Hand Breeding - need help!

aajhome · 08-15-2008, 08:58 AM

This is the first year we are studding our boy out. The mare is about 16 hands and he is 14.1 -14.2 hands (depending on how I manage to measure him, hehe). We were going to let him pasture breed, but the last couple times I have seen him ride her, he can't quite reach, he is only like half an inch off. I have not seen him everytime, so maybe it was just those two times, but I am worried the mare will not get bred because of this. We ourselves have a 16 hand mare that he bred no problem, so I don't know if I should be worried or not. We were going to try hand breeding her so we can make sure he gets her, but how do I position them to make sure he can reach? Do I put her on a hill and if so how much of a hill? Please help!

cowgirlspurs · 08-15-2008, 10:02 AM

You may need only a slight incline or you might need a ditch.
When I used a smaller horse this spring to breed he had no problem breeding one 15.2hh mare on a slight incline but on another-much much wider mare-we had to find a steeper hill as he had loads of trouble.
ANother thing you could try is building him a small stable hill with a slight hollow in front for the mare's back legs-my description dones't sound right-but a TB farm I worked at used it and they had no issue breeding the 15hh TB to a 17hh TB lol.
I've bred a 13.1 to a 15hh using a ditch.

ThorArb · 08-15-2008, 10:43 AM

If you can find a small hill or something that works great. My stallion is only 14.3h but bred a 16h+ mare this year. I hand bred him the first couple of times but after that I just turned him out in the pasture with her. He didnt seem to have an issue figuring out how to reach.

If there arent any small inclines you can use, there's always a ditch to be dug! My trainer and I had to dig a little ditch to put the mare's back end into when he was breeding his stallion to a large mare. Pain in the butt to do it but if that's what you have to do, then that's what ya do.

Good luck!

Spyder · 08-16-2008, 05:25 PM

Usually where there is a will there is a way and stallions have a LOT of will.

PaintsQH · 08-16-2008, 05:52 PM

Kind of like a poodle and a great dane

hawk · 08-16-2008, 06:01 PM

I think you should make a trip to Kentucky...plenty of different size rolling green hills to try him out on

might take you 20 or 30 hills till you find that one that is perfect

Or you can pop some viagra into his feed bucket then he shouldnt have a problem when the moment comes

Sorry, lol, no strong advice from me -

aajhome · 08-17-2008, 07:35 PM

Well we got her bred. We put her on a small hill and got it taken care of. My husband thinks he had probably gotten to her before and I just saw the times when he didn't, but when it is not my mare I like to make sure the job gets done. Thanks for all of your advice!

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08-15-2008, 08:58 AM
aajhome Halter broke Join Date: May 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 118	Hand Breeding - need help! This is the first year we are studding our boy out. The mare is about 16 hands and he is 14.1 -14.2 hands (depending on how I manage to measure him, hehe). We were going to let him pasture breed, but the last couple times I have seen him ride her, he can't quite reach, he is only like half an inch off. I have not seen him everytime, so maybe it was just those two times, but I am worried the mare will not get bred because of this. We ourselves have a 16 hand mare that he bred no problem, so I don't know if I should be worried or not. We were going to try hand breeding her so we can make sure he gets her, but how do I position them to make sure he can reach? Do I put her on a hill and if so how much of a hill? Please help!

08-15-2008, 10:02 AM
cowgirlspurs Long Yearling Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Washago/Severn Bridge Ontario Posts: 1,423	You may need only a slight incline or you might need a ditch. When I used a smaller horse this spring to breed he had no problem breeding one 15.2hh mare on a slight incline but on another-much much wider mare-we had to find a steeper hill as he had loads of trouble. ANother thing you could try is building him a small stable hill with a slight hollow in front for the mare's back legs-my description dones't sound right-but a TB farm I worked at used it and they had no issue breeding the 15hh TB to a 17hh TB lol. I've bred a 13.1 to a 15hh using a ditch. __________________ Fufill your fantasies...FG Fantasy Fella

08-15-2008, 10:43 AM
ThorArb Kid Safe Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Conyers, GA Posts: 5,443	If you can find a small hill or something that works great. My stallion is only 14.3h but bred a 16h+ mare this year. I hand bred him the first couple of times but after that I just turned him out in the pasture with her. He didnt seem to have an issue figuring out how to reach. If there arent any small inclines you can use, there's always a ditch to be dug! My trainer and I had to dig a little ditch to put the mare's back end into when he was breeding his stallion to a large mare. Pain in the butt to do it but if that's what you have to do, then that's what ya do. Good luck!

08-16-2008, 05:25 PM
Spyder Halter broke Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 135	Usually where there is a will there is a way and stallions have a LOT of will.

08-16-2008, 05:52 PM
PaintsQH Started Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,416	Kind of like a poodle and a great dane __________________ My treasures do not clink, they gleam in the sunlight and neigh in the night

08-16-2008, 06:01 PM
hawk Halter broke Join Date: May 2008 Location: brampton Posts: 155	I think you should make a trip to Kentucky...plenty of different size rolling green hills to try him out on might take you 20 or 30 hills till you find that one that is perfect Or you can pop some viagra into his feed bucket then he shouldnt have a problem when the moment comes Sorry, lol, no strong advice from me -

08-17-2008, 07:35 PM
aajhome Halter broke Join Date: May 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 118	Well we got her bred. We put her on a small hill and got it taken care of. My husband thinks he had probably gotten to her before and I just saw the times when he didn't, but when it is not my mare I like to make sure the job gets done. Thanks for all of your advice!