Culture Results

Well, there was "no bacterial growth" on Lexi's culture, so it looks like we are good to start the Mare Plus and Regumate today!

As far as maintenance while she's pregnant goes, I'm most likely going to leave Lexi barefoot with regular trims. She will be on Mare Plus the entire duration of her gestation, along with the time she will be nursing the foal. This should help keep up her own nutrients along with those of the foal(FILLY!). I will also try to keep her in shape with some light exercise/riding. Exercise during the pregnancy to keep her muscles in shape will help when she is foaling.

Anyway, it's off to the mud-pit, I mean pasture. :)

Pre-Breeding Examination

Happy St. Pattys Day everyone!

Today Lexi had her pre-breeding exam. This included a palpatation/ultrasound and a culture, along with some Regumate to start her on at the end of the week. She had a few cists on her uterus, but all her parts were there. :) The vet said that cists are common on mares who have been bred before, and that we just need to remember where they are so that we don't confuse them for a fetus when we start looking.

The culture results should be back within a few days, and if everything is a-OK we can start her on the Regumate. The reason for this is that we are trying to "short-cycle" her. Regumate blocks mares from going into heat, and after about two weeks on it we'll give her a shot to bring her back into her cycle, effectively "forcing" her into producing an ovarian follicle. This will allow us to monitor the follicle and pick the opimum time for insemination.

Oh dear. I've caught the foal bug already, and I've still got (hopefully, if all goes well) a year to go!! :)

Here are the total vet costs to date:

tranquilizer - dormosedan IV $48
rectal palpatation w/ ultrasound $26
ultrasound - reproduction $48
micro - endometrial culture $75
regumate solution 150ml $72
Total vet costs so far: $269 Please note this does not include things such as: feed, farrier, wormer, foal supplies, board, etc.

Welcome to Foal News!

Hello everyone! I recently was looking around the Breeding forum on Horse Grooming Supplies Horse Forums, and was struck with an idea: Post a detailed blog on breeding my mare, from start to finish. Another forum member also suggested I keep a tally of the vet bills and other costs as well, so that newcomers to the genetics lottery will know what to expect, and what they're getting into.

So, without futher ado, I give you FOAL NEWS! This blog will follow my lovely, awesome, hot, totally kick-butt mare, Lexi, on her way through gestation and motherhood.

This hot number on the left is Lucks Hint Of Hostage, a 1997 Tobiano Paint stallion. He is the 1999 Champion of Champions, a Supreme Champion, Open Show Winner, has his ROM in Halter and Color, and is the sire of a breed association Top Ten World Champion. He is owned by Steve and Lori Brock, and is standing at Peacock Equine Reproduction Center in Morley, MI.

The type of breeding we will be using is Artificial Insemination, and all breeding and care procedures will be carried out by Kern Road Veterinary Clinic in Fowlerville, MI.

Now this good looking girl on the right is my darling Lexi, or Top Of The Times, a 1990 own daughter of Scotch Bar Time. She is an Appendix Quater Horse, has points in AQHA, and is an Incentive Fund and NSBA money earner.

She has been bred before, but unfortunately concieved twins and was not checked in time to save one of them. One sibling died in utero, poisoning the other and causing them both to be born too early. Hopefully we can avoid that heartbreak this time by doing a 15-day and a 30-day ultrasound post insemination to check for twins.

There you have it. Stay tuned for more updates! :)