Dallas, TX Area, Too Late to Breed?

[Pcostx]

Hello All,

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area and am considering breeding my mare now.

I’m worried that it’s too late in the year.

I have a Hanoverian and was told by her breeder that she has to produce a foal by the time she is 5 yrs. old to earn her States Premium title. Is this true? I’ve emailed the Verband about this, but I thought someone here might know.

I’ve checked with the American Hanoverian Society, they have lifted the time limit within which the mare must have a foal to earn her Elite Mare status.

My mare was inspected and performance tested in Canada and was awarded her 1A prize. I REALLY want her to earn her St.Pr. title with the Hannoverian Verband!

I’d like opinions on what to do please!

Thank you!

[risingstarfarm]

I have not had luck in the past breeding this late (located in Central Texas). None of the mares we bred last July caught, but we did have a late June pregnancy. This year, it’s hotter than usual, so I would be concerned.

[Sonesta]

I have an AHS Elite Mare Candidate. She was born in 2004 and is just now pregnant with a foal to complete her Elite mare status. I have never heard of an age limit to do this.

And we are in Houston. In my opinion, it is WAY to late in the year to breed this year. You’d have a foal born in June - toooooooo hot. Just ask Kathy St. Martin about how the heat is affecting her late foals this year.

[jcotton]

I would start checking her quality of cycle in late Feb, then in March for that cycle - which would be transitional - but tells when you can bred in April for a March foal. And rebreed in May, if neccessary. This in my protocol.
I prefer my foals to be born in March-April.

At this time of year in Texas, the mares do not breed well now, and most repro vets are done with breeding for the year, not to mention many stallion contracts have a “breeding season” of when they collect -if doing fresh.

[Pcostx]

Sonesta, like I said, the AHS has no time limit.

I was told that the Hanoverian Verband in Germany has the stipulation that the mare produce a foal by the time she is 5 years old.

I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity for my mare to complete the requirements necessary for the German State Premium mare title.

I can get her EM title at any time.

I guess the real question is, does anyone on here know if the 5 year old requirement is in effect for the German Hanoverian Verband?

Thanks!

[Equine_Reproduction]

Well…I’ve got three mares that were all due in July, which meant they didn’t get bred until the middle of August. One foaled June 30th, one foaled July 5th and one still waiting to foal. The foal born on June 30th had a tough start, but then it was 109 on the day she was born and the mare stepped on the poor girl when she was getting up from foaling <sigh>. We put in patio misters into the foaling stalls and had a 4 foot fan running the first few days, but she’s now back out on pasture. The second foal, born on July 5th had no issues at all and went right out on pasture and is doing fine.

I “will” say that this year the weather has been particularly brutal. NOT fun. In past years, I haven’t had an issue of heat being a problem. But this year, we are now on day 19 of temperatures over 100 and are in a HORRIBLE drought.

Usually, I haven’t minded having babies this time of year, but we also have HUGE standing oak trees in the mare’s pastures and the grass held on through August. This year, most of the pastures are just drying up and going away <sigh>. The biggest issue for us is that we often don’t get around to breeding our own mares until later <lol>…the cobbler’s children and all…Good luck with whatever you decide

[showjumpers66]

If you want to breed this year, why not consider a fall breeding?

[risingstarfarm]

@showjumpers66;5710232

If you want to breed this year, why not consider a fall breeding?

Good idea!

I have a client in Lousiana (who is an equine veterinarian) and he always does fall breedings.

[Equine_Reproduction]

Just for fun, here is a photo of the filly born on June 30th…she’s doing just fine with the heat now, although we’re having to wrap her leg while the wound heals. In this photo, Stanley our 7 month Boxer was giving her lots of attention and she was quite appreciative of it. Jos was just holding her head in his lab while I wrapped her leg <smile>.

[Pcostx]

I’ve got a call in to my vet so I can pick his brain about this, he’s a very good repro vet. But he hasn’t called me back and it’s been 3 days!:mad:

I hadn’t thought of the fall breeding. The barn I board at is a Dressage/Breeding facility and they said it would be best to have my foal around the time theirs are being born so they can be turned out together and socialize.

[Oakstable]

I prefer to have foals born in May and June here in inland SoCal.

I’ve had them as late as mid July and even one the end of September (bred on Nov. 1).

The problem with the autumn babies is they are so much younger than the others in their calendar year.

Probably a moot point with jumpers but dressage people think a 4-year-old should be working at a certain level but with a LATE horse, you may wait until the following year, then the 5-year-old is working at the level of 4-year-olds.

Hope this makes sense.

[Long_Shadow_Farm]

I have two mares that Kathy is working on right now getting in foal. I prefer not having an early baby. I can make do with keeping them cool, but having a baby born in snow/ice or wet time here is just not fun at all!

Bobbi

[Rhyadawn]

[QUOTE=Pcostx;5710431]
I’ve got a call in to my vet so I can pick his brain about this, he’s a very good repro vet. But he hasn’t called me back and it’s been 3 days!:mad:

I hadn’t thought of the fall breeding. The barn I board at is a Dressage/Breeding facility and they said it would be best to have my foal around the time theirs are being born so they can be turned out together and socialize.[/QUOTE]

There is something to be said for the socialization aspect, but I would rather a late baby that doesn’t have to endure the brutal heat and that is going to have to deal with older classmates.

Then again I’m in a drastically different climate area. I like late April/May, or September/October foals.

[Fourbeats]

It’s hot in Texas no matter what time of summer so as long as your baby has shade, go for it. Foal before last was born July 24 and she was just fine. I have a mare now that I’m taking up to Kathy’s next week so hopefully will have another summer baby next year.

[Edgewood]

@Pcostx;5709841

I have a Hanoverian and was told by her breeder that she has to produce a foal by the time she is 5 yrs. old to earn her States Premium title. Is this true? I’ve emailed the Verband about this, but I thought someone here might know.

I’ve checked with the American Hanoverian Society, they have lifted the time limit within which the mare must have a foal to earn her Elite Mare status.

My mare was inspected and performance tested in Canada and was awarded her 1A prize. I REALLY want her to earn her St.Pr. title with the Hannoverian Verband!

I’d like opinions on what to do please!

Thank you!

Actually, I am pretty certain by your description that you mare is an SPA mare right now.

Since she is in the US now (and not Canada), she would fall under the AHS rules and if she had a foal, would become an EM (not SPS). And now the AHS does not have time limits (they used to).

For instance, I had an imported SPA mare from Germany (MPT, inspection and 1A prize) and she had her foal here, so she became an EM (not SPS). I have seen people refer to it as SPA/EM (to indicate that the mare received the 1st part of the award directly from the Verband).

All in all, it is the same award, it is just that the AHS is a separate, sister entity and as such cannot have the same exact name for the award.

[kokoda]

[QUOTE=Pcostx;5709841]
Hello All,

My mare was inspected and performance tested in Canada and was awarded her 1A prize. I REALLY want her to earn her St.Pr. title with the Hannoverian Verband!

I’d like opinions on what to do please!

Thank you![/QUOTE]

I’m in the Houston area and IMHO, it’s way too late in the year to breed … but each to their own. That being said, you should talk with Hugh Bellis-Jones at AHS because now that your mare lives in the U.S., she will have to be “transferred” to the AHS books. That would eliminate your worry about the age restriction for EM status.

If you want to keep her with the German Verband, she’ll have to foal in Canada … and follow their guidelines which still has the 5 year old rule in effect.

Good luck!!