breeding our mare

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we own a 5 yr. old reg. shetland pony mare we would like to breed her to a donkey to get a nice cart mule for the girls. has anyone done this before?will the mare have a problem delievering a mule?the donkey we have in mind is smaller then the mare. also what about colors the mare is chestnut the donkey is gray what would we end up w/?

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), September 05, 2000

Answers

Renee, the mare shouldn't have any problem delivering the foal, especially since the jack is smaller than she is. We got a little mare for our middle daughter when we lived in Alaska that was out of a Shetland mare. The stallion was half quarter-horse and half Arab, so was quite a bit bigger than the mare. Our pony was a little taller than her mother, and looked like a little horse rather than a stocky little pony. Your foal might end up chestnut, but mules usually keep the mealy coloring on the muzzle that donkeys have. It should be a cute little thing, I'd love to see pictures of it when you have it!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 05, 2000.

Have a 28" reg class A mini mare who produced a foal by a 16h TB stallion this spring. Think you'll be OK!

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), September 05, 2000.

The size of the foal at birth is determined by the size of the mare- not the sire.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), September 06, 2000.

George Washington's jacks produced mules. It's nothing new! My Mammoth jack has produced a lot of mules. My mares had no problems. These are avoided by proper feed, exercise, innoculations, deworming, etc. The color of the baby doesn't necessarily depend on the two you're breeding; it also depends on what's on both sides of the jack and the dam, for generations.

A jack who has only bred donkeys and never bred horses, probably won't. My jack, when weaned, was placed with and raised with horses, out of the sight and smell of donkeys. The jack, when old enough to breed, is bred first to a few mares. After this, he can be bred to both jennies (female donks) and mares.

It's a l-o-n-g 11 months for the human!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), September 07, 2000.


== Have a 28" reg class A mini mare who produced a foal by a 16h TB stallion this spring. ==

That HAD to be an accident! Don't know anyone who would take the chance on purpose. Surprised he didn't rip up the little ones personals.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), September 07, 2000.



The size of the foal IS determined by the dam, or so all the experts say. We have a little mustang mare that we bred to a jack this year for a mule in the spring. She is the best horse we have as far as temperment goes, and the jack is supposed to be the same. Your pony shouldn't have any trouble foaling, just keep a good eye on her especially the last month of the pregnancy. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), September 08, 2000.

seriously, not to brag, but I'm a big time breeder in west-central wisconsin, a farm called Rollingview Acres, we breed thoroughbred race horses and jumpers and compete all over the US in both races and three day events. We intentially breed 4 year olds to small stallions that throw small foals for the safety of the mare. No matter what the size of the mare we have 4 stallions that are guarenteed to throw small foals, it doesn't matter the size of the mare, nor the size of the mare at birth. We breed to very few outside stallions and we breed our stallions to very few outside mares but the stallion has something called "foaling ease" or the ease that the foal is born, which is almost always determined by size, small, well developed foals tends to make easy foalings.

Suzanne

-- Suzanne (hugging_calves@yahoo.com), January 01, 2001.


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