Monday, July 2, 2007

Breeding Season Finally Gets Started at Our Small Arabian Breeding Farm Part 3




Having gotten the Arabian mare bred to my stallion, Scandalous Legacy, all we had to do now was wait. We got to about two weeks after breeding and I noticed that the darn Andy was teasing the mare again. The mare was in her stall and the colt was right outside the door. I was having trouble telling how responsive the mare was being but it didn't appear that she was protesting too much.

The next day I took Lucy up to visit with Legs, the Arabian stallion. While she didn't act really receptive to him, she didn't act all that disinterested either. I was going to have to track her for a while to see if she was actually coming back into heat or not.

A couple of days later, I had 4 of the broodmares out in that back pasture where they can come up to the corner and visit with the stallion. Legs was hanging his head over the wall talking to the girls as they tried to get nose to nose.

Solidare was in flaming heat. She is the boss mare and she wasn't letting any of the other mares anywhere near her man. The other 3 mares stood in a staggering line according to their pecking order behind Solidare. Each was enough out of reach of the other to not get into any scuffles over the right to wait their turn in their particular place in line.

Lucy is the lowest on the pecking order so she was at the very back of the line. The mare stood there patiently like there was actually a chance she was going to get a turn. Vee, the mother of the twins, is third in the order and sometimes she considered leaving her place in line to go off to graze. But she wanted Lucy to come with her. Each time Vee would get near Lucy, the chestnut mare would wheel around, squeal and kick out at Vee with urine spraying everywhere.

That urine spraying like that was not a good sign for a mare that was supposed to be breed. We have a pretty good conception rate here. Normally one cover is all it takes. I was beginning to wonder if that was the case this time with Lucy. As late as it's getting in the breeding season, I wasn't really sure I wanted to be having a foal in June. I was sure hoping there was another explanation for this behavior.

I watched this ritual go on for a least a couple of hours before Solidare decided to go lay in the sun. Faye moved up into her position to visit with Legs and Vee and Lucy both finally gave up and went off to graze.

After the horses were back in their stalls for dinner, I took Lucy up again to visit with the stallion. Legs was sure glad to see Lucy. While he's always glad to see any of his mares at any time, I can usually tell by his behavior whether or not a mare is ready to breed. Legs was thinking he should be getting conjugal time with Lucy.

Lucy, however, was not the least bit interested in the stallion. She pinned her ears at him and acted like she was going to strike. Her behavior was more like the old behavior from last year. I turned her around so the stallion could nuzzle her and she let loose with both hind legs all the while the urine was spraying everywhere.

After I returned the mare to her stall, I went back to the house and called the vet. He had been too busy when he had come by earlier in the week to do an ultrasound but it was obvious that one was in order.

To be continued..................

The picture above is Solidare with her first foal, Scandalous Dare.

Also for those who requested a picture of the breeding wall, I promise I'll get that done. I had problem with glare today and couldn't get a clear pic.

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3 comments:

  1. *fingers crossed* that Lucy is bred!! Love the photo too! GORGEOUS horses!!

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  2. Very interesting series. Good information, although I must admit to a bit of a blush too! But thanks for the info about how you have things organized!

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  3. MiKael she is beautiful as is her baby!!!! Wow. I am keeping fingers crossed that all is well and that she is bred.

    Hope you are keeping on top of things and coping well. (((Hugs)))

    Lori

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