Thoroughbred mare owners face many breed-specific challenges in the journey from making the decision to breed to seeing the foal stand and nurse. Industry politics aside, there are more difficulties for broodmare owners hoping to see their progeny on the track than ever before, and these challenges are unique to the Thoroughbred race industry.
Ultimately the success of any breeding is determined by several factors, perhaps most importantly the skill and communication of the broodmare owner, breeding manager and veterinarian, explains Liam O’Rourke, who is a graduate of the Irish National Stud’s Thoroughbred Breeding Course and is now the Sales Manager at Adena Springs North. “Determining the mare to be at her optimal time is a function of horsemanship, veterinary expertise and diagnostic tools,” he explained. “All of these methods are underscored by recording the results and information. The goal is to have the mare covered by the stallion once and achieve conception. This allows mare owners and stallion managers alike to be efficient with their horses and efficient with their expenses. This efficiency leads to better results when managing a broodmare band.”
Timing is Everything
Equine reproductive specialist Dr. Pamela Chesterfield notes that first and foremost it is important for the Thoroughbred breeder to understand the normal cycling activity of a mare in order to optimize the success of the breeding program. She has worked at prominent breeding facilities in Lexington, KY, and now devotes much of her time to ambulatory reproductive care and work at Woodbine Racetrack and Ajax Downs through her newly established Chesterfield Equine Veterinary Services. “The estrus cycle of the mare is roughly 21 days,” she explained. “There are four to seven days of estrus, or sexual receptivity, and 14-15 days of diestrus, which is what we call the time in which the mare is not receptive to the stallion mounting her.”