Breeding and reproduction of horses: mating of a mare and stallion

Horse mating is the process of mating to produce offspring.. First of all, you need to know that the suitable age for mating in a mare is no earlier than three years of age. Usually the first mating is carried out at the age of 4-5 years. In stall stables, this process occurs from February 1 to 15, while in stable housing, horses are mated from March 1 to July 15. An important condition is that both mares and stallions are of age and gender, healthy, and well-formed.

For stallions, an approximate workload is established for the entire breeding season. For young, three-year-old stallions – 15–25 (75–100 cages), and for full-aged stallions – 35-50 mares (no more than 175 cages).

Before mating, the quality of the stallion's semen . The activity of the seed, the longevity of the living creatures and their number are assessed. And then the seed is monitored at least once a month. To do this, use a semen collector or an artificial vagina.

How to set mare covering time

The most favorable time for successful mating is considered to be the time before ovulation. This is determined by external signs and the condition of the mare's ovaries. You should pay attention to the mare's behavior. During the period of heat, she becomes restless and pays attention to the opposite sex. If she goes into heat, this may mean that the horse's body is preparing to conceive offspring. Experts call this period the hunt. The hunting period lasts from 5 to 15 days, followed by a month break. It consists of three cycles. With the help of a test stallion, external signs of heat are detected in the mare. And the condition of the ovaries is determined by rectal examination, and if there is a mature follicle, then the mare is covered.

Proper keeping of animals

Caring for horses is a painstaking daily work that involves caring for the health of the animal. This concept includes regular cleaning, proper feeding, watering, operation, and maintenance of stalls and stables. Every day, a horse, regardless of age and breed, needs attention and love. Additionally, unlike small pets, horses need their own space. Each horse owner must have a stable, a pasture for grazing, a place to store feed, bedding and stable equipment.

Stable

The stable must meet certain basic requirements. Firstly, good ventilation and sufficient lighting are necessary. Ideally, windows providing daylight should be higher than the animal's head. Secondly, horses are extremely sensitive to dampness and cold. The constant temperature should be between 15-18 degrees.

The room for the animal must correspond to its parameters; the stable must be spacious enough and convenient for use (watch the video about this). All these factors are taken into account during construction. It should also have all the necessary equipment: a manger for hay, a grain feeder, a drinking bowl, and a place for mineral feeding. As a rule, feeders and mangers are attached at chest level to the horse so that he does not unnecessarily strain his neck and head while eating. As for the drinking bowl, you can specially equip it in the form of a firmly standing bucket or an automatic one.

Stall

A stall must be made for the horse. Here the animal can rest and retire. It must be spacious so that the horse can lie down in it and turn around freely. It is advisable to make the door lattice or only to chest level, so that the animal can freely look out and look into the stable. Read more about the size and arrangement of the stable in our following articles and watch the video.

Manure removal

Caring for a horse necessarily includes cleaning the stables and stall. The animal performs its natural needs about 10-12 times a day and secretes up to about 7 liters of fluid. Therefore, as you understand, damp litter needs to be removed every day. Once a week it is necessary to thoroughly clean the stable or stall. To do this, the animal is taken out to the levada or for grazing, and the stall is completely cleared of manure and dirty bedding.

Pasture, grazing and exercise

Keeping a horse cannot be done without daily exercise, walks and walking the animal. This is necessary to maintain health and fitness, as well as proper nutrition. Green grass occupies one of the most important places in the animal’s diet, so the presence of pasture or levada (which we see in the video) is mandatory. However, it is not enough to simply release a horse into a paddock or onto a field. The nature of the pasture and its quality should be taken into account.

Unlike dairy livestock, the horse's digestive system cannot cope with large quantities of succulent feed. Therefore, the grass on the pasture should not be too tender and juicy. Otherwise, the animal may develop a disease such as laminitis. For one adult stallion, you should ideally have a pasture area of a quarter of a hectare. If the diet contains a lot of concentrates, then a smaller area is possible.

Feeding

The amount of feed required for a horse, as well as its diet, depends on the age, conditions of keeping and use of the animal. Sports and riding horses need a more properly balanced diet, taking into account the amount of calories consumed and burned. Their diet also includes additional nutrition in the form of premixes and additives. This is reminiscent of sports nutrition for professional athletes.

It is worth remembering that young, growing horses need more food than older horses. But this does not apply to lactating and pregnant mares, as well as breeding stallions. The diet also depends on the time of year and the individual characteristics of the animals. For example, there are horses that cannot be given higher doses of concentrates. This applies to especially energetic and excitable individuals.

Pregnancy of the mare

When pregnancy occurs, the mare does not go into heat again; when she tries to mate, she fights off the stallion. At work he becomes calmer, lazier, does not throw up his butt, and has a significant appetite. In the second period of pregnancy, the roundness of the abdomen is noticed. On the right side of the abdomen, a wave-like movement of the wall is observed, especially when cold water is given on an empty stomach. Before childbirth, the groins sag, the belly goes down, the legs, stomach and udder swell. In the last days before foaling, milk appears from the nipples. Pregnancy lasts about 11 months. Moreover, the queen carries fewer fillies, and longer stallions than this time. When pregnant, you need to pay special attention to feeding. Spoiled, moldy, rotten, frosty, frozen, swelling food causes miscarriages. The mare is fed more often, but little by little, so as to moderately burden the stomach; fatten to obesity at this time; harmful, since a fat mare does not foal well, and the foal will be bad.

It is useful to add wheat bran in the amount of 1.5-3 liters per day to the daily feed, adding 2 teaspoons of table salt.

Pregnant mares should not be exposed to too cold water to avoid miscarriage. Light work is necessary for pregnant mares - it makes childbirth easier. Heavy, excessive work, bruises in the abdominal area cause miscarriages. Before foaling, work on the mare is stopped 2 weeks before foaling, but the mare must be walked every day.

Before breeding, the mare becomes restless, lies down, and soon gets up again, looks at her stomach, and often excretes feces and urine. Following these signs, attempts appear, with which the fetus moves into the pelvis. The fetal bladder appears outward, ruptures, the liquid pours out, and the fetus appears from the birth canal. Normally, the fetus walks with its front legs extended and its head resting on them. In this position, the fetus comes out most easily. If the fetus walks with its hind legs, then this position can be considered correct. The mare usually foals while lying down, once foaled she stands up and the umbilical cord breaks. If the cord does not rupture, it should be cut off from the navel into the palm of your hand, washed with boron water (1 teaspoon per glass of boiled, strained water) and lubricated with iodine solution. 20 - 30 minutes after birth the placenta comes out. If the afterbirth did not come out in the first day, you need to send for a veterinarian. In case of protracted labor, which in most cases indicates an abnormal position of the fetus, you should also send for a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Reproduction of animals in the wild

If at home the process of animal reproduction is controlled by humans, then in the wild, mating does not occur according to science. But this does not prevent animals from getting excellent results thanks to their innate instincts.

Reproduction of wild horses

As soon as the mare is ready for mating, she begins to give appropriate signals. The stallion reacts to this by enlargement of the genital organ and brief courtship: sniffing and biting the neck. He then approaches the mare from behind and covers her. As a rule, the mating process is limited to several frictions, after which ejaculation occurs.

Despite the lack of human control, wild horses instinctively choose the right time of year to mate. This is necessary to ensure that foals are born at the most favorable period. If mating occurs at another time, then the possibility of fertilization is minimal.

Reproduction of deer

Deer reach sexual maturity at 2.5 years. When a female comes into heat, she signals this with a strong odor from her hooves and anus. Males actively respond to such a call. During the rutting season, they behave very actively, roar loudly, and hit trees with their horns. It is interesting that in this case the horns are needed not only for beauty and to attract attention. It is in them that the production of sex hormones occurs. Of course, you can’t do without horns in mating fights either.

The mating period of animals, as a rule, lasts during the autumn. During this time, the male manages to fertilize more than ten females.

Tapir mating

Unlike horses and deer, the tapir does not limit the possibility of mating to a time frame. It is ready to breed all year round. The only factor necessary for this is estrus, which occurs in females every two months. Before mating, tapirs go through a rather amusing courtship ritual. The male tapir runs around the female, and then they pretend to fight, squeaking loudly. After this, mating occurs, which leads to a 13-month pregnancy.

Elephants mating

Elephants reach sexual maturity at 10-15 years of age. But males usually start breeding only at 25-30 years of age. This is due to high competition. For the right to mate with an elephant, males hold mating fights, in which, of course, the oldest and most experienced elephants win.

Unlike stallions, which are ready to breed all year round, elephants are much less active. They usually stay separate from females. But every year there comes a period which in India is called “must”. At this time, males experience a surge in testosterone, and they rush to find a female ready to mate. In the elephant, like many other animals, this readiness occurs during ovulation, which lasts about two days.

The winner of the mating match and the female elephant chosen by him are separated from the herd for some time. Then, after mating, the female returns, and the elephant either forms a herd with other males or continues on alone.

Depending on the direction of development on farms, there may be a need for horses of various types: working, sporting and productive purposes. To emphasize and enhance the necessary qualities of the animal, not only purebred breeding is carried out, but also the crossing of horses, that is, the mating of individuals belonging to different breeds. To achieve optimal results, several types of crossing are used, which are worth talking about in more detail.

Breeding methods

Two methods are applicable for breeding thoroughbred horses: purebred breeding and crossbreeding.

The main method of breeding activity is purebred breeding. This method is well applicable when working with Akhal-Teke, Orlov Trotter, Thoroughbred, Arabian and other factory breeds. This technique preserves the useful qualities of the breed or improves the most valuable of them. It is also worth distinguishing between related (inbreeding) and unrelated (outbreeding) breeding.

Finding the right time

A female can be allowed to cover only after reaching the age of three

, and both mating partners must be healthy. Horses can breed from early spring to mid-summer, since this period is considered the most favorable for successful conception. A foal that is conceived at this time will be born in late winter or spring of the following year.

It is also believed that to calculate the optimal period for horses to have sex, it is necessary to calculate the amount of light in a day. Those individuals that live in warm stalls are allowed to mate earlier. However, the likelihood of fertilization is still reduced due to insufficient sunlight. In modern stud farms, additional lighting lamps are actively used, which allow one to deceive the natural instinct and increase the chances of successful fertilization.

Like most other animals, horses begin to have intercourse with the so-called “hunt.”

. This refers to the horse's estrus period, which can last from three days to one week and occurs every month. Estrus may occur less frequently depending on the individual characteristics of the mare’s body, housing conditions and ambient temperature. Also, its duration depends on all this.

Animals begin to copulate at the end of the cycle, at the time when ovulation actually begins. This period can last no more than 48 hours. To accurately calculate the timing of mating, you will need to monitor the mare's heat cycle. On the second day, it will be possible to allow an inseminator to approach her and breed animals until the end of the cycle

Secondary signs will also help determine when the right time has arrived: the mare behaves more submissively than usual, uses a specific neigh to attract the breeder’s attention. If insemination has taken place, the next hunt will be resumed only after foaling. All this time the mare will treat males aggressively or warily

All this time, the mare will treat males aggressively or warily.

In mares and stallions during mating

various hormones are released. Males will be ready to cover a female at any time, while females do not always allow them to approach them except during the hunting period. In the event that estrus has already begun, but ovulation has not yet occurred, the horse will try to climb onto the horse, and it will fight back with all its might. To carry out a successful mating of horses, so that none of the animals are seriously injured in the process, the breeder will need to not only choose the right time for mating, but also monitor the process up close, so to speak, “close-up”.

Hinny

Hinnies are the name given to hybrids from the mating of stallions and donkeys. They are not very common, since the size of crossbreeds is largely determined by the capabilities of the uterus. In strength and endurance, hinnies are seriously inferior to mules and horses. The maximum known height at the withers is up to 152 cm, and most animals are 110-130 cm; individuals with a height of 62 cm are also described. In terms of appearance, hinnies are close to wild horses (Przewalski) or Mongolian. They have a large head and neck, a short mane, reminiscent of a trimmed one. The ears are somewhat longer than those of a horse, but significantly shorter than those of a donkey or a mule.

Hybrids have 63 chromosomes because the parents have different numbers (64 in horses and 62 in donkeys). An odd set of chromosomes complicates the inheritance procedure, leading to impaired fertility, mass embryonic mortality or sterility of the resulting offspring. Crossbred stallions are always sterile, but the uterus can bear a fetus. To date, only one episode is known. A case of successful foaling was observed in 1980 in China; a foal born a year later from a donkey resembled both animals.

Reasons for the low prevalence of hinnies:

mating ritual among donkeys. Donkeys are much less likely to allow stallions to approach them than mares;
poor fertility. According to research results, only 14% of fertilizations are successful. This is largely explained by the fact that with a different number of chromosomes, the male should have fewer of them;
features of pregnancy. Pregnancy in donkeys lasts 350 days instead of 374 days in mares.

The low working qualities of hinnies (they are inferior to both other hybrids and donkeys with horses) do not allow them to be used in agriculture or industry. History describes isolated cases of the use of these animals in coal mines in the 19th century. Now there is a small population of these crossbreeds in the world, most of them are represented in nature reserves or used for leisure.

Reproduction of wild horses

There are many types of horses living in the wild, which differ in color and weight, mane and height, and tail. Among them are:

Przewalski's horse (Orenburg steppes);
heku (reserves of Spain, Italy, Germany);
Camargue (Mediterranean);
tarpana (disappeared in 1814 in Prussia);
mustang (southern and northern regions of America);
Brumby (Australia).

In the wild, horses live in herds that consist of a leader, mares and young animals. The leader is the protector of mares in the herd. However, he is not a leader. The herd is led by an experienced mare: she looks for pastures and controls order.

Young stallions live in a herd for 3 years. They are then expelled from the herd. They live separately in groups until they form a herd or take away other people’s mares.

The life of horses largely depends on smells. The leader marks the mares so that the stranger does not cover. Females find foals by smell. A kind of mark for a mare and stallion when creating a family and for animals of different breeds. The mating games involve the strongest males fighting for the mare. The mating season begins in April and ends in the second ten days of June.

In North American and Asian territories, horse families are found: a male, a female with a cub. They live far from the herd on grassy plains, small forests, and steppes.

The mating of horses refers to a natural physiological process that is necessary for the reproduction of their own kind and the preservation of varieties. For horse breeding, this is a component of selection to breed and improve breeds.

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Selection of individuals

Selecting a pair of horses is an important task, since future offspring depend on the parents. This takes into account the age, health, constitution and breed of the future parents

Animal age

Horses mate at least three years old. During this period, their entire body, including their reproductive organs, was fully formed. Many breeders make the mistake of letting a filly under three years old approach the stallion for mating, along with mature females.

Sometimes the male makes a mistake and mates with a young horse. In this case, insemination rarely occurs, but premature heat begins. If an immature mare is able to become pregnant, the foal is born very weak.

Health

Before mating, it is advisable to examine horses for the presence of sexually transmitted infections, infectious and invasive diseases, as well as internal non-contagious diseases. Any pathology, especially in the mother’s body, has a strong impact on the offspring. Helminthic infestations and infectious agents can penetrate the placental barrier and harm the embryo.

Constitution

The size of the horses is taken into account. The female should be slightly larger than the male. This is necessary to prevent possible injuries, as well as better insemination of the mare.

Breed

For sports or selective breeding, only representatives of one breed of horse are mated.

This is necessary to preserve the qualities and appearance of the breed, as well as certain characteristics.

If for some reason representatives of different breeds mate, the resulting foals are not allowed for breeding.

Preparing for mating

Before mating, animals undergo careful selection. The requirements for stud stallions are especially high:

high efficiency;
compliance with breed characteristics;
absence of any diseases and genetic abnormalities.

Approximately 1.5–2 months before the start of the breeding period, breeders provide the selected candidates for mating with adequate nutrition. The menu must include good quality legumes and oats, vegetables, root vegetables and fresh hay. Immediately before the planned mating date, the veterinarian examines the animals and assesses the quality of the seminal fluid.

Breeding horses on farms

Every horse breeder is interested in improving the breed, breeding purebred horses, and simply increasing the number of livestock, so farm horses often mate without the intervention of their owner: he chooses the method of fertilization, monitors the onset of heat in females, independently selects pairs, etc.

There are several methods of mating and reproduction: joint, manual, cooking, and also by artificial insemination. All but the last occur naturally, but under human control.

Matching

When choosing a male, breeders give preference to the most developed specimens, hardy and purebred, without serious diseases or genetic abnormalities. The appearance of the horse and its habits also play a big role, and its characteristics are more important than those of the mare.

The horse must also be healthy and at least three years old.

Both individuals must be suitable for each other in height, but if the female is slightly larger than the male, this is even good, but if on the contrary, then nothing good will come of their pair.

To maintain the purity of the species, they take horses of the same breed. A combination of a thoroughbred stallion with an ordinary mare is possible. True, horses resulting from such mating do not participate in breeding in the future.

Preparation

A couple of months before the expected mating, horses are well fed, but not overfed. Before mating, the female’s genitals and the quality of the male’s sperm are checked.

As in nature, mating in captivity is possible only if the female is in heat.

How is heat detected in a mare?

During the period of estrus in females, mucus is released from the vagina, and urination also becomes more frequent. Yellowish discharge of a viscous consistency occurs at the very beginning and at the end of estrus. In the middle of the cycle they are liquid and transparent. Also, her vulva swells, and the muscles contract every now and then, exposing the genital organ.

The behavior of young individuals becomes calmer due to the fact that the sensation of attraction is unfamiliar to them. Adult mares, on the contrary, are distinguished by restlessness and excitement, continuous neighing and undisguised interest in stallions.

When a male approaches, the mare assumes a posture as if for defecation and gradually secretes urine. This makes it clear that she is completely ready to reproduce.

In total, the hunt lasts 1-3 days, sometimes 5-13 days, but no longer. Longer ovulation and an uncontrollable desire in the mare may indicate pathologies of the reproductive organs.

Insemination

The day after estrus begins, breeders try to breed horses, since this is the time that guarantees one hundred percent fertilization.

However, even if conception does not occur (due to the male’s inexperience or other reasons), the animals will immediately be ready to try again. You can repeat knitting several times a day.

A young stallion can inseminate about 25 mares, and a mature stallion can inseminate up to 50.

If the process is successful, the female can no longer tolerate the male near her. This ignoring lasts up to a month.

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Hormone influence factor

There are many different factors and prerequisites that stimulate the entire living world to reproduce. But the most important among them remains the physiology of the horse and the influence of hormones. It is thanks to them that changes occur in the mare’s reproductive system, as well as in her behavior, which ultimately help to achieve successful fertilization.

Hormones are biologically-chemical active signaling substances that are produced by the endocrine glands of the body and affect the entire body or its individual organs and tissues.

Among the hormones that regulate the cycle of sexual activity in mares, there are such as gonadotropic releasing factor (GnRH), or gonadoliberin, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, estrogen, prostaglandins, each of them has its own function. specific function:

Gonadotropic releasing factor (GnRH) or GnRH is a hormone that is produced by the hypothalamus and stimulates the release of gonadtropins, in other words, helps the production of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is produced by the anterior pituitary gland and activates the second phase of the cycle - follicular growth.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) pushes the final stage of follicle maturation, the release of progesterone, and also provokes the process of rupture of the follicle, the release of the egg and the transformation of the follicle into the corpus luteum.

Progesterone, secreted by the corpus luteum, contributes to the normal course of pregnancy and also helps the development of the mammary glands. In addition, progesterone reduces sensitivity to estrogen, the saturation of prostaglandins, and the sensitivity of the smooth muscles of the uterus.

Estrogens are a category of hormones that prepare the reproductive organs for pregnancy. They promote the opening of the cervix, increase the secretion of mucus and swelling of the uterus.

Prostaglandins - activate the smooth muscles of the uterus, and also improve the ability to contract the smooth muscle fibers of the follicle and contribute to the destruction of the corpus luteum.

Natural breeding of horses

In very large herds there are several stallions, which also have their place in the horse hierarchy. The strongest male stands at the top, followed by younger stallions. Old individuals, as a rule, are expelled from the herd.

Often, other males who live alone come running into the herd because of the smell of pheromones from females ready to mate. A single male courts the future bride, and if she likes him, she allows him to mount.

However, if horses with a similar genotype, for example, a brother and sister, mate in a herd, then the birth of a foal with various abnormalities is possible

Therefore, on horse farms it is important to take into account the pedigrees of future parents

Mules

These hybrids are created by mating mares with donkeys. They are distinguished by their large size (not inferior to horses and seriously superior to hinnies), strength and endurance. Due to their high performance characteristics, these animals are still actively used in various sectors of the national economy. They are easy to obtain, require little care and feeding, and can cope with the heaviest loads, which is why their population in the United States alone exceeded 5 million in the mid-20th century. Males are infertile, but many cases of successful offspring are known from females.

Animal Features

The average weight of mules is 370-460 kg, but the weight has a strong dependence on the mares used for crossing, for example, hybrids with heavy draft breeds have a weight of over 500-600 kg. An important advantage of a mule is its endurance - it can carry more than 30% of its weight without a long rest. In terms of power load, a mule is significantly superior to a horse of the same size, but inferior to them in speed and other characteristics.

The exterior of the hybrid shows mixed data from both the donkey and the horse:

big head;
long ears;
thin limbs;
hooves are small, narrow in diameter;
trimmed mane;
the neck is massive, of medium length;
the torso is proportional;
sacrum drooping;
good muscle development.

The maternal line plays a significant role in appearance - the color, size, and build depend on the breed used. The most common colors are bay, gray and black; mules with white or roan coats are much less common. Hybrids from spotted mares are very popular - mules inherit the piebald color.

History of the hybrid

For a long time, the main place where mules were used was the army - the hardy animals were ideal for enduring all the hardships of military service. Most often they were used as transport; there are known cases of small-caliber guns being installed on mules. One of the latest facts of the massive use of mules for military purposes is the Soviet-Afghan war. During this conflict, America supplied a large number of hybrids to Afghan terrorists.

Mules also found their use for civilian purposes. It is known to use teams of 18 hybrids and a pair of horses to transport nine-ton wagons loaded with borax. Mules played a significant role in the exploration of America. Unpretentious animals could carry a wagon for a long time on meager food and water shortages. And today the active use of mules continues in remote areas where there is no developed road infrastructure. Mules provide great assistance when conquering mountain peaks or building in hard-to-reach places.

In 2003, it became known about the successful experiment of cloning a mule by researchers at the University of Idaho and Utah. Born on May 4th, the foal is the only successful hybrid cloned animal. Tests and examinations by veterinarians confirmed the normal development and condition of the newborn.

How do horses mate and why?

Courtship of a female

The stallion covers the mare solely for the purpose of further reproduction. There is natural and artificial mating. If in the first case the farmer does not influence the process in any way, then in the second he is forced to carefully select horses for mating. It is worth considering both options in more detail.

Natural way of mating

Mating of horses

In this case, the horses must graze in a herd. It houses one stallion and up to 12 mares. In nature, the size of the herd is regulated by nature itself in order to increase the chances of survival.

The male must lead the herd and protect it from external threats. For this, the females give their tacit consent to mating as needed. However, in every herd there is an alpha female. She is responsible for choosing pasture, and has priority during reproduction.

In nature, horse reproduction is controlled at the genetic level. They themselves understand that the offspring must be strong and healthy in order to survive in unfavorable conditions.

Video - Free mating of horses

Interestingly, there are many horses in nature. Young stallions live in a herd for up to three years, and then leave it, founding a new one. This is only possible through the removal of other people's mares. Also, a young male can take the place of an old one if he can defeat him in a fight. Then all the females that are in the herd come under the protection of the winner of the battle.

Artificial mating

Horses during the mating period

In this case, the farmer needs to independently control the entire process. In doing so, he manages to achieve the following:

the stallion does not become exhausted;
weak animals are not allowed to mate;
it is possible to collect sperm and store it frozen for a long time;
there is no risk of transmission of sexually transmitted infections.

However, the artificial method usually involves only the selection of animals for mating. The use of biological material and its delivery to the mare is advisable only if it is impossible to cover the female for various reasons.

In the latter case, seed material is introduced into the cervix through a special catheter. For successful fertilization, up to 15 ml of biomaterial is enough.

Description of methods for mating horses

The mating season in horses is a natural process, but mating does not always occur without human help.

For various reasons (for example, the stallion’s inexperience), farmers have to help the male cover the mare. Therefore, it is quite natural that today there are several methods for this process.

Manual mating

Hand mating is widely popular when keeping animals in stalls. The stallion is used to identify a mare ready for insemination, after which mating occurs (not necessarily with this male). To understand the female’s mood, they take her into a separate room and, holding the reins, bring the stallion to her head. If the mare is not yet ready to breed, she will flatten her ears and try to bite or kick the male. When this does not happen and the female takes a “pissing” position, you can proceed to organizing mating: the mare’s tail must be bandaged, and the genitals must be rinsed well with warm water. For the mating process, a special harness is used, which will protect the male from being hit by the mare. Mating can take place both in the arena and in an open area.

When the mare is ready, a male is brought to her and, usually, you can immediately observe how the horses mate. However, for the successful completion of the process, the male must remain on the female until complete ejaculation (this moment is determined by the position of the tail). If the mating is unsuccessful, the horse is led on the reins for another 20-25 minutes and the procedure is repeated.

Kosyachnaya mating

In some private farms, horses are kept in herds, so in such cases they use the herd or herd mating method. Here you don’t have to think long about how the horses mate, because after forming schools of 25 mares and launching a stallion to them, the matter can be entrusted to nature. The male himself finds females ready for fertilization and mates with them. The effectiveness of this method reaches 100%.

Varkova knitting

Like the shoal method, warping mating is used to fertilize females when kept in herds. The farmer selects several mares and brings them into a separate pen, after which he selects a stallion and runs them for the entire breeding period. After the mating period has expired, the stallion is taken out of the pen, and the females are sent back to the herd.

Artificial insemination

When there are mares, but there are no males on the farm, artificial insemination is often used. Typically, this method of insemination is more typical for large farms and stud farms. To carry out the procedure, livestock breeders themselves collect semen from stallions, analyze it and freeze it, or immediately use ready-made samples. The sperm is injected into the mare's body by a veterinarian, for which he has special equipment. This method of producing offspring has several advantages over natural mating:

the semen of one valuable sire can be used to fertilize a large number of mares (sometimes up to 20 heads, and up to 200-300 during the breeding season);
all possible sexually transmitted infections are excluded;
there is the possibility of obtaining offspring from a valuable sire who is located at a great distance from the mare.

Advantages of artificial insemination

The main zootechnical advantages of artificial insemination for selection are considered.

1. The producer’s ability to inseminate several tens and even hundreds of times more queens than with manual mating. With artificial insemination, a bull and a ram can easily inseminate 1000-2000 queens. There are cases of insemination of up to 25,000 cows with one bull and up to 17,600 sheep with one ram during the year.

2. Transportation of sperm is a relatively simple matter, therefore, with artificial insemination, the producer is used not in one, but in many farms. Artificial insemination breaks down inter-farm barriers, which were one of the main obstacles to selection.

3. In recent years, methods for long-term sperm storage have been developed. In special installations at very low temperatures, bull sperm is stored for up to 5 years without losing its ability to fertilize. According to theoretical calculations, sperm can be stored for up to 50-500 years. True, such long-term storage of sperm has not yet left the stage of a laboratory experiment. However, at the current pace of technology development, we probably won’t have to wait long for this.

Already now it is possible to inseminate the uterus by a producer located anywhere in the world, at any distance. But this is not yet economically viable and is complicated by veterinary requirements. Obviously, in the future it will be more profitable to inseminate the majority of queens with the sperm of sires from the nearest artificial insemination station, practicing long-distance transfers of sperm only in special cases for the leading breeding stock.

In some places they are already beginning to create so-called sperm libraries, that is, warehouses for long-term storage of sperm from the most prominent producers.

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What costs might there be?

To assess the profitability of a business, you will need to describe all key expense items:

buy or rent a plot of land for a stable and a place for walking. It is recommended to look for a building that has already been constructed, which only needs to be equipped. This will help save time on construction and open the project faster;
purchase of animals;
feed;
workers' wages.

To open a stable, you will have to register with government agencies. It is recommended to choose between an individual entrepreneur and an LLC: if the director is one person, then it is better to give preference to an individual entrepreneur, which will allow, in the absence of workers, to register the business under a simplified taxation scheme. Perfect for creating a family business.