Planning for Breeding Season

As we head into the last month of winter, you might find yourself covered in horsehair after a friendly pat on your mare’s neck. The lengthening daylight hours trigger the shedding of winter coats, but they also trigger the end of a mare’s anestrus. Your mare will begin her ovulation cycle soon, so the thought of who you will breed her to may have crossed your mind.

CHBA is also gearing up for breeding season; we will be open for business and can help you soon! Plan to take advantage of advanced features in our pedigree database with an online studbook subscription or CHBA membership. Study horses’ bloodlines by viewing extended pedigrees and set up hypothetical matings to determine which stallion would give you the most genetically diverse foal with your mare. Whatever your goal is, referencing an extended pedigree gives you a clear advantage in making an informed choice.

You may have other considerations to weigh, of course. Travelling long distances or AI-only options may be cost prohibitive and restrict your choices to local horses and live cover. Access to more breeding options may become possible through a concerted effort amongst Caspian breeders and sponsors. As a member of CHBA, you can request help from sponsors by contacting us to add your breeding goal or project to our sponsorship page. Until then, if you must choose an alternate, keep in mind that even foals with moderately higher percentages of inbreeding can still be productive for the breed.

Good luck with breeding this year!