I'm sorry if this is in slightly pigeon English; I usually talk horses in French!
We have an 8-year-old Spanish/Arab mare who we would like to breed. In April 2009, we took her to be mounted by a Lusitano stallion three times while she was on heat (obviously). We were pretty sure she was pregnant - she gained weight, her behaviour mellowed a little bit and she no longer came on heat. However, in the middle of December she started to 'flirt' with the geldings and just to be sure, we did an ultrasound which showed that she was not pregnant.
The following year (April 2010) we borrowed the same stallion for a period of six weeks and left them together (alone) all the time. She was on heat for about 12 hours during which time he mounted her countless times. Still not pregnant.
The vet can't see anything obviously physically wrong with her, other perhaps than being a tiny bit fat.
Has anyone else had the same kind of experience? Is it worth our while trying again this Spring? Any advice or suggestions gratefully received!
Is the stallion disease tested? It's worth knowing there are diseases out there which cause abortion or infertility. Most studs take the precaution of having all visiting mares EVA and CEM tested, and the stallions are themselves tested.
You would be best to have her scanned to see if she's in foal or not. This is also important in case she's carrying twins, as they need to pinch one. I can't remember offhand the timings, but it's something like 18 days for pregnancy and 26 days for twins, I think.
Did you have her swabbed for infection? That can often stop the mare holding or taking.
I am not sure i you have got my answer .
My post is in the following window
sorry technic is not my expertise
I think you should definitely have her inseminated The best place for that is HARAS du thouars near Agen The owner is Emmanuel Cessac a true horseman as we can't find any. Have sent my three mares to him one of them
being 21 y and could get pregnant anymore.
What nearly surely happened the first time with your mare is that she reabsorbed or as said in french "elle a coulé" that happens mostly around or before the 4th month of pregnancy. There could be different reason one of them can be a stress or lack of hormone or deformed foetus .
But you keep having trouble. The fact to leave the mare with the stallion wasn't the best thing (i am not a vet just a breeder of Pure arabian, anglo, BWP or German horses I have just bought a PRE xLusitano young black stallion. to out cross with my arabian mares.
Send me your mail address so I can give you the proper address of Emmanuel Cessac He is a magician concerning breeding He knows every thing and he speaks English. Very very professionel but before anything a horse lover.
Horseley yours
Muriel