Why do a Pre breeding exam?
We are so excited about putting our mares in foal this Spring. We like to be prepared, research and study every aspect of our endeavor before lunching into action. Part of our preparation is having our Vet do a pre-breeding exam of the mares.
Our Vet came out in early April to check them for general heath, body condition and most importantly scanned their insides to make sure they had a healthy re-productive system.
All our horses walk around freely in the stable, outside the stable, and from there out to the 50 + acres of backfield. So when the Vet came and started setting up all the gear, all the horses filled by wanting to see what was going on – you never know, there might be something interesting to eat in all those boxes.
First, we had to get our Frisian boy Odin put in a stall as I knew for sure that he would want to play with all the equipment and assist the Vet in any way he can.
Faith, 3 year old Canadian, was such a good girl, she stood nicely for the Vet who looked her over and gave her the annual 5-way vaccine. Then she got a little sedation as I am sure you can imagine that “being probed by an alien” could not possibly be much of a pleasant experience.
We were so happy to learn that Faith was in perfect health and suitable to carry a foal. The next step was to count the days till Faith would be cycling again and make sure she arrived at the Vet’s clinic in time for the big event.
She is now at Charles Ranch Equine in Ashcroft, where she will stay until she is confirmed in foal. We are using frozen semen from a Danish Warmblood Stallion – Blue Hors Farrell.
We choose this particular stallion for Faith because we believe he will complement her positive attributes. Faith has a muscular, well built topline, with excellent hooves, straight legs, and most importantly for us, a wonderful temperament. We look to Blue Hors Farrell to add gaits and perhaps longer legs to the foal. Besides, he is famous for producing off-spring with excellent rideability.
Some might say why go to all that trouble and expense, just get the mare bred and see what happens (or not). We love our mares and want to make sure they are always kept in optimum health and well-being. Therefore, we want to make sure that we provide them with the best possible opportunity to go through a healthy pregnancy. Besides, it is no secret that breeding a mare is a costly affair.
Comments