Miniature Horse Breeding Problems

[Barn_Bound]

I have a 6 year old mini stud, and a 10 year old mini mare, and I’m having problems getting a foal. The goal is to raise and keep the baby, if I could ever get one. The stud is young and doesn’t quite know what to do… I tried pasture breeding last year and left them together for 4 months and he probably never managed to “get it in” :no:

He’ll mount, she stands there (not a maiden) but he just doesn’t get close enough to her, and if he does then he “aims” way too high, like above her tail high. If I try to help him out he dismounts. Should I try an AV and just AI her? Anyone have experience with this? I’ve also never had hand breeding experience, only pasture breeding so how do you know when a mare is in heat/when to AI?

[rememberthenight]

Find a local mentor to help you with hand breeding. You will also need a lot of mentoring to help with foaling. Minis often have complications with foaling and you will need to be present for foaling and will need to know how to deal with a dystocia.

Have you you had a vet do a repro check on the mare? Many vets aren’t capable, but there are mini capable vets who have the correct equipment to check a mini mare and help you with getting her pregnant.

Unless they are horribly mismatched in size, he should have figured it out. Something seems wrong.

[TheJenners]

It’s not the first time I’ve heard of mini stallions having issues. OP, you might be better off buying a weanling and gelding the stallion.

[Barn_Bound]

@rememberthenight

Find a local mentor to help you with hand breeding. You will also need a lot of mentoring to help with foaling. Minis often have complications with foaling and you will need to be present for foaling and will need to know how to deal with a dystocia.

Have you you had a vet do a repro check on the mare? Many vets aren’t capable, but there are mini capable vets who have the correct equipment to check a mini mare and help you with getting her pregnant.

Unless they are horribly mismatched in size, he should have figured it out. Something seems wrong.

He is 36" and she is 32" so yes the four inches shouldn’t make a difference. At this point I’m considering just gelding him and giving up. As much as I’d like to see what their combo would be, it’d probably be easier to just geld him and be content with the 4 horses I have now.