2 Year Olds in Foal?

[PrincessP]

What's everyone's opinions on 2 years old being covered to be in foal? I know of a number of people that do this. Personally I do not agree with it and think its wrong.

What do you think? Do you agree/disagree?

Just wanted to know everyones opinion not start any arguments.

[pencaedu]

Wouldn't plan for it, I admit, although I have heard it said it is a way of stopping a filly growing too big. We have a foal this year out of a (now) 3 y.o. Doesn't seem to have done her any harm - but it was an accident & stallion was much smaller (section B) and she's Han x D

[sandraharrison395]

Our next door neighbour always covers as a 2 year old and foals as 3 year olds with no problems

[gillwales]

I did this twice, once to stop a mare going over 12.2 and another for a customer who would have sent her mare to a sec D rather than use my small riding pony. In both cases I only covered them once and with smaller stallions and both were mature 2 year olds, my own was a march filly so she was over 2 when I covered her.

[redshadow]

If people do it to stop them going overheight e.g growing bigger then if this is because being infoal at such a young age stunts their growth, therefore surely if you were not doing it for that purpose and don't want to stunt the growth of a young filly then it is a no no.

A youngsters spinal processess do not close until they are four years old so any weight carried will put extra bearing on the skeletal formation.

Some back them this early to stop them going overheight, can you imagine why it stops them growing and the damage caused.

I personally can't understand how it stops them going overheight, clearly no real evidence to prove this and how can you tell what any animal is going to reach at maturity. Some stop growing at 2, others can have a spurt later on, how do you know a 2 year old is going to be overheight and that putting it in foal makes a difference to her not being so.

In particular breeding within a height restriction, some stock are always going to grow bigger.

[elmere]

I couldn't do it no matter how big they were going to grow, they are still babies themselves even covering at 3 is young to me.

[sarahp]

I wouldn't cover at 2yo but I do cover at 3yo to foal at 4yo, usually if I do for a mare to have a foal before a ridden career - a foal is not much weight to carry around until the last three months or so, and they will be 4yo by then, and could otherwise be being ridden. I don't think covering at 2yo would stunt growth permanently, I think they'd still reach their genetically programmed height but maybe not as quickly.

[gilbertgrape]

Generally I wouldn't but I did do it 16 years ago and that progeny was a HOYS Champion WHP . The mare then went on to produce top stock for Popsters Stud including Popsters Puddles and at 18 she is still going strong.

She was a mature big well grown filly as a 2 y .o.

[jeeves]

wouldnt do it myself as i think they need to grow

but have heard it done and succesfully, would have thought they would need the following year off to mature and develop further though

[stormyskies]

I imagine it happens in the wild. I thought about doing it myself this year with a very mature 2 yr old I had. But then couldn't bring myself to do it, lol. I will cover her next year at .

Am sure someone once told me that it's easier at 2 yrs, something to do with pelvis being more pliable, or something along them lines

[Deleted]

correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can register stock out of a 2yo mare - for Dartmoors anyway. Can you register stock out 2yo welsh mares?

[sarahp]

I'm sure you can.

[jmo]

I have always covered 2 year olds to foal as 3 year olds providing they are mature enough to cope both mentally and physically. I have never had any problems in anyway breeding out of 2 years olds. I do not believe it stops them going over height either. If covered at 2 they foal at 3 then by the the time the foal is weaned and the mare has had time for her milk to dry up and get over the weaning process then its normally the time we would start to back them so they are then ready for the ridden job as 4 year olds. By the same token I would never breed from an immature 3 or 4 year .

[Jenna]

Nov 2, 2012 22:06:03 GMT cayberry said:

correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can register stock out of a 2yo mare - for Dartmoors anyway. Can you register stock out 2yo welsh mares?

yeh u can, im sure my a's dam was a 2 yr old at the time (accident) and hes fully registered