I'm really not familiar with breeding anything (under live cover) other than a race TB, and I'm realizing that it's a whole 'nother ballpark from your average breeding operation. Each mare is worth thousands of dollars and the studs are worth millions, and I guess that makes for a whole different breeding experience. You should see these breeding sheds! The floor alone probably cost a million... Anyway, the mare never stays at the farm - you (or your farm manager, most likely) drive up for your appointment, do the breeding, which hopefully only takes all of 20 min, and you're home for lunch. Then there's the precautions - the teaser stallion (and his magnificent leather armor), the lip twitch, the hobbles, the soft little boots they put on the mare's back feet, and if it's a stallion known for being rough with his mares, a leather cover for her. I'm gathering that most of these things aren't common in other breeds? Anyways, the mares don't seem to care about any of it all that much (except the boots - they walk around like wet cats! lol). I love OTTBs because, even though they don't always get the most thorough training under saddle, they are used to EVERYTHING. Loud noises, crowds, baths, trailering, farrier, vet... everything!

I'm thinking the lip twitch is a much better option than hobbles, if you were only gonna use one. It creates a natural release of endorphins that relaxes the mare and kinda puts her to sleep, a natural tranquilizer, as well as holding her still. I've had to practically hold up some mares' heads while they were twitched for the vet! The ear twitch I would never use. We saw it come out on someone else's horse while we were waiting. It's nothing but pain, can damage the ears, and makes them terribly head-shy. I'd easily tranq a horse before I would ever, ever use an ear twitch. I think they need to go out with pin firing... They never tranq at the breeding sheds, though. Anyone know why?

Unless you happen to live in a place with excellent race breeding stock (KY, some FL, maybe NY), it's kind of impossible to take your own horses to the shed. And then of course there is no AI, so the horse has to actually be there. Everything there is so clean... after the mare lets down for the teaser, they put her in a little padded holding area, wash and disinfect her vulva, lube it up, and then take her out to the breeding area. The stallion is washed after each breeding, and if he covers her more than once, between each cover. And everything is documented. You or your representative are there the whole time and see everything, and they video tape every cover. That way both of you are protected, making sure it's a good cover, it's done right, and the right horses are involved. And the paperwork! You need a vet cert that her immunizations are up to date, a clean uterine bacterial culture from the last 30 days, and the contract has to have been signed weeks ago.

It's true that it's important to find a good boarder. The last farm we boarded our TB bloodstock at screwed us over in so very many ways. They would intentionally poorly prep them for the sales, so then when they didn't sell they could get them from us for cheap or to pay back the astronomical board bills. They lied to us about horses so that we would or would not buy them, according to whatever was best for them. And, oh yeah, 5 or 6 of them DIED there, due to birthing complications. Since switching to our new farm, we haven't lost a single mare or foal, and this despite the fact that there have been problem births (Cowboy was a sever dystocia - broke several ribs coming out, but, hey wow, the farm manager was actually paying attention and rushed them to the vet, and now he's happy and healthy, and moves beautifully to boot). It helps that we're actually working on this farm until the summer - we do most of the work ourselves so we can be damn sure everyone's taken care of properly! And we're learning a lot about running a commercial horse farm, birthing foals, breaking and training 2-year-olds (Uff's a trainer), taking care of all kinds of horsey health issues that come up, learning about all the different things that are specific to the care and feeding of future racers, and preparing these horses to be fit enough to compete in one of the most physically demanding sports out there. I haven't slept in past 9am since January (and I am NOT a morning person) but I'm having a blast.

Anyway, so, different yes?

Last Edited By: homobonobo Apr 7 08 10:54 AM. Edited 1 times.