within 5 - 7 days.
- Once a mare has conceived, you may check their progesterone blood levels. If the "serum progesterone level" is below 6 you should administer 3 cc of Regumate daily to maintain the pregnancy. A mare that conceives then slips, looses, her foal by 60 days would be a good candidate for regumate.
- This year we have had several mares that are short cycling - coming into heat 10 days post breeding. This is the first year I have seen this, maybe it is due to the weather. Our vet is seeing this with the large breeds too.
- We like to wait until a mare is at least three years old before breeding. Some of our minis don't really reach maturity until they are four or five years of age. Nature will have them cycling as yearlings or two year olds. We have found that if you breed them at two they generally will not breed back at three. They are just too young. It is similar to a young teenage girl becoming pregnant. It is possible but not always a good thing because her body is still developing.
- Does your stallion have both testicles dropped? If so, he is certainly capable of siring. If you are not ready to breed your fillies keep them separated for stallions of any age.