First: It is important to understand that the stallion owner does have your best interests at heart.  Stallion owners like it when their mare owners are happy, and they know that pregnant mares make them happy, and will do everything within reason to get your mare pregnant. 

Second: As a mare owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your mare is ready when the breeding season starts. 

• If your mare is open at the beginning of the season, be pro-active in making sure your mare is ready to breed.  Talk to your vet or breeding specialist to see if a culture and cytology is appropriate for your mare.  A biopsy may also be appropriate for older mares that have had several foals.
  • Culture - used to determine whether or not bacterial or fungal infection is present in the uterus.  If an infection is present, your veterinarian or breeding specialist will advise you on a course of treatment.
  • Cytology - checks the quality and normality of the cells of the lining of the uterus.
  • Biopsy - allows a more in-depth examination of the uterine wall and grades the quality of the uterus.
• If your mare is in foal, keep the stallion owner/manager informed of when your mare is foaling, especially if you are planning to breed on the foal heat. 

Third: Keep the stallion owner/manager informed of when you are expecting to need to breed your mare, (whether it is live cover or shipped semen).  An open line of communication is key to success.  We love getting calls when a mare first comes into heat because we can then have a rough guess of when we are going to need to be breeding and we can plan accordingly. 

While we make every effort to accommodate mares that need bred immediately when we were not given a heads up, it is sometimes impossible to accommodate.  Stallion owners/managers would like for mare owners to call early and say, "I think I'll need semen on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I'll call you and let you know when we get closer."  It is much better than hearing at 3:30 in the afternoon, "I need semen shipped out today." 

Fourth: Keep good records.  These will be important to your veterinarian or breeding specialist if a problem arises.  Information about your mare will help to get your mare in foal.  Things you need to keep in this record:

• Any procedures your vet has performed on your mare that have to do with breeding.  If there were tests done, what was done and what were the results? 
• What did it take to get her into foal before?  Things like previous infusions, and oxytocin treatments may help you this year, but won't necessarily guarantee success. 
• What was done to keep her in foal?  Caslicks, hormone therapy, and these types of things are very important.
• Estrus cycles: keep records of when she comes into and goes out of heat.  How heavy are her heat cycles?  What is the size and location of the follicle when she is ultrasounded?  How big does her follicle get?  Has she been under lights to induce heat cycles and when did she start under lights?
• Any uterine abnormailities need to be noted.  Cysts and their size and location need to be monitored for changes.  It will also help you avoid thinking that your mare is pregnant after an ultrasound when it is only a cyst. 

Fifth:  Make sure to keep your mare as free from stress as possible when trying to get her in foal.  Excessive travel before breeding or before 35 days post-breeding can prevent a mare from settling. 

Sixth: Understand that you have the same goals as everyone helping you: getting your mare to a safe delivery of a beautiful foal.  Unfortunately, that does not always happen despite everyone's best efforts.  We are, after all, dealing with mother nature, and she has the ultimate say in what happens.