Why breed horses?

Every culture is different and has specific needs to function smoothly. Horses are found within every culture and have been bred and selected to meet those specific needs for some 6,000 years.

People first domesticated horses around 4000–3500 BC on the Eurasian steppe, near present-day Ukraine and western Kazakhstan. As we put these animals to work over the next several thousand years, we selectively bred them for desirable traits like speed, stamina, strength, intelligence, and trainability.

It is in this capacity that we see the almost indispensable nature of the horse, because in every horse we can see its unique value and incredible potential.

The history of the horse is the history of civilization itself. Yet, somehow, following the increasing pace of industrialization and mechanization, we've quickly forgotten how deeply indebted we are to horses, and they've gone from being a necessity to a luxury.

They are noble and majestic, their movement is poetry in motion.

They are social creatures and encourage us to socialize, have fun, and make new friends.

They are peaceful and gentle, calming and relaxing by nature, being around horses is described as therapeutic.

They're great teachers. You have to earn a horse's respect; they don't care what you look like, how smart you are, or how important your job is. They teach us a sense of responsibility; a horse requires regular commitment and care.

In addition, horse riding is a physical exercise that tones all muscle groups, and then a little more when cleaning, brushing, feeding, collecting manure from the field, etc.

Anyone who has experienced a relationship with a horse will understand. There is a strong bond between a horse and a human, including mutual respect and trust.

So, why breed horses? Everyone has different reasons for breeding horses . Breeders produce quality foals and young stock for sale. Owners with exceptionally talented mares may want to pass on their genes. Some riders believe it's less expensive to breed a foal than to buy a young horse. Other riders derive immense satisfaction from producing and showing a homebred foal.

They are also bred for racing, jumping, and equestrian sports, for work in livestock farming and forestry, and also for meat production.

If the breeding effort is intended to generate a profit, there are market factors to consider, which can vary considerably from year to year and breed to breed. In many cases, the lower end of the market is saturated with horses, and therefore, the law of supply and demand allows little or no profit to be made from breeding unregistered or poor-quality animals, even if they are registered.

Making a profit in horse breeding is often difficult. Horse breeding is more about emotion than performance. Breeders are rarely in this business to make money, but we're rarely in this business to lose money either. No one wants to pay more than they can afford or more than a horse is actually worth, but breeders don't want to give away horses that have required months of development for less money than is needed to cover their basic upbringing.

However, too many mare owners breed them without objectively considering their merit as a broodmare. For their owners, all mares are special, but many defects, diseases, and behavioral problems are hereditary and could be passed on to a foal, limiting their value.

Not all of these traits are visible, and an alarming number of people engage in horse breeding on a whim without sufficient consideration of the consequences. Breeding often leads to disappointment, as there are no guarantees about what will be produced, and many people have very unrealistic expectations about what a given mare and stallion will produce.

There's an endless list of reasons to want to breed horses, but most of them border on financial and emotional insanity. When things are going well, it's great. But there are so many things that can go wrong.

For starters, it costs a lot of money , so it's worth creating a realistic budget before breeding and considering whether the foal will be worth the final cost.

Assuming you own the broodmare, we start with the stud fee, whether the mare will be transported and boarded elsewhere for mating, and how the mare will be mated (natural mating, artificial insemination with fresh or frozen semen, or more complex methods like embryo transfer). That's money that's never recouped, regardless of whether the mare becomes pregnant or not. Add in the cost of keeping the mare pregnant for those first few months, even if she lives on our property.

Then, let's pray for a healthy, problem-free foal . Even then, we must plan for routine veterinary costs. With hay, grain, and other items, by the time the precious foal is 3 or 4 years old, we've probably spent more than it costs, even if it's on our own farm and we don't pay someone to board it.

Secondly, breeding horses is a gigantic headache. Horses simply don't reproduce as easily and efficiently as cattle, sheep, or goats.

Therefore, the chances of the foal being born with some kind of problem requiring veterinary attention are high, ranging from diarrhea to an infection or contracted tendons, or worse. Or the mare could develop her own problem, some of which can lead to death.

Breeding is always a gamble, and we must be prepared to lose whatever we put into it. Only if we feel comfortable with that do we go ahead and try to breed. It's also true that once a pregnancy is confirmed, mares will produce a healthy foal approximately 80 percent of the time.

Third, foals can invent a million ways to hurt themselves. But somehow they usually survive, and soon that adorable foal turns 3 and is ready to start breaking in, and begin preparing for the rest of its life. And that will cost even more time and money. Although it's also true that, in theory, from birth onward, the costs of care and training are added to the value of the foal, and the selling price increases accordingly.

Ultimately, the choice to breed is a personal one, and a realistic outlook and proper preparation can help avoid costly surprises and disappointments.

We must therefore opt for responsible breeding . Horse breeding cannot be indiscriminate, nor, of course, accidental. It is essential to have breeding goals , considering the mare's genetics, performance quality, temperament, age, and health. Knowing the ideal traits we are trying to produce will help determine the best dam and sire, as well as ensure that our breeding expectations and budget are appropriate.

The mare, in addition to good genetics, a science that has come a long way and can tell us a lot about horses and their potential traits, must have a sociable character, a calm temperament, manageability, and a willingness to work.

She is genetically responsible for 50 percent of the foal's offspring, but we believe her influence is greater since in the months following birth she has a great influence on the foal's personality.

To choose the right stallion to complement her, we must objectively evaluate the mare to understand her strengths and weaknesses. Pairing compatible mare genetics with a good stallion increases the likelihood of having a high-quality foal seven times out of ten.

A pedigree is a way to record and trace a horse's lineage. Understanding a horse's ancestry can provide information about its coat color, height, temperament, and even what disciplines it might excel in.

Pedigrees are important when it comes to breeding and deciding what type of horse you hope to have. It also determines which breed registries, if any, a horse qualifies for. Breed registries require genetic verification of parentage to list a horse, so if a horse is registered, we can be sure that its listed parents are indeed its parents.

Producing and raising a foal is a multi-year commitment , so it's worth imagining how the future will unfold.

Before breeding, it is a good idea to consider plans for the handling, weaning, housing, and training of the foal.

We're talking about raising a foal and then waiting three to eight years to have a truly useful animal—that's also a lot of accumulated costs. If the foal is to be bred and broken in, who will break it and at what age? If the foal is to be sold, when and how will it be marketed, and what is the expected selling price? What will happen if the foal doesn't live up to expectations or is injured?

No one has a crystal ball, so it's worth considering multiple scenarios to make sure you're prepared for all possibilities and considering your reasons for breeding , asking yourself tough questions about whether your motivations are driven by excitement or profit, and how realistic those motivations may be.

Horse breeding should only be undertaken by experienced individuals. Even experienced horse breeders must continually reconsider their breeding program, as there are too many horses and too few homes.

Unwanted horses are sold cheaply, often to slaughterhouses, for human consumption or dog meat. Rescue centers are filled with horses bred on a whim by their former owners. No one breeds horses with these outcomes in mind, but that's where many of them end up.

It's important to remember that a horse is an animal with a very long lifespan. It's not uncommon for horses to live 30 years or more, so even with the best intentions, no one can guarantee a foal a lifetime home.

Once a horse is born, it will go through approximately six life stages. Each stage requires unique care and support, so it's good to understand when they begin. A horse's life stages include:

Foal: Birth at 5-6 months

Weaning: 5-6 months to one year of age

Yearling: 1 to 2 years

Teenager: 2 to 3-4 years

Adulthood: 4-5 to 15-20 years

Senior: from 15-20 years depending on the breed.

Planning for each of these six life stages can help provide the best love and support for your horse.

Despite everything, we mustn't forget that raising a horse from a newborn foal is an immensely rewarding experience , enjoying the opportunity to get to know the horse from the first moments of its life. Breeding a beloved mare is a way to preserve great genetics and have the opportunity to handle, break in, and bond with your foal from day one.

There is nothing on Earth as wonderful as the miracle of birth. Witnessing life's greatest event is truly an experience like no other, from the tempestuous labor to the gentle moments of recognition and bonding between the mare and newborn foal. It never ceases to thrill and amaze.