How to Breed Mini Horses

Breeding farm animals of any kind, including the mini horse, requires a combination of care, experience, skill and time. The mini horse, which is the result of about 400 years of careful breeding, is a junior version of the standard-sized horse and measures only 34 inches or less at the withers. Mini horses were used in Europe, especially in England, as early as the 1700s to pull carts in towns. They were also favorite animals for European royalty give as gifts. Today, mini horses are bred mainly as pets for children or are used to pull small carriages in tourist spots.

Things You'll Need

  • Mature and healthy stallion
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose the smaller members in the mini-horse family because the breeding purpose is to obtain the smallest horse possible. Miniature horses must not be taller than 34 inches at the withers when mature.

    • 2

      Watch your mare to maximize the breeding time with a stallion. A mare in "heat" or "season" will urinate frequently and raise its tail often to display its vulva. Both natural and artificial light hours dictate the mare's heat cycle, particularly as the daylight increases from spring to summer. During these seasons, the heat cycle occurs every 21 days on average and lasts five to seven days. The breeding month begins in February or March, but the highest conception rates in mini horses occur from April to July.

    • 3

      Introduce a mature and healthy stallion to the mare 24 to 48 hours after the first time it shows signs of being in heat. This will give you an idea of whether the mare is ready to breed. If the mare is interested, it will have its buttocks back up to the stallion's. When compatible, keep the stallion in the stall with the mare until the mare's heat cycle ends. Minimum stall size is 8 feet by 8 feet to comfortably fit two mini horses.

    • 4

      Breed the mare every other day because sperm can live up to two days in its vagina. When breeding, take note that a mare less than two years old risks gestation and birthing problems because it hasn't fully reached maturity. On the other had, some mares are not mature enough and don't conceive until they reach five years old.

    • 5

      Check with a veterinarian in 14 days to see if the mare is pregnant. If not, try again with a stallion the next time the mare's in heat.