Horse owners should know the types and characteristics of mating, the criteria for the correct selection of animals. Otherwise, there is a risk of diluting the purebred breed and reducing the number of animals. The main stage of mating is insemination, which in horses is carried out using three natural methods and artificially. The owner’s task is to choose a convenient method of reproduction, control the behavior of the animals during the process, and then monitor the progress of pregnancy.
How do horses reproduce in the wild?
Natural conditions are a regulator of the number of individuals in a wild herd. Animals mate in spring and until mid-summer. The herd contains a male and up to 12 mares, of which one main one is the alpha. It is the alpha female that the stallion prefers during the breeding season. The role of the male is to protect and cover the females. He is ready to mate all year round, often mating mares without estrus, but in this case pregnancy does not occur. Copulation can occur several times, making fertilization more likely.
Natural uncontrolled reproduction has both pros and cons. Positive aspects of the process:
- naturalness;
- insemination during ovulation;
- the mare is only interested in a strong and healthy stallion, which has a positive effect on the gene pool;
- offspring adapt to living conditions from birth;
- one stallion can impregnate several mares.
Disadvantages of the natural process:
- an inexperienced stallion may move away from the mare during ejaculation, which is why fertilization will not occur;
- there is a high probability of inbreeding;
- There is practically no way to preserve purebred.
Which is better: free mating or controlled mating?
On horse farms, the insemination process is controlled by a person, since it is in his interests to preserve purebreds, increase the number of animals, and improve the breed's qualities.
Controlled knitting has several advantages over natural knitting:
- The probability of successful insemination is 95%.
- There is an opportunity to preserve and restore the breed.
- The stud horse can be kept separately from the herd.
- There is an opportunity to improve the breed's qualities.
A young stallion can impregnate 20-25 mares, a mature horse - twice as many.
Selection of horses for mating
The owner must pay attention to the health of the individuals, character, behavioral characteristics, and pedigree. It is much more important to select the best stallion, since the foal takes most of the hereditary characteristics from him, and the characteristics of the mare are less important.
The principle of selecting horses for insemination:
- Individuals must be approximately the same height, otherwise coverage will become problematic.
- The stallion must be healthy, strong, without physical or behavioral defects.
- Both individuals must meet breed standards in external and behavioral characteristics.
- The optimal age of a mare for insemination is 3 years. You should not allow a horse that is too young to mate; due to the immaturity of its reproductive system, it may produce weak and non-viable offspring. This should not happen to old mares either; they have a high probability of developing tumors and cystic formations of the reproductive organs.
- To maintain purebred horses, horses of the same breed are selected.
How can you tell if a mare is in heat?
When heat begins, the mare's behavior changes. She:
- raises tail;
- bows his head;
- slightly spreads the hind legs;
- squeals quietly.
The stallion becomes interested in his girlfriend. He sniffs her, nipping her neck with his teeth. The main sign of estrus is the discharge of a yellowish mucous mass from the vagina. There is excessive urination. The vulva swells, its mucous membranes are exposed due to muscle contraction. Mature horses become nervous, irritated, and hang around stallions. Young females, on the contrary, become quiet and confused.
When the stallion approaches from behind, the mare stands up as if she is about to defecate. Emits a small amount of urine, signaling readiness to mate. Copulation lasts 12-20 seconds.
Sexual hunting lasts 2-3 days. After successful insemination, the mare will no longer allow the stallion to approach her.
Horse mating methods
Natural insemination of horses under human supervision is carried out in three ways:
- The manual method is the most used. Ideal for keeping horses in stalls. Insemination is completed successfully in 95% of cases. The stallion and mare are introduced to each other in a small pen and given time to sniff. The horseshoes are removed from the mare, the vulva is washed and the tail is raised. To prevent the stallion from being injured, a breeding harness is used.
- The cooking method is the best option if horses are kept in herds. The horse is allowed into a herd of 3-7 mares located in a paddock. The stallion hunts the mares, insemination occurs.
- Kosyachny is another herd insemination method carried out during the mating season. Horses are divided into schools - groups of one male and 25 females. Insemination is completed successfully in 100% of cases.
Artificial insemination of mares
Large stud farms often use artificial insemination. The selection of horses is standard.
Advantages of the method:
- high insemination efficiency (one dose of sperm is enough to inseminate 20 females);
- the possibility of using a sperm bank from the best producers;
- no risk of infection or injury to horses;
- impossibility of depleting the stud horse.
First, sperm is taken from the stud horse. The stallion is first checked for health and the necessary tests are taken. The sperm is transported in a freezer box. The introduction of seminal fluid into the mare's vagina is carried out by a veterinarian-inseminator. In order for insemination to take place safely, the horse’s legs most often have to be fixed with a special machine.
Horse pregnancy and birth
Mares carry a fetus for 340 days (plus or minus 2 weeks), which is approximately 11 months. Obvious signs of pregnancy are observed in the later stages. The owner of a horse can understand that she is pregnant by the following signs:
- increased or weak appetite;
- lethargy of the horse;
- udder enlargement;
- ignoring the stallion;
- desire to be alone;
- compaction of the abdomen, palpable from the sides upon palpation.
At a later stage, when listening to the abdomen, you can clearly hear the fetal heart beating. To detect early pregnancy in a horse, it is best for the owner to consult a veterinarian. He uses the following methods:
- rectal or anal examination (successful insemination is determined by changes in uterine tone);
- Ultrasound (allows you to detect pregnancy already on the 10th day after insemination);
- blood and urine test for hormones;
- vaginal smear analysis.
Pregnant horse may become more aggressive, so all procedures must be carried out carefully and calmly. The birth process lasts about 30 minutes. If there are no complications, then the help of a veterinarian is not needed. A horse giving birth behaves restlessly, usually lies down on the bedding, but can also give birth in a standing position. There is no need to bother her with your attention; it is enough to stand at a distance to control the process.
The foal is born head first. It happens that the fetus turns forward with its hind legs. Then veterinary attention is required. After about 10 minutes, the horse that has given birth rises. In this case, the umbilical cord breaks. If the horse gives birth while standing, the umbilical cord breaks when the foal falls to the ground. If the umbilical cord does not rupture, then it must be cut off with sterile scissors and tied with thread.
Postpartum care
After giving birth, the mare and foal need to be carefully cared for. In order for the horse to regain its strength, it needs a half-hour rest. During this time, the owner must wash the parts of the body that were soiled during the birth process: hind legs, udder, rear, tail. Dirty litter also needs to be replaced.
Immediately after giving birth, the mare will lick the foal, feed it, and then rise to its feet. About an hour after birth, the placenta comes out. It will be disposed of immediately. The raised mare is fed and watered. Vaginal discharge in a horse that has given birth is observed for about a week, so the bedding will have to be changed daily.
If 2 hours have passed after birth and the placenta has not come out, you should immediately call a veterinarian.
The newborn foal is dried with a clean towel. Listen to your breathing; it should be calm and even. When the mare helps the calf up, you need to carefully look to see if he is limping.
After 2 hours, the foal is already drinking mother's milk. If the sucking reflex does not manifest itself, then you will have to express the mare’s milk and let the baby drink from a bottle. The foal should pass meconium 2-3 hours after birth. If this does not happen, you need to provoke a bowel movement by inserting a finger into the anus or giving the baby a large spoonful of castor oil. A newborn foal should not be separated from its mother.
