Pros and Cons of foal heat breeding?
The most significant pro to breeding a mare on foal heat is to potentially maintain the inter-foaling interval at 12 months or less. There are many variables that should be discussed as cons, such as delayed involution of the uterus, persistent endometritis, difficulty teasing the mare due to protective behavior toward the foal, and higher early embryonic death rates. There is evidence that the best results occur if the mare ovulates 10 or more days post-foaling due to the dominant follicle developing after parturition as apposed to a follicle that developed before foaling (considered old) and ovulated prior to 10 days post partum. If foal heat breeding is not advised by the superb veterinary team at EquiGen, other options include short cycling the post-partum mare 5 days after her foal-heat ovulation allowing for breeding 10 days before the second natural cycle would occur. Each foaling your broodmare has is different, as is each mare, so discuss the pros and cons with EquiGen’s veter
