Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cindy Jeffery on May 18, 2009 at 11:32pm

I agree with you Sharon, I was like that too...more nervous for my mares than I was for my own children. It's just that horses rely on us for so much and we don't want to let them down but do our very best for them. I'm happy for you and good for you to be careful and selective about the stallion and with vet checks. So many people out there don't take such care for their mares they just breed them without any conscience it seems, only then to have way too many horses and foals they can't manage. I gave my brood mares away....one of the reasons was that they weren't doing what they were meant to do and that was to have foals. We had too many horses so we quit breeding them, so their job was done in that respect. I miss them and hated letting them go, but they are happy where they are now, and yes they are happily having foals for other folks who value them. I still have their colts.

Permalink Reply by Shirley on May 19, 2009 at 10:49am

I can see why you'd be more nervous about this too. With our kids, at a certain point, we kinda give-up control because that is the nature of them growing up and making their own decisions. With our horses we are responsible because we do continue to make the major life decisions. Most kids make it thru most anything (some not so good and some amazingly well despite their up-bringing) but if we don't do it right with our horses, they are headed for a long truck ride to Mexico and it's not to ride the range. I really don't mean to sound negative, I think raising a horse from before birth would be so exciting! But there would be lots of homework to do. I used to visit a training barn often and one of the horses that came in had been novice raised and was spoiled rotten, literally! It had no respect for humans. It was very sad cause it was a beautiful horse to look at but determined to NOT be told what to do. He needed a miracle to ever be safe. A spoiled horse is about 10X''s more to handle then a spoiled kid. I would love to work with young horses but I am afraid I might mess them up and I know I can't keep them forever. Parting with one I'd put my heart and soul into training would be too painful.
So with that said, I do envy you that you are 'going for it' and wish you much joy and success!!!! Be a sponge and soak up all the info you can.
Keep horsen around!!

Permalink Reply by Sharon B on May 20, 2009 at 10:13pm

Cindy & Shirley, thanks for your input. The big dilemma was certainly, do I bring another horse into the world that has so many. I know I am biased when it comes to my horse - aren't we all, but she is truly an amazing girl who has so much heart, but has been sidelined by the effects of an old injury. Ultimately I based my choice on three factors 1. If I ended up with a horse no better than my mare I would be delighted (obviously we always hope to improve) 2. This foal will be my horse; I have realistically another 20 - 25 years of riding. 3. The idea of training a horse from the beginning is a dream come true. The nice part about going for it at this point in life is that regardless of the out come, I have means to provide forever homes to both Mom and baby. I am also very fortunate to have a great deal of support from my coach, and have a number of very capable trainers whom I have worked with in the past, available to me as needed.

I think I'm nervous because I am making this decision for her. I know that most horses have no problems with foaling. I was told that she has had a foal before, so chances are that all will be well, but there is so much to learn. Hmmm maybe I will get a better understanding of what it was like for my husband when I was pregnant with our boys. lol.

Permalink Reply by Shirley on May 21, 2009 at 1:08am

Well, you don't need to worry about what I was thinking at all. You will have sooo much help! You may just find it difficult knowing which advice to follow but your intuition will help you with that.
I worried when I bred my 5 lb. Pomeranian but she had two litters of three puppies and how special that experience was! Nature at it's best!
Now I'm just envious of all you have ahead of you! Lots of "Oh Boy!" moments...Enjoy!!

Permalink Reply by Sharon B on May 21, 2009 at 11:47am

Thanks Shirley, I appreciate your thoughts. As horse lovers, we hate to see animals unwanted or not properly cared for.

Now I just need my mare's cooperation. She was like clockwork with her cycles and was booked for June 6th. She decide to switch it up this week. We couldn't get trailered so we will have to wait - I think the new time-line puts her right at our family reunion weekend. A sign of things to come perhaps?

Permalink Reply by Shirley on May 21, 2009 at 12:13pm

Nature sure seems to have it's own agenda.
So much fun...keep us informed so we can enjoy through your mare.
I have a gelding and I hope to have him till the day I die so no mares or babies for me to experience in the future.

Permalink Reply by Sharon B on July 3, 2009 at 10:27pm

Arrrgggg Cooperation would be nice. Not only did Belle not go into an obvious cycle in June, she decided to give herself an episiotomy (sp?) The field has been cleaned, cleared and checked for hazards repeatedly, but she still managed to find something to cut herself on. I can only hope that she is healed by the middle of July or the we will have to forgo breeding for this year. On the up side, she is so good for me when I treat her wound. If you could imagine a horse cringing, that was her as I had to clean the cut.

Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on July 4, 2009 at 7:35am

Oh dear, Sharon. I think your horse is trying to tell you something! Poor thing, I hope she is healed soon.

Permalink Reply by Shirley on July 4, 2009 at 11:50am

I agree with Fiona. Sometimes 'bad things happen for good reasons'. But then there's the other end 'nothing great comes easy'. Listen to your gut and not just your heart . Sometimes we don't think God is answering our prayers when actually he is, He's just saying "NO". Try not to stress and do the breeding only when it starts feeling really right to you.
I hope Belles boo-boo isn't too bad or uncomfortable and that it heals good and fast. Cash's mom

Permalink Reply by Sharon B on July 4, 2009 at 5:35pm

Quick update, she's healing up well and seems quite comfortable aside from keeping her tail away. I tried wrapping the top of her tail, but she just rubbed it out. I figure the tail will at least keeps flies away. I'm not sure if it was the deer and horseflys which have been biting anywhere the flyspray isn't or I need to move up her worming schedule a week but I figure she was rubbing her backside and caught something. I've looked for nails etc along the barn walls & haven't found anything. The electric fence was on so I know it was not along the fence line. I think she should be fine in a couple of weeks. We are going to do a trail ride tomorrow just to keep her mind busy. Injuries only seem to happen when we miss a day together.

If the breeding is meant to be, it will happen. I learned long ago that things rarely go as planned but we usually end up better for it. If you are prepared for what you hope for and stay open to the possibilities, dreams do come true. Belle is proof of that all by herself.

Permalink Reply by Shirley on July 6, 2009 at 12:07am

Glad she is doing better and hope your dreams do come true.
Enjoy as each day unfolds and see what we get! Life is certainly full of surprises!
Shirley

Permalink Reply by Riley on July 8, 2009 at 1:48pm

I bred a mare I adored and am still riding the result. HOWEVER, it has been very much of a bittersweet journey. Would I do it again - not on your life!!!!! Your statement that what you get will be "YOUR" horse and you will ride it for its whole life - perhaps. You will have a bond because of who the baby is that would be impossible to break, given your character which comes out in your "reasons for breeding". You have no idea what you're going to get. I got something far too big physically with spectacular movement and talent to burn that is still near-unrideable. Jumping talent that kept ejecting me out of the tack. I bred 2 medium-sized horses and got XL (maiden mare too). I bred a good-quality mare to the best, most complementary stallion I could find and searched long and hard, with "medium-sized" being a significant part of the selection criteria. I had been riding for 20+ years, successfully evented to CCI* level, broke & galloped racehorses, etc. I stopped jumping because I repeatedly broke bones on my kid. I still cannot sit to his trot. I won't even go into his explosive spooks and timid nature - despite the fact he was ponied over hill and dale off my event horse from the time he was 2 years old he still gets panic attacks outside of a ring and cannot safely be hacked out. He is 14 now. I should have sold him on when he was much younger, but when you breed them yourself that is something near-impossible to do. So I still have him, I love him and I soldier on. I had 3 super rides in a great clinic last weekend, now I can't walk this week because those great rides came at a crippling cost to me. Reality bites.

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