Breeding horses is no easy task. It requires certain knowledge and skills from the breeder. Mistakes made in this matter can lead to a decrease in livestock growth rates, and this is unprofitable from an economic point of view. Mating horses is one of the most important aspects under the control of the breeder. He must know everything about the physiology of animals and properly mate mares and stallions in order to get healthy offspring from them.
Horse breeding
At what age do mares happen?
In terms of physiology, mares become sexually mature at 18 months. However, at this age they still cannot happen to stallions. Pregnancy is a serious burden on an unformed body. Bearing a foal will lead not only to pathologies of pregnancy, but also to the underdevelopment of the skeleton in the mare.
Veterinarians recommend that the first mating of the horse when she is 3 years old. It is also impossible to postpone mating for too long, as this threatens hormonal disorders in the animal’s body. It is not uncommon for mares that have not been mated with stallions under 5 years of age to develop cysts and inflammation in the ovaries.
Attention! In the northern regions, puberty of horses occurs later.
How do horses reproduce in the wild?
Under natural conditions, horse mating occurs instinctively. When the female begins sexual hunting, a secret is released from her reproductive organs, the smell of which attracts the male.
In the wild, horses form herds, consisting of a stallion leader and several mares. The male covers each of them at the right time. Often, females do not immediately accept the courtship of a gentleman, but if he persists, mating occurs.
Before mating, the mare takes a cage. She spreads her legs and lowers her head down. The stallion stands on its hind legs behind her and inserts the penis into the vagina. A few frictions are enough to ejaculate.
Supervised mating and mating methods
On farms and stud farms, mating of horses occurs under human control. Breeders themselves choose individuals for mating, determine the time when the mares start hunting. After the “date” of the female and the male, data about him is entered into a special journal. It records the date of intercourse, the name of the manufacturer and other information.
mating horses
There are several methods for mating horses:
- manual;
- cooking;
- mowing;
- artificial insemination.
Manual method
This method is common in small farms. It is no different from the mating of animals in natural conditions, except that the mare does not have the opportunity to refuse the courtship of the male, as she is fixed.
The breeder independently detects the onset of estrus in the mare by signs, prepares her and the candidate-producer for mating. It is important to provide a secluded quiet place for a couple – a paddock or barn. Pairing by hand is done like this:
- the female is placed in a stall so that her back is slightly raised;
- the tail is tied up;
- put on a fixing harness so that the horse cannot strike the boyfriend;
- the stallion comes up from behind and performs sexual intercourse.
Attention! Before you happen to horses, you need to give them a little time to get to know and get comfortable.
Control mating is performed for several days to increase the chances of fertilization of the female. If during the next sexual cycle, hunting does not occur, the mare has a foal.
Cooking method
The essence of the cooking method of mating is the use of one stallion for a small group of mares. This method is applicable for the herd keeping of horses. During the breeding season, the male is brought to the females every day and left for several hours. He himself determines which horse is ready for copulation. Covered mares are separated from the group.
Attention! For the duration of the breeding season, the breeding males are provided with enhanced nutrition and better conditions of detention so that he can recuperate.
mowing method
This method of breeding horses is also used for herd keeping. In this case, shoals are formed from mares, consisting of 25–30 individuals. A stallion is assigned to each shoal. They stay together throughout the entire breeding season. The male manages to fertilize all the females.
mowing stallion
Artificial insemination of mares
This technique is quite expensive, therefore it is used in large breeding farms. It consists in the preliminary sampling of seminal fluid from the manufacturer and its subsequent introduction into the mare’s uterus. The procedure is performed by a veterinarian using special equipment.
Attention! The sperm obtained from one male is enough to inseminate 200 females.
This method allows you to economically consume biomaterial and form a livestock with the desired characteristics. There is no need to purchase breeding stallions.
Preparing for mating
Before mating, animals are carefully selected. The requirements for stallions-producers are especially high:
- high efficiency;
- compliance with the characteristics of the breed;
- the absence of any diseases and genetic abnormalities.
Approximately 1,5–2 months before the start of the breeding period, breeders provide selected candidates for mating with good nutrition. The menu necessarily includes legumes and good quality oats, vegetables, root crops and fresh hay. Just before the scheduled mating date, the veterinarian examines the animals and evaluates the quality of the seminal fluid.
Signs of sexual hunting in horses
Mating of horses occurs only during the period of sexual hunting of the mare, when she has ovulation. After giving birth, the horse cycles again after 8–14 days. The first hunt lasts about 4 days, and the next – 5-7 days.
Signs of hunting in horses:
- swelling of the vulva;
- “Blinking” of the genital slit – it either expands or narrows;
- copious secretion of mucus;
- the mare becomes restless, obstinate, neighs;
- she calmly reacts to the presence of a stallion (at the first stage of sexual hunting);
- assumes a cage posture at the sight of a male.
Attention! It is better to case a mare in the first 2-3 days after the first signs of arousal are detected. At this time, there are more chances for successful fertilization. After mating, insemination is repeated every 26-48 hours until the hunting period ends.
Knowing how horses are mated is one of the keys to being a breeder. Without it, it is impossible to achieve an increase in livestock and make a profit. It is important to choose the appropriate mating method for horses, this will increase the fertility rate of mares. It is no less serious to approach the preparation for the mating of animals. The health of future parents and their offspring will depend on its quality.
