Mating is an integral part of life and reproduction of all living organisms.
A lot of attention is paid to this process, since for the mating of horses it is necessary to create special conditions or to help the animals yourself.
To breed thoroughbred horses, it is necessary for every horse breeder to know how to prepare animals for mating, what is needed for this, what conditions to create for the horses and how the process itself goes.
The female’s body is completely ready for mating, gestation and childbirth at the age of three years. Previously, it is not recommended to allow the animal to reproduce.
The most favorable time for mating is considered to be spring-summer, more precisely from March to July. In good conditions, horse mating can begin in February.
The most important point and the key to quality mating is the period of female ovulation. In horses, this time is usually called the “hunting period.” On average it lasts 4 days, but in some breeds it can be 10-13 days. If a female shows sexual desire for longer, this may indicate the presence of abnormalities in the functioning of the body.
For a high conception rate, the mare must be covered on the 2nd day of the hunt. If fertilization does not occur after mating, then ovulation and heat resume. Determining the beginning of this process is not at all difficult. The mare's genitals open, specific secretions of a mucous consistency begin to flow, and the animal makes specific sounds.
The sexual process occurs at the moment when the penis is inside the mare. Some individuals may come out before ejaculation occurs. In this case, human intervention (manual mating) will be required. For quick and successful fertilization, special preparation is required for both the male and the female. For a young horse, more than 25 inseminations should not be allowed in one mating period. For an experienced and mature stallion – no more than 50.
How to prepare animals
In order to breed high-quality horse offspring, it is necessary to take a responsible approach in choosing a female and a male. The stallion must have high level coefficient useful action. The mare must be at least three years of age and completely healthy. Horse breeders are recommended to have their animals thoroughly examined by a veterinarian before mating to ensure the health of their horses and mares.
It is important to take into account the fact that the fertility and quality characteristics of the male should be much higher than those of the mare. It is also necessary to first organize a special diet for representatives of both sexes. Before fertilization, animals must take exclusively high-quality feed, a vitamin complex and all the minerals that are necessary for the full growth of the future fetus.
Ideally, before fertilization, you need to do an analysis of the male’s sperm to ensure his “ability to work” for the future generation.
Mating in nature
When animals mate in a natural survival environment, it is slightly different from mating in a farm environment. In nature, mating occurs on an instinctive level. That is, when the female begins the “hunting period,” the male feels it and covers the female. Naturally, no one checks or controls their age and health status. Because of this, in some cases, they may be born defective.
In addition, in the natural environment, females may show dissatisfaction or fear and not allow males to approach them. This can lead to injury to animals or “futile” mating, that is, sexual contact without further fertilization. The thing is that young and inexperienced males can interrupt sexual intercourse before ejaculation, which does not lead to conception. In farming conditions, a manual measure is taken in such cases when the farmer holds the stallion's penis until it is completely erupted.
IN wildlife horses can steam several times a day, taking into account the fact that one female is covered by several stallions. This can lead to the breeding of an “unclean” breed or poor quality fertilization.
As a rule, there are usually many more mares in a herd than stallions, which is why several stallions can “adopt” several females. In the animal world, this is a natural phenomenon, regardless of the health status, breed or age of the animals.
Mating on the farm
Mating horses on a farm, under human supervision, is significantly different. In this case, the person himself chooses females and males for further fertilization. It also creates the conditions for sexual intercourse to culminate in insemination.
For mating on a farm, with the help of a person, there are several ways:
- The joint method is considered the most effective. At the same time, 20-30 females and one male are selected. They are placed in a separate room for the entire mating period. During this time, the stallion covers all the females for whom the hunting period begins. According to statistics, this method guarantees 97-98% fertilization.
- Vorkoy is similar to kosyachny and is also suitable for herd breeding. For a small group of females, one stallion is selected, who himself identifies the female and covers her.
The manual method differs in that one female and one male are taken for mating. Mating occurs under human supervision and intervention. That is, the farmer himself holds the animals and their genitals.
Of course, the mating process occurs in a standard way, as in the wild. The role of a person in this case is to control the moment of ejaculation. The main thing is not to let the stallion leave the female early, otherwise fertilization will not work.
In addition to controlling mating, a person pre-selects pairs and monitors the health and nutrition of the animals. Before the very first fertilization, it is recommended to show both the mare and stallion to a veterinarian in order to make sure that there are no diseases or various infections. After all, only healthy individuals can have good offspring.
By breeding horses in large numbers, the most in an efficient way artificial insemination is considered. This is a method in which biological material is collected from stallions artificially, and then, during the hunting period, it is introduced into the female’s uterus to initiate fertilization. At the same time, about 200 females can be inseminated from one stallion. No other method will allow achieving similar results (with natural mating, one male is enough for 25-50 individuals).
The video shows the diagnosis of pregnancy based on external signs:
How horses are inseminated on a private farm...
The emergence of a huge variety of different breeds of horses was made possible thanks to the colossal efforts of horse breeders. Over a long period of time, specialists have crossed animals of different bloodlines to develop a new breed or improve an existing one. In some cases, the exact opposite goal may be pursued - preserving the purity of blood. To achieve success in this difficult task, it is important not only to know the basic laws of genetics, but also to understand all the principles of inheritance of the basic qualities of animals.
The most important stage of the work is the process of mating horses. However, before allowing two individuals to copulate, a number of factors should be taken into account: important nuances: selection of partners for intercourse, correct distribution of time, choice of method of reproduction, control of animal behavior and pregnancy period and many others.
Just like other mammals, horse insemination process consists of the eruption of seminal fluid from the male into the genitals of the mare. When meeting a female stallion, natural instincts seize him and he experiences sexual attraction. Sexual intercourse itself begins only when the male's sexual organ is in the mare's vagina.
As a rule, for most young stallions, a few sexual frictions will be enough for successful insemination. It is important to ensure that the penis is in the vagina at the time of ejaculation. Inexperienced males very often remove the penis in advance or at the moment of ejaculation. That is why it is important that the breeder himself or an experienced specialist monitors the mating process.
For fertilization to be successful, not only the mare’s readiness for mating is important, but also the stallion’s ability. During one breeding period, a young stallion is capable of impregnating no more than 25 mares. Older individuals approximately double these figures.
Finding the right time
The female can only be allowed to cover upon reaching the age of three, and both partners in copulation must be healthy. Horses can breed from early spring to mid-summer, since this period is considered the most favorable for successful conception. A foal that is conceived at this time will be born in late winter or spring of the following year.
It is also believed that to calculate the optimal period for horses to have sex, it is necessary to calculate the amount of light in a day. Those individuals that live in warm stalls are allowed to mate earlier. However, the likelihood of fertilization is still reduced due to insufficient sunlight. In modern stud farms, additional lighting lamps are actively used, which allow one to deceive the natural instinct and increase the chances of successful fertilization.
Like most other animals, horses begin to have intercourse with the so-called “hunt”. This refers to the horse's estrus period, which can last from three days to one week and occurs every month. Estrus may occur less frequently depending on the individual characteristics of the mare’s body, housing conditions and ambient temperature. Also, its duration depends on all this.
Animals begin to copulate at the end of the cycle, at the time when ovulation actually begins. This period can last no more than 48 hours. To accurately calculate the timing of mating, you will need to monitor the mare's heat cycle. On the second day, it will be possible to allow an inseminator to approach her and breed animals until the end of the cycle. Secondary signs will also help determine when the right time has arrived: the mare behaves more submissively than usual, uses a specific neigh to attract the breeder’s attention. If insemination has taken place, the next hunt will be resumed only after foaling. All this time, the mare will treat males aggressively or warily.
In mares and stallions during mating various hormones are released. Males will be ready to cover a female at any time, while females do not always allow them to approach them except during the hunting period. In the event that estrus has already begun, but ovulation has not yet occurred, the horse will try to climb onto the horse, and it will fight back with all its might. To carry out a successful mating of horses, so that none of the animals receive serious injuries in the process, the breeder will need to not only select right time for mating, but also to monitor the process up close, so to speak, “close-up”.
Mating in the wild
The process of mating in wild herds can occur from the second year of life of animals, although estrus in horses begins much earlier. At this age, pregnancy is unlikely: the mare’s body is too young to successfully bear a fetus.
Mating in horses occurs in the same way as in most large mammals. The female begins to “call” the male to her, making inviting sounds and spreading her legs wide. The male genitals emerge from the so-called “cap” and increase in size. He carefully sniffs the female, bends his neck, neighs excitedly and sometimes even slightly bites the female. After which it carefully fits into the back. If ovulation has not yet begun, the chosen one will begin to kick. The rejected suitor will retreat for a while, but will remain nearby in order to drive away other suitors. Periodically, the horse will try to repeat mating attempts.
During mating, the male rests his front legs on the female's back. Ejaculation, as a rule, occurs after several frictions. During the mating period, each stallion is capable of impregnating up to fifty mares. If the horse is still young, then this amount will be much less. Excessive stress on a stallion can result in health problems, so he carefully calculates his strength.
Mating in a herd
Horses in a herd can mate up to several times a day. Most often, there are up to several mares per male. It is quite rare to find numerous herds where there are several males per female. Mating wild horses occurs every year at exactly the same time so that the birth of foals is accompanied by good climatic conditions. If insemination occurs outside the mating season, the likelihood of successful fertilization will be extremely low. This regulation helps to increase the survival rate among young individuals, and also ensures the safety of the entire species.
Another important law regulating the process of horse mating in its natural habitat: only the best and strongest males pass on their gene pool to future offspring. Thanks so much important rule The breed is improving every year.
Mating under the supervision of people
The mating process under human supervision can occur in three ways: manual, joint and cooking.
For successful fertilization, the experience of employees is also important. Sometimes a mare or horse will need time to sniff each other and get used to their sexual partner. Only after the partners are fully ready can the process of sexual intercourse begin. It is also recommended to personally control everything that happens. The male can be guided using stretch marks so that he does not finish the act prematurely. Employees must ensure that animals do not harm each other during the process.
Artificial insemination
An alternative to the natural mating process is artificial insemination of horses. This method has a number of advantages:
This method is most often used at large stud farms. You will also need to first collect seminal fluid from the manufacturer. Before this, the animal undergoes many tests and necessary analyses. The seed is frozen and transported in special containers. Only a veterinarian should administer semen to a female animal. Most often, before the procedure, you will need to install a special machine that will fix the mare’s limbs.
Mating horses is an important process, which is at the core of improving and maintaining existing breeds, as well as the development of new ones. Even at large stud farms, the process takes place on the basis of animal instincts, which were laid down by nature itself. To get healthy and good offspring, it is important to understand all the subtleties that correspond to certain breed qualities. Only by observing all the conditions can the breeder be guaranteed to have healthy offspring of horses.
Attention, TODAY only!
For the majority of the world's population, horses have no practical meaning. But that small percentage that values these noble animals tries in every possible way to maintain the horse population and breeds new, hitherto unknown breeds of horses. Such people are called hippologists and the lion's part of their work is the mating of horses and their reproduction.
Breeding horses is a labor-intensive process, since most thoroughbred horses require special conditions for breeding.
There are 2 main reasons why most of the work on horse farms is mating the horses.
- First of all, maintaining the horse population. A mare is capable of giving birth to a healthy foal only in the third year of life, which means that a horse breeder needs 3 years to simply spend money on feeding the animal.
- Selection. Also, many owners of thoroughbred horses regularly conduct breeding to obtain animals with unique characteristics or appearance. Their main purpose is exhibitions or competitions at the hippodrome.
Both the first and second reasons require a lot of patience from the horse breeder.
Mating types
Before the domestication of wild horses, they calmly roamed the prairies and steppes and reproduced without any help. Now, almost all individuals of these animals have become “decorated”, and therefore have lost their fertility. Constant crossing of breeds has led to a decrease in the function of the immune system, and now horse breeders and hippologists take care of the mating of horses.
On at the moment There are 3 types of horse mating and, perhaps, we should start with the most common - mating in a herd. Such mating does not require human intervention; such mating is often called natural. 20 mares and a stallion are placed in an open area. They are completely isolated, allowing them to be in natural conditions.
When the male discovers that the female is “in heat,” he immediately covers her. Insemination in this way can be carried out several times in a row, which increases the likelihood of fertilization. This is how horses mated in the wild for thousands of years. It is not uncommon for such an act of mating to be called cooking. By the way, Przewalski's horses are mated in this way; under other conditions the animals do not want to reproduce.
Mating in a herd or the cooking method of mating is more suitable for strong breeds close to wild horses. In the case of breeds big horses applies manual mating. This type of mating is popular in small farms where herd mating of horses is impossible.
An adult mare is placed on a slight slope so that the croup is higher than the rest of the body. Horseshoes are removed from the hooves so that the animal does not harm the male. Also in this case, it is recommended to fix the legs with a special device - a harness. Of course, hand mating does not give such ideal results as herd mating, but nevertheless it is also widely used on small horse farms.
The last type of mating is This is a mess. The principle is exactly the same as with herd mating. All mares are divided into schools, usually 20-25 heads each, and placed in a separate pen with an adult and large stallion. For another school of animals, they take a stallion of a different breed, and so on.
The peculiarities of mating are that the horse breeder can monitor the qualities of newborn foals and determine the dominant male, the foal who “did his job” better than others. So on farms they focus on breeds in order to get maximum income.
Important! These types of mating are more typical for wild horses or “domestic” breeds. Mating of noble royal horses and mating Arabian horses carried out exclusively artificially.
This is the only way a person can influence the qualities of future stallions and mares, as well as obtain the desired results from selection. The method is simple, but requires the intervention of a competent hippologist.
Artificial
Artificial mating is carried out exclusively with the help of humans. Initially, the strongest and most mature mare in the herd or on the farm is selected, and then the stallion’s semen is injected in the required quantity using special equipment. The probability of fertilization under such conditions is 95%, but this is far from the case. high efficiency fertilization.
Royal horses have a first-class exterior, but their immune system fragile, and therefore bringing a stallion from the southern regions to impregnate the northern breed is tantamount to killing this animal. The same applies to Arabian stallions, who are accustomed to desert sands and dry air. Therefore, remote (artificial) insemination in this case - best option, since only the seed is required.
Important! All these types of fertilization do not have a 100% guarantee and it is not worth saying that one is better than the other. The type of mating directly depends on the area of the farm and the breeder, and not on the likelihood of fertilization.
Mating process
How do horses mate? This is an incredibly interesting process (of course, not in the case of manual mating). The period of heavy ovulation in mares begins in mid-spring or early summer. If the animal is “in heat” earlier or later than these dates, the mare is isolated from other females and males for 2 weeks, since otherwise the foal may be born at the wrong time (in winter) and it will be incredibly difficult to put it on its feet.
In the wild, during ovulation, the female’s genitals begin to secrete a liquid with a specific odor, which makes it clear to the stallion that the horse is ready to mate. She lowers herself a little and makes a characteristic sound, after which the male covers the mare. But mating horses in the wild is a little different from mating on a farm. Taming a horse has a slightly different ritual for calling a stallion.
At home
Domestic mares only lower their croup and spread their hind legs, which signals that the horse is ready to mate. Coitus during mating lasts no more than 15-20 seconds, after which the stallion ejaculates. This is the entire sexual act among noble animals.
Interesting facts! It is characteristic that during proestrus, stallions begin to groom mares, sniffing them and biting their necks. This is done so that during ovulation the female does not give preference to another male.
If the natural mating was successful, the stallion is immediately taken away from the mare, as she begins to get very nervous around him and tries to hit him, although a minute before that she herself was inviting him to mating.
Foal
After birth, at 40 minutes of life, a sucking reflex already appears in the baby, and after an hour and a half the foal begins to suck milk. With a normal foal and good health of the mother, the baby is on its feet within two and a half hours. The first thing that catches the eye of an inexperienced horse breeder after birth is the foal’s legs, which seem simply abnormally long, but this is absolutely normal.
An ordinary horse gives birth, its baby weighs a maximum of 40 kg, which is considered the absolute norm. Heavy draft horses give birth to babies weighing up to 60 kg, which is difficult not to notice.
In the end
Mating horses is a whole science. But if you are new to the world of horse breeding or are thinking about getting a horse, then the information received will be enough:
- Manual, piece, free mating, herd mating of horses - all these methods are absolutely equally effective and the chosen option depends only on the horse breeder.
- The mating of breeding horses, royal and Arabian breeds is carried out without the presence of a stallion - by individual fertilization.
- After birth, it is important to leave the foal alone with its mother; she will nurse him well, remove postpartum mucus and feed him.
- It is better to inseminate large horses individually or mate manually, so that the animals do not injure each other.
- Almost all horse breeds have the same principle of mating and inviting a partner; only wild and tamed individuals differ from each other.
Don't forget! For stallions, after fertilization, the mare must be taken away from the female's voice, since after sexual intercourse the mare cannot tolerate the presence of a horse. The mare carries a foal for 11 months, the reason for this is the large size of the animal.
It is now known how horses are mated, how complex and labor-intensive this process is, especially in the case of domestic breeds. Mating of thoroughbred horses is simply impossible without experienced veterinarians. Without a doubt, these animals deserve to exist, although their practical meaning is a big question.
26 “A horse is much more generous than a person, gifted with instincts and feelings. A horse hears better than a cat, its sense of smell is finer than that of a dog, it is sensitive to the passage of time, to changes in weather... There is no animal equal to it on Earth” A. I. Kuprin
Mating horses is an integral part of horse breeding
Mating of horses is a natural physiological process of reproduction of their own kind, reproduction to preserve the species. Horse breeding views this as an integral part of selection for breeding and improving breeds. During insemination, the male's sperm is ejected into the female's genitals. The egg is fertilized and a new life is born.
Natural reproduction
The reproduction process lasts from spring to mid-year. The herd consists of one horse and several mares, no more than 12, the number is regulated by nature for high-quality fertilization. The leader guards the herd, protects and covers the horses. One of them, the alpha mare, becomes the main one among the rest. She chooses places for grazing and leads the group. During the breeding process, it takes priority among other mares. Often the leader marks horses from his herd. Male individuals of all species of artiodactyls are always ready for coitus, females - only during the “hunting” period. Mating of horses occurs up to several times a day. Sometimes a horse, under the influence of sexual desire, tries to cover a mare that is not playing and is not ready to reproduce. There will be no fertilization, but premature estrus is provoked. In the wild, the mating of horses is controlled at the genetic level, preserving the species and ratio within populations.
Mares are ready for mating only during the heat period
Harbingers of the hunt
Stallions sense the approaching heat of mares. During this period of pre-estrus (proestrus), males court females, paying special attention to them: pinching the mare’s neck, sniffing the genitals. When estrus begins and fertilization becomes possible, the mare raises her tail, spreads her hind legs, bends slightly toward the ground, and her vulva opens. During estrus (extrusion), mucus is released from the vagina, frequent urination and “flickering” are possible. The smell released from the genitals attracts males. Young mares, feeling for the first time an unusual need for intimacy, become quiet. The hunting period lasts from 3 to 1 days. It is customary to cover a mare the day after the start of estrus to obtain the maximum guarantee of fertilization.
In case of failure, it is possible to repeat the mating if the mare is still “playing”.
Sensing the approach of the hunt, the stallion begins to care for the mare
Insemination process
During courtship, the penis tenses and emerges from the preputial opening. The horse jumps onto the mare, covers her with his front legs, and mounts her. The erect penis enters the mare's vagina and the ejaculation occurs. Coitus lasts from 12 to 16 seconds. Under good circumstances, fertilization occurs.
Young males sometimes fail. Because of their inexperience, they make a number of mistakes: they jump from the side rather than from behind, are often fussy, and allow early ejaculation. They learn and gain experience quickly. The next time the stallion covers the female quite easily.
Ovulation will resume if fertilization has not occurred. After the birth of the offspring, the mares will go into heat in 8-10 days.
Mating age
In preparation for reproduction important role careful selection of partners plays a role. Usually, until the age of two, a young filly does not allow the horse to approach on her own, and when the period of sexual activity begins, her age approaches three years.
Puberty in mares occurs in the third year of life
How to prepare for mating
For mating, candidates with good performance and appearance, distinguished by high thoroughbred and good heredity, are used. The female's performance may be lower than the male's. 4-6 weeks before the expected insemination, additional feed is introduced into the diet, improved care is provided, and a few days before it, the horse's sperm is checked and the reproductive organs of the mares are examined.
Selection of breeds
Horses for breeding are carefully selected. The data of future offspring depends on this. The female is chosen to be as tall as the sire, or a little larger, but not small and fragile in comparison with him. To obtain a pure breed, it is prohibited to mix purebred animals of one species with another. The horse must be of the breed you are trying to get. Only mares from this connection are used for breeding until the breed is confirmed. By repeating the procedure with an ordinary horse eight times, you can say that you have obtained pure offspring. Healthy and beautiful parents with characteristics inherent in the breed are selected.
Mixing valuable breeds during mating is prohibited
What kind of mating happens?
When mating horses, different methods are used. The most common are the manual, cooking and joint methods. They are the same as in nature. Man is only an observer and corrector. The horses that are most suitable for each other are selected, the characteristics that the offspring should have are determined, and pairs are made.
In rural areas and small farms, manual mating is usually used because of its simplicity, low cost, and good results. Stallions impregnate mares with a high probability of conception (90-95%), with proper care they grow into beautiful, healthy offspring.
- Use a quiet, not noisy place.
- The mare should be positioned so that it is easily accessible, preferably with the rear slightly raised.
- Remove horseshoes, if the filly is obstinate - use a breeding belt to protect the stallion
On the eve of the process of mating horses, you need to study their habits a little. Each of them has its own character. It is important that they like each other. Let them sniff, get comfortable, and feel safe.
The stallion and mare must get used to each other
Cooking mating and shoal mating are used in herds. Only the cooking takes place in the pen. The breeding horse remains with a group of mares (from three to seven). He independently chooses partners for mating.
After mating, the mares are brought into the herd, and the stallion gains strength for some time and joins the herd.
Mowing mating is different in that it selects for the herd more horses (from twenty to twenty-five). The breeding horse stays with them in the pasture throughout the mating season. Horses are relatively free to choose. Fertility rate 90-95%.
Artificial insemination
Large farms and stud farms use artificial insemination. Insemination technicians inject diluted semen into the mare's vagina. The selection of horses occurs in a standard way. Advantages of this method.
The sperm of the stud horse is effectively used. With one diluted dose, up to twenty horses are inseminated, and up to five hundred per season.
- The breeding male is not exhausted.
- The collected sperm is frozen in liquid nitrogen, having previously been selected according to special parameters (high sperm motility and a certain concentration in a diluted state).
- A sperm bank is maintained, allowing the genetic data of the most thoroughbred horses to be used for fertilization for a long time.
- The infection is not transmitted.
Mating of horses is not only an important process of reproduction of the species, but also one of the main components in horse breeding for breeding purebred horses, improving existing and breeding new breeds. A huge knowledge base has been developed, using which to achieve good results for the birth of healthy offspring.
