This is a very good question that is posed my many beginning horse breeders. Basically, a horse can live anywhere from 20-30 and possibly even older depending on their overall health and their lifestyle. Many breeders will begin to breed a mare when she is 3 or 4 years old and will often continue breeding her throughout her lifetime, assuming she handles pregnancy well and has very few problems with breeding and foaling. Many mares have continued to be bred and have healthy foals well into their teenage years. There is nothing wrong with breeding an older mare, but it is important that you keep her health in consideration.
Each breeding season she should be examined by a veterinarian to check for uterine infections and other reproductive issues that may cause complications. Mares have very thin membranes in the vaginal canal and rectum and years of breeding can cause damage to these membranes and tissues over time. This is something that your veterinarian will alert you to and they will work with you to determine whether or not the mare is still in good condition to be bred. If your mare is nice and healthy and doesn’t have complications in breeding as she ages then you should have very few problems breeding her into her teenage years and even as a senior. However, you should keep in mind that as a mare ages she is often prone to more complications in the birthing process and may experience dystocia. These are all things that should be kept in mind when breeding the older mare and the mare should be carefully monitored through her pregnancy if she is getting up there in years. Also, carrying a heavy foal can also cause older mares to develop a sway back and this is something else to keep in mind, although most older horses will develop a sway back as they age.
Eventually, however, you may want to give her a break from being a mom and retire her from breeding all together. As a mare ages it can become difficult for her to carry a foal and nurse it as well, as her nutritional requirements change and her body ages. These are things that you need to keep into consideration when breeding the older mare.
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December 20, 2008 at 8:34 am
it is also fact that older mares that are exprienced, and will have calm foals