May 2008 Free Draw
Our draw this month is sponsored by Horseman’s DVD Magazine. It is a DVD of Horseman’s DVD Magazine’s Premium Riding Information. Be sure to visit their website where you can sign up to receive DVD’s filled with riding information delivered to your mailbox. While you are at the website be sure to check out the dressage demo by Sheri Bresee and a demo by Joel Martens working a young horse through natural hazards.
I love May because that is the month my mares have their babies. So let’s make this months question about babies. Do you foal any mares and if yes, how many? I would also be interested in knowing in which month(s) your babies are born. We have drawn a winner for April. Just waiting for them to reply before we publish their name.
Tags: Free Draw, Horseman's DVD Magazine.May 1st, 2008 Lynn
We have 10 broodmares, give or take each year. This year we are having 8 babies, so far 6 on the ground, starting in early March. Any earlier than that and its too cold usually!!:) Although this April is not a good example!
Yes, I do foal mares. Usually only 1 a year and rotate them so they foal once every 2 or 3 years. My babies are usually born in either April or May.
None this year. Usually only 1 a year, born late April / early May.
2 mares due. We are expecting one the last week of May and the other the 1st week of June. Breeding the 1st mare back for next year as well.
I have only had 1 foal so far. And it was 3 years ago on the coldest Friday May 13th!!!!!! Hope to be breeding again in 09 and will likely try to foal around the same time or a tad later.
I have foaled out my QH mare in different months (March, April & May) over 4 different foaling years. I think early May worked out best for me because the weather was generally milder.
I don’t have any broodmares anymore. I’ve kept a nice daughter out of that mare, but haven’t bred her yet.
I am going to ride her for a few more years before I breed her.
Great stuff
This year, I am expecting two pony foals. Merry (the one mare) is due anytime and has bagged up already. Peppin (the second mare) is likely not to birth until the end of May or in June. I read somewhere that colts stays in the womb longer then fillies so when your mare is late, it could be that she’s haveing a colt! Last year that proved to be true - we’ll see about this year though!
We are just getting involved with horses. We have a three year old mare that we hope to breed next year and our plan is to breed her every other year. We would like to foal in May.
We have three mares but do not breed them. Right now there are so many horses on the market and with us being inexperienced in the field of breeding, have decided to leave the breeding/foaling to the professionals. Just because you have mares does not mean you HAVE to breed them whether they are papered or not. Owners need to take responsibilty and be informed about the market before taking that step. Its only my opinion but I have seen many so called “backyard breeders” that can’t sell their horses and don’t have time to train them properly. In the end, they become untrained/unhandled lawn ornaments and very often show up at the auctions. Then who knows what happens to them.
Nope, I don’t need to breed my mares…I am happy with just the way they are.
I find it interesting that you say that you aren’t considering breeding your mares. This makes me think you prefer to ride mares. I am riding a mare after over 15 years of riding only geldings and I really like her although I hear lots of folks say they would rather ride a gelding or that geldings are easier to market as riding horses. Dave has a really nice quiet gelding that I ride sometimes and we just bought a nice little finished reiner (gelding) who is lots of fun but this mare is winning me over. The biggest problem with having a mare is how silly the geldings get when she is in the mix. The new guy and her old “boyfriend” are having quite a contest over her.
I have one mare that I have bred once in a while and this is one of those years. (Can hardly wait!) At most I think I’d breed her every other year so that I don’t get too overstocked. Plus, she has a long gestation period. As my horses have always foaled in the pasture, I’ve found that early June or late May are great times to foal. The chance of a snow storm is pretty much nil and the grass is usually well on its way making for a nice clean bed.
P.S. What happened to the ‘baby pictures’?
I have 1 mare due to foal May 27. This is the latest foal we have ever had on the farm. I am hoping to have 3 foals next year.
I have rode mares most of my life & prefer them over geldings. What can I say but girls are so much smarter :~)
I also agree about breeding mares that aren’t high quality. All my mares must have multiple champions in the 1st 2 generations of thier pedigree.
we have foals every year this year 4 iv only missed a year or 2 in 20 years and i sures missed them those years , in this country i like to foal may to june we had one early this year april 28 but it was warm that day and then snow storm the next lucky for us we have a nice barn and lotsa straw, so into the barn for a few days and all is well. we also only breed the good mares not only good bloodlines they also have to have good temperments. sometimes the 2 dont come together. i love to spend a little time each day graining my mares and getting the colts used to having people around and scraching thier buts. love them!!!!!my saddle horse is also a mare and she gets this year off only, to have a colt..
We have 2 broodmares and both foaled the beginning of May. Unfortunately, we had to put our first baby down and it was so heart breaking. But our second baby was born just a few days after and everything is okay. Life certainly has it’s twists and turns!
We have 1 foal this year. She is a beautiful filly!!! Love Spring!!