How to Breed a Welsh Pony

Welsh ponies and cobs are a single breed of spirited, tough ponies and small, powerful horses who originated in Wales before the Roman conquest of Great Britain. Over the centuries, the breed's relative isolation and lack of popularity have produced animals of uniformly good quality and elegance. Proper breeding will help you ensure the mare delivers a foal who is a credit to the breed as well as the time, money, effort and concern you will expend raising it.

Instructions

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      Singer Hero Melia and her Welsh cob Quince in Snowdonia, Wales.

      Evaluate the mare against the breed standard. If she is not a good example of the Welsh breed, don't breed her because breeding a mare is expensive. If you board her and will board her foal as well, the mare's vet bills and stallion fees, as well as veterinary care and board for the foal for the first three years of its life can easily total $10,000. That sum does not even begin to include training for the young horse. At the time of publication, you could buy a fine, mature and trained Welsh pony or cob for less.

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      Call the vet and have the mare evaluated to make certain she is reproductively sound. She should be fertile and also be able to carry and deliver her foal without undue discomfort or danger. This is particularly true if she is an older mare being bred for the first time. The vet should evaluate her general soundness, especially if you are breeding her live cover (where the stallion will actually serve her himself). No matter how gentle he is, supporting a stallion during breeding is physically hard for the mare, as is carrying the foal to term. The mare may be a splendid example of the breed and perfectly sound for trail riding, but if she has an old injury that prevents her from jumping, for example, carrying a foal may be painful for her.

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      How it was done: a Welsh Cob stallion travelling to the mare.

      Find a stallion who compensates for the mare's flaws. All horses have them. If she is a little straight in the shoulder, find a stallion who not only has a good shoulder but is known to put good shoulders on his get, or foals. If she tends to be a little timid, or not as affectionate as you would like, find a stallion known for passing on his outgoing, warm personality. If she needs a little more substance or height, consider a cob, rather than pony, stallion. But do not breed a small section A mare to a big section D stallion. It is cruel and dangerous to make a mare carry the foal of a much bigger stallion. Take some time and consult breeders and judges before making a decision; they will know that certain lines of stallions cross well on certain lines of mares. You will have years of time and love and thousands of dollars invested in the young horse before you ever ride it, so find the right stallion for the mare.

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      Contact the stallion owner and meet the stallion if you can. Seriously reconsider breeding the mare to a stallion you're not allowed to meet, or whose owner will not refer you to owners who have bred their mares to him. Temperament is not nearly as significant a concern in Welsh stallions as it is in some other breeds. If considering live cover, the concern is for the mare's health, both physical and emotional. If the stallion prospect is in a pasture with mares and foals, that is a very good sign. He's allowed to be a horse with other horses, which means he will know how to behave with the mare. Having the mare artificially inseminated removes any concerns about how the stallion will behave with the mare and is far more convenient than shipping the mare to the stallion. The Welsh Pony &Cob Society of America recognizes artificial insemination.

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      Contact the vet and also the farrier. Mares are at their most fertile in the summer, so have the mare up-to-date on her shots and in good physical health when she comes into season. If breeding live cover, have the farrier pull her rear shoes; she can still defend herself against an ill-mannered stallion but she'll do less damage. If she has any soundness problems, the farrier may also be able to trim and shoe her in a way that minimizes her discomfort during her pregnancy.

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      Coordinate with the stallion owner if breeding live cover, and the vet as well, if you are breeding via artificial insemination, to arrange the date and time of the actual breeding.