Tips on miniature horse breeding

Breeding a miniature horse is not much different than breeding a regular size horse. There are several ways to get the mare and stallion to breed but sometimes it’s trial and error on which works best.   Miniature horses can make wonderful pets and service animals making the breeding efforts worthwhile.

Obviously, you’ll need:

* in-heat mare
* breeding stallion

1. Watch your mare as she comes into heat. This can be from February through July. Eventually the mare will begin to cycle normally. This is the time she will accept a stallion for breeding. The mare will be in heat for 5-7 days and within about five to seven days after having a previous foal.
2. Introduce the stallion to the mare 24-48 hours before the end of her estrus cycle. This is the window of ovulation for the mare. If the stallion sperm is not present during the ovulation, the mare will not become pregnant.
3. Watch your mare to maximize the breeding time between the stallion and mare. A mare ready to breed will urinate more, raise her tail more and even show her vulva. When she backs up to a stallion, the mare is ready to breed.
4. Test the mare with a gelding or stallion so you will know when she is ready to breed.
5. If you have a breeding stallion, now is the time to put the pair together. It is best to have the mare and stallion alone together to breed. The only exception to this is if you do not have a breeding stallion and are taking your mare somewhere else. In this case multiple mares are put with one breeding male.
6. In about fourteen days, have a vet check to see if your mare is pregnant. If so, wait out the gestation period for the new foal. If not, try again during her next heat cycle.