retiring as broodmare?

R

redfoxylady

Member
Jan 12, 2008
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Hants bordering Surrey
Has anyone retired thier mare as a broodmare and what generally is the procedure?
Our 8yr old warmblood mare has been diagnosed as having navicular syndrome and we are looking at the best options for her future.
We visited the vets again yesterday for some treatment, tildren and steroids and it was the vet that made the suggestion. We will ensure that she is sound and comfortable first of course (she does not seem to think she has anything wrong!) she is intermittant lame in trot and on the lunge.
We were not sure if that was an option as she may need bute later and if whether the condition was hereditary but the vet said all would be fine. I am unsure of what the best option is? I need to ensure that she is well cared for and her feet are looked after and also if she was no longer wanted I would like for us to be contacted so we can agree where she goes next.
option 1: we keep her and find somewhere where she can have foals in an environment with others with 24hr turnout and shelter if required.
option 2: she goes on loan and we have her back if they no longer want her and can visit.
option 3: we sell her as a broodmare and agree that we have first refusal if they want to sell at a later date.
The other option would be sold as a light hack or companion but would have concerns as to the rider doing to much with her or worst still selling her on to make a profit!
 
Just a quick word of warning, although I'm sure you've spoken in length to your vet. My warmblood mare had to be retired also due to navicular and I was pondering going down the broodmare route. My Vet did advise me not to as although they are not sure yet of a genetic disposition to navicular the mares conformation does play an enormous part, ie if she is boxy and upright she may well pass this onto her foalie who will maybe then have a predisposition for it. Just a thought:)
 
Sorry to hear about the Navi.. have you been down the road of surgical shoeing, Navilox etc etc. I also hear that lots of horses with Navi are improved by barefoot trimming (but I'm a bit hazy about this as not a barefoot person :))

I take it your mare is very well bred, has decent conformation, a good competition record and a very sound temperament if you want her to go as a broodmare.

There are loads of people breeding out there and a huge amount of ordinary/mediocre horses being produced. A lot of the time the end product of all this breeding is, unfortunately, burgers. You only have to go to a graziers or sales ring to see this kind of horse. They aren’t awful in anyway but are just ordinary – but there are hundreds of them.

Unless the horse has something exceptional in some way or the owner/breeder of the foal is intends to have the foal for themselves then I think people shouldn’t just breed from a mare just because there is no other job she can do or just because they can.

If she didn’t have at least 3 of the above attributes (including the competitive record that proves her) and you can’t retire her and keep her yourself I would consider loan (more control over what happens to her) as a companion/light hack or if she is going to need treatment that would make her not financially viable for loan home then I would then be thinking about something a bit more final. As she seems comfortable without medication atm and if only bute was required I should think she'd have many more years as a lightly ridden pleasure horse though..

Just my thoughts.. :)
 
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eviesmum, what is your mare doing now?. I have spent almost every waking hour thinking about the best options for my mare's future and will not put her out as a broodmare unless I have researched where she would go and any breeder that may be interested. Thanks, I have noted what has been said about ensuring excellant breeding. I need to also take into account her personality and where she would be happiest, she is a very sociable happy horse and likes nothing best than being out in the field with all of her friends.
Generally people wanting a companion has one other horse and if that horse is taken away for shows etc she would not be happy being left on her own and would find that quite stessful. I suppose the ideal would be as a happy hacker with lots of field companions, but still really concerned that she would be over used. She is only 8yrs old so would need enough activity to stop her being bored. If I can not ensure a pain free happy life for her then I would take the responsibilty of "making it more final" but she really does not think that she has anything wrong and is very happy and full of life.
She has just been diagnosed and had treatment and new shoes! we will ensure that she is sound before rehoming or loaning her out. We have 12 weeks before her next xrays to check the progress.
 
Do a web search on barefoot and Navicular, there's always a chance that it might not be the end of the road after all, there have been some complete turnarounds with that route, though of course nothing is ever guaranteed.

I personally feel, like others, that there are more than enough average brood mares out there and indiscriminate breeding, unless you want the foal yourself I would thing long and hard before following that route personally.
 
Check with your vet before using her as a broodmare, as the extra weight of a foal might be too much for her feet and make the navicular worse and very painfull for her. And she might not be able to have bute/ steroids when pregnant
 
NuttyElk said:
Check with your vet before using her as a broodmare, as the extra weight of a foal might be too much for her feet and make the navicular worse and very painfull for her. And she might not be able to have bute/ steroids when pregnant
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was going to say. If it is painful for her now and she is lame, isn't it going to be a lot worse with all the extra weight of a foal.
 
BIrish said:
Sorry to hear about the Navi.. have you been down the road of surgical shoeing, Navilox etc etc. I also hear that lots of horses with Navi are improved by barefoot trimming (but I'm a bit hazy about this as not a barefoot person :))

I take it your mare is very well bred, has decent conformation, a good competition record and a very sound temperament if you want her to go as a broodmare.

There are loads of people breeding out there and a huge amount of ordinary/mediocre horses being produced. A lot of the time the end product of all this breeding is, unfortunately, burgers. You only have to go to a graziers or sales ring to see this kind of horse. They aren’t awful in anyway but are just ordinary – but there are hundreds of them.

Unless the horse has something exceptional in some way or the owner/breeder of the foal is intends to have the foal for themselves then I think people shouldn’t just breed from a mare just because there is no other job she can do or just because they can.

If she didn’t have at least 3 of the above attributes (including the competitive record that proves her) and you can’t retire her and keep her yourself I would consider loan (more control over what happens to her) as a companion/light hack or if she is going to need treatment that would make her not financially viable for loan home then I would then be thinking about something a bit more final. As she seems comfortable without medication atm and if only bute was required I should think she'd have many more years as a lightly ridden pleasure horse though..

Just my thoughts.. :)
Click to expand...

Exactly what i was going to say
 
As said in my first post, it was the VET that recommended putting her out as a broodmare and I asked her all the questions reference being in foal, the extra weight and being on bute, she said all would be fine.
I really appreciate all the advise on newrider but new posts would be great instead of ditto others as have taken those comments on board already, thanks. If I decide to go down the route of rehoming her as a companion or happy hacker where would be the best place to advertise her?
 
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DSC03302.jpg



pic of my girl.
 
I would probably retire her or sell her/loan her to a hacking home, I don't feel she is necessarily the best mare to breed from even without her navicular problems, also having had a friend of mine loose one to it I would suggest all breeding from navicular sufferers stops until we know for certain if it is passed on genetically, it certainly doesn't seem to help with some conformation issues that pop up
 
Hey,

Did a quick search and came up with the following sites all offering either companion home options or I suppose, light hack options:

http://www.projecthorses.co.uk/html/companion_adverts.html

http://www.ilph.org/hls/faq.asp

http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/discus/messages/438/438.html

http://www.ridemyhorse.co.uk/-1/14_Horses_For_Sale/ (you can specify either a light hack or companion only)

http://www.saddler.co.uk/classified/pages/companions.htm

Just some of them... otherwise it might be idea to make up so flyers and post them around the feedstores...
 
So sorry to hear about your mare. You sound like a responsible owner considering all her options first.

You could also try advertising her on the classified section of here if you do decide to loan her, either as a companion or light hack, i got loads of response when I advertised my pony.

When my first horse was retired due to intermittent lameness but didnt need any medication etc, I retired her and she went to live with someone as a nanny to youngsters. She was really happy.

I think you are right to be cautious about selling her as there are some unscrupulous people out there who might try to make a fast buck out of her.

Again as BIrish said, have you thought about her going barefoot. Again I dont know an awful lot about it, but a lady I know works as a barefoot specialist and has successfully treated a couple of navicular cases. I guess it depends on the severity of it. If you like, I can speak to her and try to find out where you can get more info if you like?
 
:( How awful that you have to consider these options now... you've only had her 7/8 months? Did you have her vetted when you bought her from the dealer?

Is it in her fore feet? From the picture she really isn't correct conformationally to consider breeding from her. I think loaning her as a companion or a light hack sounds like the best option.
 
Im not sure if this will help when ppl are referring to 'not conformationally sound' for breeding, I hope you dont mind, I've taken the liberty of drawing 'lines' on Foxy so that is makes it easier to judge pros/cons (there is a description of the lines and their colours under the picture - hopefully I have done this correctly...) I hope it helps:

Foxy.jpg



To show the horse's three sections:
(turquoise lines)
1) the first section is from the tip of the horse's nose to just behind the elbow.
2) the middle section is from just behind the elbow to just in front of the hip/stifle
3) from just behind the hip/stifle to the end of the hindquarter

to show the whithers/hindquarter level (topline):
(red line)
Trace a line from the highest point of the whithers to the hindquarter (if whithers higher) or from the highest point on the hindquarter to the whithers (if hindquarter higher)

to show shoulder angle
(pink lines)
shoulder angle is measured from the point bit of the shoulder (point of shoulder) to the middle of the whithers. ideal is 45 degrees.

to show hindquarter angles
(pink lines)
Connect the hip bone (point of hip) to the pointy but on the horse's bum (point of buttock).
ideal is 45 degrees.

to show front legs
(green line)
draw a line straight to the ground, starting in the MIDDLE of the horse's fore arm.

to show hind legs
(green line)
draw a liune straight to the ground, from the point of buttock, down to the hock.
if the horse is standing out behind or under himself, move the line inward or outward so that it goes just behind the hock.
 
Personally would say the trim of her hooves might have a lot to do with it, before you give up have a look at this site, might be worth sending her for some rehab, I do know the people and have seen the results, PM me if you like:) http://www.rockleyfarm.co.uk/
 
She really doesn't have the best conformation for breeding to be honest. She's a nice mare, but she has sickle hocks and she's over at the knee, and if she has navicular I'd be concerned that those points would pass on to a foal and possibly predispose the foal to developing similar problems too.
 
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