I own a four year Morgan stallion, Cooper, that we will be using to start our breeding program this year. Our farrier has worked with us since Cooper was born and asked if he could breed his Premarin mare to him this year. I gave him a contract to look over.
Two weeks ago he was out to put shoes on our gelding for a trail ride and said he wanted to bring his mare out in two weeks to be bred. He said their vet had just been out & everything was good. In my contract we ask that they are current on vaccinations, have a negative Coggins and negative uterine culture (although now after a recent thread, I will probably include that they need a negative cytology as well). He did not have a culture done. They missed the mare's last heat and now he doesn't want to breed her any later than her upcoming heat.
Here is where it's tricky. His vet said "she didn't have a fever and didn't have discharge." Those were his exact words. What in heck does that tell me? I have no clue if he did a full reproductive work up on this MAIDEN mare or not. Since he's been my farrier and he's an older guy that 'knows it all,' he seems to think I'm just going to go along w/whatever he wants to do and just breed this mare.
The other thing that's in the back of my mind is that where this mare is kept there is a proud-cut gelding that supposedly has 'been' with her and every other mare on the place a few times over the past year. So she's not a virgin mare but she's never conceived and carried a foal before. I'm wondering about the cleanliness of this setup and of his mare in particular. If this arduous gelding has 'cooties' and she has cooties, then my stallion and eventually our new mare would have cooties. Even if he had a culture done, I'm not comfortable w/this gelding covering the mare before my stallion - they do not clean the mare and gelding before/afterwards - they're just turned out in a big pasture together w/the other horses on the farm.
My gut instinct w/this situation is to say NO. I just don't want to piss off my farrier and have to get a new one, but I don't want to risk the future of our young stallion by breeding to mixed-breed unregistered mare that may be dirty, whose offspring by our stallion wouldn't be anything that I would use to promote his services with. I told my farrier that I would talk to my vet & call him back. I haven't heard back from my vet yet but I'm sure he's up to his elbows in AI and placentas at this time of the year!
Any thoughts on this situation would be GREATLY appreciated.
What a beautiful stud you have there!!! Go with your gut, my experience in life has proven that it is usually right, we just don't listen to it. Your boy does not need to breed down but up. You want to be proud of his offspring, not hoping that nobody will know that it is his. Good luck with him..he is a beauty!
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