Management for Early Breeding - Suggested Methods
In the racing horse industry, a birth near January 1 is essential to a successful racing career. The following treatment has been found to successfully breed mares by the first week of February. The regimes involve not only increasing the day length on December 1, but exposure to a stallion to hasten the start of estrous cycles and treatment with a progestin such as Regumate after follicles (20 mm) or a CL is detected. Note that this treatment schedule has been very successful.
| Date | Treatment 1 | |
| Dec 1 | Increase lights to 16 hours | |
| Jan 2 | Begin teasing with stallions | |
| Jan 24-25 | Palpate for CL or follicles | |
| Jan 26-Feb 4 | Regumate daily if follicles present, can give PGF2a on last day of steriod treatment but not usually needed. | |
| Feb 6-10 | Breed when in estrus every other day or in estrus and >35 mm follicle | |
| 80% of the mares exhibit estrus and 72% conception rate | ||
