Crossing to a draft: What can it do for me?

Frequently Asked Questions about breeding to a Draft Horse

By Terri Aigner

Is it safe to breed my horse-sized mare to a draft?
           Many folks are turning to crossing with the quiet, dependable draft horse to add good temperament, size, and bone to their sporthorse breeding program. The question most frequently asked by mare owners is, how safe is it to breed a draft to a horse of lesser size? Live cover is quite safe if both horses are well mannered, and artificial insemination is used today with increasing frequency due to its convenience. According to Dr. Dave Stanford of Woodside Equine Clinic in Ashland, Virginia, “It is very safe in the horse to breed a mare to a stallion of much larger size. Because of the mare’s type of placenta and its attachment and blood supply, the foal will be limited in its growth within the uterus to the size of the mare's uterus. Test breeding have been done with draft stallions bred to small horses with no increase in the number of dissocial (difficult births).” In other words, the mare will carry the foal in an appropriate size for her, and then after it is born, it grows like crazy!
            As far as raising drafts and draft crosses, one is often amazed to find that the draft horse’s metabolism is often similar to that of ponies! “Draft horses have lower needs per bodyweight than light horse breeds, but because of their size, most are fed a significant amount of feed and hay per day,” says Dr. Martin W. Adams, Equine Nutritionist/Horse Feed Manager for Southern States Cooperative. “But you can feed less when the fat level is high as the calories are much greater by adding oil to their diet. A grain feeding of only .3% of body weight is all drafts need.” Drafts thrive on just good quality grass!
            The pleasure of raising and riding or driving a draft or draft cross, with its big, Cadillac-smooth gaits and endless power, makes it worth considering for your next very special horse. You may find it’s the last breed you’ll ever need!

What is involved in live cover?

Your mare will enjoy her own paddock while at BelleHaven Farm, with automatic waterer and grass as well as regular feedings according to the your instructions. We do natural pasture breeding here. Ragan is an extremely gentle and experienced stallion and does not bite or kick the mares. You generally must watch your mare's heat cycle and bring her to be bred around the time you expect her next heat to begin. The stallion will breed her when she is ready and as often as she will accept him during her cycle. Generally you have a veterinarian come out in the ensuing weeks and palpate or perform ultrasound to make sure she is in foal.

What do I need to know before I bring the mare?

It is in the best interest of both parties to sign a legal agreement so both know exactly what to expect. The price is stated, along with terms, such as what will happen if the mare doe not come in foal (rebreed or refund), the daily cost of mare care and what is entailed, etc.

Do I need my mare vetted before breeding?

This is a must. The stallion has already been examined for the season by a veterinarian as healthy and with good sperm count at the beginning of the season. To ensure that you don't expend needless effort, time and money on a mare that may have breeding problems, you need to have a veterinarian examine her to make sure she is free of vaginal infections, STDs (horses do contract these!), physical deformities, and that she is capable of producing fertile eggs.

What about shipped semen?

This is a terrific option for the modern horse owner. Distance no longer interferes with the breeding process! Once the breeding contract is signed, the mare owner gives about two to three days notice to the stallion owner before her mare is expected to ovulate (usually about ten days into her heat). Our stallion is transported to an equine collection station, where semen is collected, quickly cooled, and shipped overnight in containers to your veterinarian, who will inseminate your mare with it. AI, as artificial insemination is known, adds about an extra $250 cost to your mare's breeding, though that extra fee is paid directly to the collecting veterinarian..

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