Hi,
I know my quarter horses and riding english and western and grooming and takin care of a horse but.. i have 1 question
On mares' how young can they produce foals?And when do mares stop being able to produce?
2007-02-02 07:19:21 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
THEY POSSIBLY CANT HAVE A FOAL AT 6MONTHS!
2007-02-02 07:38:05 · update #1
Most mares start a heat cycle when they turn 2 and are able to be bred at that time- though most breeders frown upon it. Many mares never stop being able to reproduce although most breeders will stop breeding them in their early 20's. This is because as a horse ages- their bodies become harder to maintain under the stress of pregnancy.
There have been horses able to be bred at young ages. This is mostly by accident. I had two yearlings-one a colt and the other a filly. I'm a retired veterinarian and knew that my colt's testies had already dropped and he was producing sperm...I didn't think anything of him breeding the filly at their young ages. When I sold the filly about 4 months ago- she was pregnant and carrying the foal very well. And last month gave birth to a healthy paint colt and she was able to let him nurse.
Some mares will go into heat if they come across a colt that is able to perform his duties. The reason why it is so rare we hear about fillies becoming pregnant at a young age is because most yearlings and 2 year olds are kept seperate from the older herd until they are older- and it's very rare that a colt is able to be breeding at a young age.
2007-02-02 08:30:21 · answer #1 · answered by silvaspurranch 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They can get bred at 6-8 months. It is very rare, but I have heard of mares coming into heat that early. I do know of a case where a 7 month old stud colt actually impregnanted a mare- luckily, she ended up aborting it.
Mares can start to be bred whenever they come in heat (usually 1 1/2 yr or so). It is not good to breed them this young though- its like a human getting pregnant when 12), you should wait until they are two or 3 yrs to ensure the healthiest foal and mare.
As for stopping, all depends on the mare and how nutritionally healthy she is. Over time, however, they will be less and less fertile. We have bred mares at 24 years of age with no problem, but retired them after that. Our 30something year old pony still comes into heat, but I doubt that she can get pregnant.
2007-02-02 23:09:30 · answer #2 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no they can't... mares can start to have foals at around 3-4 years of age are some of the youngest mothers i've seen.
2007-02-02 15:54:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Most typically start as young as six months. Even though a mare will appear to go in heat, they generally stop producing foals around 25 years.
2007-02-02 15:34:38 · answer #4 · answered by Veneta T 5 · 0⤊ 6⤋
I kow of several horses who have had foals at 16 years old, but I think that's probably the upper limit.
Horses, like dogs, may go into heat at 6 months, but aren't atually mature until at least 2 years old.
2007-02-02 16:23:00 · answer #5 · answered by sandand_surf 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
I wouldnt even try to at least 4 years. If she was healthy, maybe up to 10-15 years.
2007-02-02 17:15:30 · answer #6 · answered by Calais 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
I agree. Mares can breed around the yearling age. :)
2007-02-02 16:32:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋