5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

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5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life - The Five-Cross Files

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

sleepwalk — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:01:01 GMT

Sceptre

I commend you on your insight. The plight of the broodmare has not completely gone unnoticed by myself

and others who care what happens to

the broodmares, having raced or not.

BEFORE making the decision to breed

ANY broodmare, EDUCATING oneself

about the hazards of pregnancy in

broodmares should be at the top of

the list. (Not all breeders guaran-

tee a live foal, the mare may have

a histoy of aborting, or not in peak physical condition, the selected stallion could deliver disease to the mare if not currently certified clean, it may be the mare's first breeding, requiring special attention...the list goes on...

I read and learned a lot from a

wonderful book that should be read

by anyone thinking of breeding their mare. It was mentioned in Tom

Ainslie's book.

"Blessed Are The Broodmares", by

Bonnie Ledbetter.

(A comprehensive overview of all aspects of the pregnant mare, as

observed by their care-persons and

vetrenarians.) Very enlightening.

...After reading this book, I was amazed that female horses could even survive foaling, due to their

female reproductive system! If everything was perfect, from the

cover to actual foaling-time, there

still remains the fact that over 50% of foals are still-born! What an effort for those little babies

to just get to the place where they

can come out, let alone the strain and pain the broodmare probably suffers.

Would love to hear more from you.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

sleepwalk — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:01:00 GMT

Sceptre

I commend you on your insight. The plight of the broodmare has not completely gone unnoticed by myself

and others who care what happens to

the broodmares, having raced or not.

BEFORE making the decision to breed

ANY broodmare, EDUCATING oneself

about the hazards of pregnancy in

broodmares should be at the top of

the list. (Not all breeders guaran-

tee a live foal, the mare may have

I read and learned a lot from a

wonderful book that should be read

by anyone thinking of breeding their mare. It was mentioned in Tom

Ainslie's book.

"Blessed Are The Broodmares", by

Bonnie Ledbetter.

(A comprehensive overview of all aspects of the pregnant mare, as

observed by their care-persons and

vetrenarians.) Very enlightening.

...After reading this book, I was amazed that female horses could even survive foaling, due to their

female reproductive system! If everything was perfect, from the

cover to actual foaling-time, there

still remains the fact that over 50% of foals are still-born! What an effort for those little babies

to just get to the place where they

can come out, let alone the strain and pain the broodmare probably suffers.

Would love to hear more from you.

Thoroughbred Racehorse Retirement

The Five-Cross Files — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:22:30 GMT

Fewer off-the-track fillies are in demand as broodmare prospects in this down economy, and they join the thousands of retired Thoroughbred geldings that need new homes every year. How will the industry fund retirement for all of them?

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

LCM — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:29:33 GMT

"A PREGNANT MARE IS A HAPPY MARE"??? What about a mare who is suffering from founder and kept alive long enough just to get the foal out of her? It happens more than most will admit! Just another dirty secret. How happy is she? I have to wonder if Fillytime is a man or woman? Curious...I don't know many women who would want to be pregnant every year into what would be the equivalent of their 80's!!! And lets not forget, a good percentage of mares who "get in foal" do so only because of human intervention, progesterone shots, and other reproductive manipulation to ensure pregnancy. I bred my "older" mare this year. She got in foal on one cover but lost it around 30 days. I could've bred her back and loaded her up with regumate, but I decided at her age, she was telling me she's "done". I figure if she can't hold and maintain a pregnancy on her own...how confident can I be she's well enough to produce a healthy strong foal? I'm bitterly disappointed, but feel I've made the best choice for HER...Not for my bank account.

Horse Board -- Pasture vs. Stall

The Five-Cross Files — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:25:48 GMT

A recent study finds that one choice is better than the other for overall equine health.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

sceptre — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:40:41 GMT

The number of recent posts on other blogs (Rachel Alexandra, etc.), as compared to the relative lack thereof here, speaks volumes (almost literally) about the mindset of most who inhabit this sport.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

easygoer — Tue, 19 May 2009 06:12:29 GMT

Right on Sceptre! Fillytime is confusing can with should. For example, physically many 13 year old human girls can have babies, but ethically they SHOULD not be having babies. Biology and ethics are totally different.

Also, I would like to add, mares do not choose to be bred. They are hobbled and twitched so they cannot reject the stallion. They are dependent on their owners to treat them with respect and ethics.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Sam Anderer — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:47:57 GMT

To DiAnn

On Horse and broodmare band behavior.

Suggest Google search on subject.

Also Monty Roberts at Flag is up Farm in California. Again a google search. He spent a lot of time as a very young man observing wild horse band behavior.

What type of show horses?

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Pedigree Shelly — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:57:33 GMT

I have something to say about how broodmares are treated .My Grandfather owned a mare named "what a Friend " By Friends Choice,She was claimed then later bred to a horse that was from Argentina but cannot get the name ! Anyways I ran into a guy who had bought "What A Friends " foal for about 1200 dollars . Her foal a colt named Dirty Freddie won at Penn National . His dam was sold for meat !! I think she deserved alot better than that!!! She was a sweet kind mare ! I wish at the time,Icould have taken her !!!!

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

sceptre — Sun, 17 May 2009 05:36:06 GMT

So Dreamer's Mom, do you really believe that you are the norm? Glad to hear that your horses live such contented lives, but rather sure they're among the exceptions...BTW (just as an aside), re-the mare that is "the local soda fountain"-do you notice any lessened milk production from the other members of this herd?

(problems with my keyboard-hope not too many missing letters/noticed it occurred in earlier posts-sorry).

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

needler in Virginia — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:32:14 GMT

Who, exactly, are "you people", Fillytime? Are you referring to the ones who have increased the numbers of foals produced every year so that many more end up on kill trucks? Do you mean the ones who see broodmares as walking ATMs? Do you mean the ones who breed every damned thing with four legs for the possibility of a big score at the sales ring? Or do you mean the ones who think that overproduction of foals leads to harm to racing in general? Do you mean the idiots, like me, who think we should be a touch more careful with the way we treat our charges? YUP, that's me ...... that crazy, tree-hugging, animal loving loony who thinks that our humanity is evaluated by the way we treat our animals. I agree, though, that there really are some breeders who try very hard to breed the best they own, and retire the not-so-good mares; at the very least they try to place the culls in other jobs which provide long and productive (NOT in the breeding sense) lives ...... trail horses, school horses, therapeutic riding horses, and so on .......... These folks exist and are examples for the rest; maybe when there are so many horses there are no more places to put them, people will learn, but until then, the breeding practices of many are reprehensible and the mares are paying the price.

Too many horses are bad for everyone; mares, foals, breeders, buyers, and MOST IMPORTANT (she said sarcastically) the MARKET!! Give the mares a rest and a year off, breed more selectively, have FEWER foals, have fewer horses to sell at the auctions and GUESS WHAT? Prices go up! It's the old "supply and demand" thing we learned in high school economics. Do yourselves and your mares a favor ....... think of those auction prices before you breed Old Suzie again. BUT IF YOU DO BREED SUZIE pay attention to the suggestions in this article; she deserves it.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Dreamer's Mom — Sun, 17 May 2009 00:29:48 GMT

Our broodmares, all 15 of them, are treated like royalty every day. They are every bit as important as the stallions because they "house" the future! They are spoiled rotten on a daily basis, BUT they do live outside in the elements. They hate being in the barn, away from their friends. They have shelter so it's not like they are left to fend for themselves. They get the best hay and grain and when they have babies on them they are kept 5 moms and 5 kids to a pen. We have one mare that is the local soda fountain. She will nurse every baby in the pen, sometimes two at a time! Tell me her life isn't a happy one! She had her last foal this year due to having melanomas that we cannot stave off and she will live out her days on the farm knowing she is the Queen of all she surveys. We love our mommas!

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

sceptre — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:20:13 GMT

Dear FILLYTIME,

Your post was exactly what this topic needed; a well thought out opposing view, from one with apparent experience. Too bad it arrived so late, as I fear the blog's topic will soon lose its position on the site.

Your take is similar to what I've heard for years, and had conveniently accepted for much of that time. Allow me to respond in the order given:

Your first few sentences suggest a fortuitous timing to fertility, life and death-that when the broodmare can no longer reproduce they are also in failed health, and better then that they die. Much later (in your reply), however, you appear to grant them the priviledge of retirement. Notice the contradiction?...You state-"Most mares like to do stuff, they don't want to stand around with no job, they find it boring". How often I've heard that one. You are presuming a lot here, wouldn't you say? I suppose your point is that mares are happier when they're pregnant. Human's have difficulty enough in trying to understand and interpret what is/causes human happiness. I suggest that the dilemma increases exponentially when attempting to discern happiness in other species. As far as their liking "to do stuff" and have a job, do you really believe that a mare consciously sees herself as doing stuff, having a job, while pregnant? It is likely that they do prefer to be stimulated (mentally), and diverse positive stimuli likely benefit them. I wouldn't characterize the mere state of pregnancy as a positive stimuli. Now, having, and caring for a foal by side could conceivabley be a positive stimuli for them. It does make for more activity. But, is this an indication of happiness? I doubt there have ever been any studies to confirm this. So, why are you so certain? Equine behaviourists contend that fear is the central driving force in the equine. Is it not rather likely that having a foal by side would further arouse that fear mechanism? I doubt that any would argue that fear is counterproductive to happiness. So, let's just at least say that the jury's out when it comes to the potential positive psychological effect of caring for a foal. Yes, caring for a foal is "conditioned" genetically, but it doesn't follow that relative happiness is part of that package...Are they healthier (as you allude) when they are pregnant and/or while nursing? I doubt also that this has been studied conclusively. Yes, often their coats appear to be more "in bloom" but, perhap, no moe than a hormonal manifestation. Does pregnancy exert a positive systemic effect-thus affording the mare a greater sense of well-being? Maybe. Is this potential positive enough to offset the inherent life-theatening risks when aged mares are bred? Do their lives have no value without their "job" to serve us?...My observations suggest that mares, in the later stage of pregnancy, do not "thrive". They are quite uncomfortable. Foaling, also, is often no picnic, and in the older mare this not uncommonly results in uterine artery rupture-death. Is this not worth avoiding? ...The fact that mares are capable of conceiving, and carrying a pregnancy, does not,in itself, suggest that they SHOULD become pregnant. If this were the case (and assuming you are a female) you SHOULD remain pregnant throughout all your reproductive years. Oh, do I hear you say-"but, I'm not a horse"?

As far as your assertion that the vast majority of mares are well cared for- This has not been my experience, and my reason for applauding Scot in bringing this issue to light. You state..."Not many really fit in your "greedy breeder" category". I subit that the vast majority of us (myself included) act, to some degree or another, as "greedy breeders". We place our own well-being far ahead of the horse. I firmly believe that we have largely overlooked our moral responsibilities to the broodmare. Their plight has gone unnoticed; and apparently many feel there is little to remedy.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Fillytime — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:20:25 GMT

easygoer what would you rather have them die of? As a prey animal can you imagine how much anxiety and fear they must feel as they slowly reach a point where they can't see well, or walk well, or chew their food well? Is it a kindness to these animals to keep them alive to suffer the ravages of old age? Try walking a foal or a weanling past a field full of retired horses. They all come running calling to the foal. Most mares like to do stuff, they don't want to stand around with no job, they find it boring.

Having a foal every year is not a strain on most mares, if it was they wouldn't start cycling immediately after foaling. An early pregnancy doesn't doesn't take much energy for a mare to maintain, and the increased blood flow and activity in the uterus helps her maintain her long term fertility. Their nutritional needs do not even increase until well into the pregnancy, well after her foal is weaned. Horses are not humans, they are a prey animal. They survived in the wild long before they were domesticated because they have the ability to reproduce more quickly than predators can wipe them out.

The vast majority of mares thrive when they are pregnant. You can usually pick out the barren mares in a group because they don't carry the bloom and the vitality that the pregnant mares have. You can't make a mare carry a foal if she is physically unprepared. She will be barren or she will slip. She will take her year off when she wants to, no matter how much her "greedy breeder" wants another foal. For some mares this may be every other year, or every 2 years, or every 3 or 5 years. When they are ready to retire they should be retired, but each one has to be evaluated on how happy she is doing what she is doing. I have seen mares perfectly happy to have and raise a foal at 20 years old, and I have seen them retired at 14 or 15 because they don't seem to thrive on it.

I agree that there may be a few unethical breeders out there, but they are not the majority. Most owners and breeders are devoted to their horses and will do or spend whatever they can to make them happy and healthy. Why do you people try to make it seem as if everyone out there involved with breeding horses is some kind villian? It is not true and it is not fair to characterize the majority of these people this way. Surely there is a more productive way to bring about positive change in this industry than to judge everyone with no evidence and to assume you know what is going on when you really don't. Surely if you try you can find positive things to say about breeding horses, but you won't. It is easy to find owners and breeders who do things right, who spend more on their horses than they ever expect to make back, and who would love to see someone aknowledge their efforts and their sacrifices and their dedication to this industry. Not many really fit in your "greedy breeder" category.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

needler in Virginia — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:08:35 GMT

GREAT ARTICLE; SPOT ON AND SO SIMPLE IT OUGHT TO MAKE EVERYONE SAY "WELL......OF COURSE!"

Again I'll say it, although most big breeders would rather I shut up and go away. NOT EVERY MARE SHOULD BE BRED; NOT EVERY STALLION SHOULD BREED. Careful evaluations of health, fitness, quality of anatomy, temperament, family history, racing history (if applicable), chronic problems with feet.... and the beat goes on..... should be considered before making that appointment in the breeding shed, and BOTH stallion and mare should be evaluated in the same light. A large number of points to be considered are directly related to genetics, although some aren't. If you come up with too many "maybe this won't be good" thoughts, then maybe the breeding should be reconsidered or dropped altogether. A good mare/mother is priceless and should be treated as gold; she does a lot to imprint her personality and attitude on her foal; I also think she has as much to do with the quality of the foal as the stallion ....... never mind how pedigrees are published: Suzi, by Sam out of a Fred mare ..... BLAH! Good mamas are hard to find and should be treasured, and whoever thinks "a pregnant uterus is a happy uterus" should try carrying a baby every 11 months for the next 20 years or so. Pregnancy is hard work, draining on every system in a female body, and BETWEEN pregnancies every female, be she horse or human, needs a break to recoup. AND, as an extra benefit, not so many foals would be produced that a good deal of the horse population ends up in a dog food can.

Basic premise: we must speak for those who cannot. This includes the mares who are literally bred to death, the foals who would much rather hang out under a tree than run like the wind, the racers who don't give a damn if they win and would rather be rolling in a sand pit, anyway, or even the ones with the not-so-straight legs. Basic health for our charges is OUR job; we have created them and we owe them care. The five suggestions in this article are simple, basic and obviously important to the health of a valuable animal ..... and I include in the term "valuable" the love they offer for no fee at all.

That's it; that's my snarky rant for Friday before the Preakness and while I love Rachel Alexandra, I'm rooting for the little horse in the "plain brown wrapper". I hope he blows their doors off!

Cheers to all................

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

BlueHen — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:06:35 GMT

I cringe when I read of 20+ year old mares dying of foaling complications -- that's just too old to be having babies anymore. Can't they be pensioned at the end of their teens?

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

sceptre — Sat, 16 May 2009 00:36:45 GMT

EASYGOER: Your last sentence is right on the mark!

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

easygoer — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:00:00 GMT

"A pregnant uterus is a happy uterus????" I guess money will make you say anything. Rationalize it all you want but maybe someone should tell that to all the mares that die of "foaling complications." Weekend Storm, Lady's Secret, Urban Sea, Meadow Star, Mackie, Got Koko,Relaxing, Weekend in Indy, and the list goes on and on. Carrying a foal is a taxing business not to mention that most mares are nursing a foal and growing a foal simultaneously, which is even more difficult. I applaud this author for offering these commonsense ideas for mare maintenance, but unfortunately, mares are often little more than ATM machines for the breeders. Our Mims Retirement Haven exists (and has a huge waiting list for admittance btw) because many owners do not take care of mares after their productive years are over. Seriously, retiring these mares around age 18 is the LEAST that owners can do for them. It may be politically incorrect to say, but I feel as if owners choose to breed mares to death because it provides them with one last paycheck AND it spares them from taking care of a retired broodmare.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

wildblueroan — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:03:03 GMT

Its high time someone raised these important issues! Every year we read the obituaries of former racing stars who have died foaling, often at absurdly old ages. Even the best farms seem to have no qualms about breeding their mares literally to death, even the "blue hens." I wish every farm owner and manager would read your remarks and assume the responsibility for the humane care and retirement of their brood mares. Surely they deserve it.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Fillytime — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:21:41 GMT

I strongly disagree with LCM that broodmares here in central KY are not treated well. In my experience, poorly treated mares are the exception rather than the rule. I agree that there are a few places out there that have no business boarding mares, but these are few compared to the vast majority of farms that are dedicated to good mare care.

People keep horses outside because horses do better outside except in the most extreme heat or cold/wet conditions. Locking a mare up in a stall is not the same thing as taking good care of her. A well trained crew can easily handle feeding groups of horses outside so that each horse is allowed to eat, even the more timid members of the herd. Feeding outside is also a good opportunity to observe the horses in motion, and in a herd setting. Subtle lameness, mild neurological problems, lack of energy or appetite, and body condition are all easier to observe when you are out in the fields with the horses at a regular time every day watching how they move and act.

There are hundreds of people on these farms dealing with hard labor, long hours, low pay, and managers with poor leadership skills. These people work 6 or 7 days a week all year around usually with limited benefits, poor job training, and little or no recognition when they do a good job. They keep coming to work every day because they love these animals and they strive every day to take good care of them. This industry is not a joke to them. Your negative comments are unfair to all of these people who are so dedicated and give so much of themselves to this industry.

AG - I agree, a pregnant uterus is a happy uterus - you can see the bloom on the mares when they are in foal. When they want a year off, they let you know.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

DiAnn — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:38:39 GMT

I'm a show horse trainer and this is the first year that I managed my clients broodmares. Herd and especially broodmare mentality is a subject that sent me on a big learning curve. I found little information on mare behavior. But it became clear that interacting with each one as an individual if not daily at least several times a week is very important to staying in charge of their behavior. That would include all of the things that you have noted. I would be interested in reading more about the subject if anyone knows of any published material.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Kari — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:44:59 GMT

Thank you for this terrific piece in support of the broodmare. Too often the stallion gets all the credit (or blame) for the foal that is the result of genes from both parents and the mare seems to be considered little more than an incubator for the stallion's get. The stallion's semen may be worth its weight in platinum but it is the mare that is the foal's first contact with the world of humans s/he will have to function in and the mare's mental and physical condition has an often permanent impact on her baby.

Happy and healthy moms help make happy and healthy kids, whether human or horse.

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Karen in Indiana — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:31:56 GMT

All of these suggestions are common sense in how to humanely treat animals who are dependent on humans to care for them. When I was 12, I got a horse from my uncle for my birthday. I thought it was a gift straight from heaven - a 16 year old mare who had a year old colt still nursing, turned out in a pasture with no supplemental feed, had not had any maintenance for years, her hips stuck out and you could see every bone in her spine. I loved her. She had to have hooves trimmed drastically, her teeth floated because she was chewing up the side of her cheeks, worming, shots, etc. I'm sure my parents were thrilled with that 'gift'. She tested me the first time we met by stepping on my foot and seeing what I would do (I passed - I just stared at her until she moved it & we got along great after that). It took about 6 months of fussing over her to get her looking and feeling good again, but she was well worth the work. She was my best friend for years. I hate to think what might have happened to her, but the sad fact is that a lot of older mares are in that position and they don't have somewhere to go and they either were never ridden or it's been so long since they were that it would take a lot of work to make them suitable. Aren't there tax write-offs and insurance that would make it feasible for those in it as a business to do the right thing by the horse?

re: 5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

Pedigree Shelly — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:23:59 GMT

I beleive that alot of breeding operations are run like "puppy mills " There are alot of responsible breeders who take care of their mares and take time with them and their matings ! There are some who are out to make a fast profit ! Not everyone can breed to an AP Indy or a Giants Causeway ! I just want to see breeders be responsible and choose Stallions that will bring the best results ! There are too many unwanted horses and beaten up claimers to break your heart !