# mare care for a pregnant mare



## General Brown (Jan 10, 2008)

We recently purchases a mare with full intention of breeding.

She is a 9 year old QH mare, 14.3 hands and in great condition. She was bred this evening and expecting a foal mid march of 2015. Any suggestions on a good plan for her upkeep to keep her in good health and a healthy foal?

Thanks in advance!!


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## GraceAlice (Jun 7, 2013)

Dang that horse looks huge!


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## General Brown (Jan 10, 2008)

GraceAlice said:


> Dang that horse looks huge!


Big mare....small daughter!!! Daughter stands 5'4".


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## alsarve (Feb 20, 2013)

No way is that mare 14.3 if that girl is 5'4" lol. Her withers are even w the girls' head. Very cute expression on the mate's face tho. Good luck w her pregnancy and raising of the colt/filly. What discipline are hoping for?


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

Main thing I have seen, is to continue feeding her "normally", but not going crazy with "good food and supplements" like advertising would lead you to think is needed.

She does NOT need the best Alfalfa hay, or even excellent third cut grass hay! Just nice first or second cut, grass or grassy mix hay works fine. Alfalfa alone, can skew the mineral balance in her food, so is considered much too rich for bred mares around here. She does NOT need the multiple pounds of grain recommended on the bag, to build a nice foal. Unless the mare is in heavy work, being used hard, hours a day, she is not working "that hard" to use up those calories. They will just make her fat, and fat is a problem for the bred mare in pounds on her feet, constriction of her body parts inside the fat layers, probably will have a harder time delivering.

Consistant exercise is very good for her, keeps her muscles fit, body working well. Even into the last months up to delivery, slow and gentle by then, but moving. A mare who has been exercised, covering distance to the field and barn, walked a mile a day, is fitter, delivers faster and easier, than one who has stood around while pregnant with very little movement. Mare also recovers quicker, getting back into shape with stronger muscling.

I would continue using her for a while yet, usually about 5-6 months along, when they get more ungainly, not well balanced anymore. Just maybe less hard if horse is a competitive animal right now. Trail rides, evening ride down the road or around the field is no work, so no reason to stop doing it. Again, good exercise for her.

Check with local Vet, find out if there are missing minerals in your location that you need to supplement. We have no Selenium locally, so I give Selenium and Vit E to bred mares and other horses at our place. Vit E helps them absorb the Selenium or it is wasted on the horse. Other locations have other issues, have to ask to learn them. We don't feed special Mare foods.


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## crazy4equines (Apr 15, 2012)

As far as mare care. A good quality hay/pasture and loose minerals are all you really need. In the last trimester i feed a good quality grain about 4 pounds per day. Make sure you give the pneumabort vaccine at 5,7 and 9 months gestion. Make sure you vaccinate with your yearly vaccine 30 days before foaling. I vaccinate for sleeping sickness, tetnus, flu/rhino, rabies, wnv, i also do potomac as we live by water.Also make sure she gains her needed wait but dont let her become obese as she will have a harder time foaling.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

crazy4equines said:


> As far as mare care. A good quality hay/pasture and loose minerals are all you really need. In the last trimester i feed a good quality grain about 4 pounds per day. Make sure you give the pneumabort vaccine at 5,7 and 9 months gestion. Make sure you vaccinate with your yearly vaccine 30 days before foaling. I vaccinate for sleeping sickness, tetnus, flu/rhino, rabies, wnv, i also do potomac as we live by water.Also make sure she gains her needed wait but dont let her become obese as she will have a harder time foaling.


KNOW that giving those pneumabort shots CAN CAUSE abortion in mares, even if mare didn't react to the previous shot given. In a herd setting at the Breeder's location, numerous mares, such shots protect the HERD, and loss of a foal or two is "part of the cost of doing business". Prevents ALL the mares losing foals. With only one mare bred, we no longer give these shots. We lost the foal on the third shot. Others have the same experience, are also not giving the shots with only a single mare or a couple in foal at their farm. In a Breeder setting, they often just rebreed the mare very late, to get a foal. They CHECK their mares within 48 hours of giving each dose of the meds, to know if mare loses her foal from the shot. Then work to get her rebred this year.

What vaccinations you give your horses can depend on your location, situations that happen near you. We no longer give the Potomac, because meds are not effective on current mutations of the virus. All the horses who get Potomac HAVE BEEN vaccinated! If you catch it fast enough, most of them make it thru. Further south, many vaccinate for botulism annually, since it is in the dirt. Yearly conditions can make the botulism prevelant, a problem to horses, but other years botulism is not seen. They vaccinate anyway, IN CASE it should be a bad year for it. No one vaccinates here in MI for botulism, just not seen here.

For me, 4 pounds of grain a day is WAY too much to be giving our horses. Even those in heavy work don't get that much. We have great pasture, excellent hay, easy keeping horses that get yearly tooth care, so they look good all the time. Mine would be hog fat on 4 pounds of grain, grain mixes, fed daily, so they would be rather fat to deliver easily or quickly. They also do not get much grain, 1/2 pound on a SCALE for weight, at the most before or after foaling. Too much grain to mare, is not good for foal either. I am raising athletes, not animals sold by the pound, so fat horses are an issue to me.

It is really easy to believe the commercial Feed Company advertising about what horses "need" in volumes fed, in Feed Company sponsored tests or studies about equine needs. Really slanted so you think you need to buy this type feeding program to be a "good horse owner". Have to say our foals have all grown well, into large, hard working horses that last for many years of work on the "less is better" program of feeding and growing horses.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Have your soil tested for any deficiencies and make sure your hay is tested as well. It's a lot easier to compensate for problems like selenium deficiency before the mare foals than after. 

Beyond that, make sure you don't over feed, the mare does not need to eat for two and unless there is a very specific need, don't don't feed grain. An over fed mare is likely to have an over sized foal, which increases the odds if complications.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Mineral block with selenium, plus a shot of selenium a few weeks prior to foaling.
Steady exercise, but never in slippery conditions.


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## crazy4equines (Apr 15, 2012)

haypoint, 
I guess each horse is different. I have done exactly as I have said. I never loss a foal, my mare was not overweight nor did they have any difficulty birthing. Maybe I have not had any issues as I am not a breeder of horses. I had a mini, foal at my farm years ago(of course I did not feed her 4 pounds of grain) and I had 2 mares foal last year and only 1 mare foal this year and I am pretty sure I am done breeding my horses unless some awesome stallion comes along. 

My vet recommended that I vaccinate as we have a small lake on our property that the horses have access to. 

As far as the grain I only feed that in the last 2 to 3 months of pregnancy otherwise they have a good quality grass hay round bale and also in the last month at night my mare would get about 10 pounds of a good 3rd cut grass/alfalfa mix hay.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

crazy4equines said:


> haypoint,
> I guess each horse is different. I have done exactly as I have said. I never loss a foal, my mare was not overweight nor did they have any difficulty birthing. Maybe I have not had any issues as I am not a breeder of horses. I had a mini, foal at my farm years ago(of course I did not feed her 4 pounds of grain) and I had 2 mares foal last year and only 1 mare foal this year and I am pretty sure I am done breeding my horses unless some awesome stallion comes along.
> 
> My vet recommended that I vaccinate as we have a small lake on our property that the horses have access to.
> ...


I thought I was agreeing with you, but with a focus on selenium. My experiences with both cattle and horse has shown that calve and foals do get up and going faster with adequate amounts of Se.
Just as with humans and other mammals, good muscle tone at foaling makes delivery easier.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

I agree that horse is no where near 14.3 hands!! Here's a pic of me with my guy who's 17.1 hands and I'm 5'3". 










Good luck with the mare! Is she registered? What are your plans for the baby? Who did you breed her to?


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## crazy4equines (Apr 15, 2012)

haypoint said:


> I thought I was agreeing with you, but with a focus on selenium. My experiences with both cattle and horse has shown that calve and foals do get up and going faster with adequate amounts of Se.
> Just as with humans and other mammals, good muscle tone at foaling makes delivery easier.


 
That is the bad thing with these message boards, sometimes it hard to understand at least for me

Nice baby you have there!


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Haypoint, I agree with your thoughts on selenium. It seems like such a minor thing until you have to deal with a deficiency. 

I had a single isolated problem once in calf out of an expensive papered heifer and that was all the lesson I needed.


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## Farmerjonathan (Mar 11, 2013)

Use her, don't abuse her. I farmed with pregnant mares for years. Spring plowing, planting, have had them plow and next morning have a foal alongside so they got out of work for a few days. Same with planting. They have less problems if they are in shape than a fat lazy mare. With my pregnant mares I did not ask them to back any thing (loaded or empty wagons) nor did I ask them to hold a load on a hill. This creates undue pressure on muscles that create problems as cited by oldtimers so never disputed it.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Out of curiosity, why did you breed her? Have you raised foals before?


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Joshie said:


> Out of curiosity, why did you breed her? Have you raised foals before?


Out of curiosity, why can't someone breed a mare without getting prying questions and fear of recrimination? 

Each morning on my way to work, I drive past the most successful stallion stations in Western Canada and according to the 'never bred before theory', they shouldn't be in business. They started out with nothing more than a deep passion for horses, a small barn and a couple sections of native grass in the middle of nowhere to the point where they have 20 internationally recognized stallions and about 50 top quality mares of their own.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

wr said:


> Out of curiosity, why can't someone breed a mare without getting prying questions and fear of recrimination?
> 
> Each morning on my way to work, I drive past the most successful stallion stations in Western Canada and according to the 'never bred before theory', they shouldn't be in business. They started out with nothing more than a deep passion for horses, a small barn and a couple sections of native grass in the middle of nowhere to the point where they have 20 internationally recognized stallions and about 50 top quality mares of their own.


While there is a huge amount of speculation with that comment, it seems obvious why that question would be asked. While quality breedings do occur, far too many horses are bred by stallions of average or poor quality on mares that are not worthy of passing on offspring.

Wow, who died and made me King? There are a hundred animal shelters in Michigan, housing thousands of unwanted dogs and cats. A similar problem exists with horses. I cannot justify breeding a mare just "to see what her colt might look like". People cannot find homes for thousands of horses. They show up on Craigslist, horse auctions and eventually hauled to Quebec for slaughter. Every average horse born, sends a mature horse to slaughter. 

I have friends that did a week long trail ride and when they returned, someone had filled their trailer with unwanted horses.

This was a hard winter. I have seen horses starved to death and many near starvation. This is partly because horses are free, anyone can have one. How do we get rid of the excess horses without being a bit "overzealous" in questioning a person's motive?

I didn't ask the question, but if, in coming up with an answer, a person re-thinks their motive, long term ability to care for another horse and the result is one less unwanted horse in the world, that seems a fair question.

As always, this huge discussion site is a collection of many people, with many experiences, commenting of topics with very few pieces to the puzzle. People make assumptions and people get defensive.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

haypoint, I do understand the horse market in the US right now, I also feel that that it isn't up to an individual to decide who gets to breed and who doesn't. The fact that someone has come to us asking for tips and suggestions on mare care indicates that this person is smart enough to realize healthy foals don't happen by accident. 

Do our members have to provide us with their level of experience, pedigree on mare and stallion and their reason for breeding when there are so many poor quality horses out there to chose from?


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

wr said:


> haypoint, I do understand the horse market in the US right now, I also feel that that it isn't up to an individual to decide who gets to breed and who doesn't. The fact that someone has come to us asking for tips and suggestions on mare care indicates that this person is smart enough to realize healthy foals don't happen by accident.
> 
> Do our members have to provide us with their level of experience, pedigree on mare and stallion and their reason for breeding when there are so many poor quality horses out there to chose from?


But wouldn't a responsible breeder have done their research BEFORE breeding? Before I went into owning ANY animal, I did a lot of research and if I were to breed any, I'd have absolutely learned about maternity care and early offspring care before I even started.


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## GraceAlice (Jun 7, 2013)

The OP didn't ask how. They asked for suggestions. Any experienced breeder would be very happy to help, for the sake of the horse at least.

No one ever learned anything without asking questions. So why can't people just nicely answer?


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I have quite a bit of experience under my belt and I still don't know everything and am open to learning new things.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Somehow I knew this thread was going south the minute the words "bought mare and bred" were stated.

Good luck with the mare, do you have a vet lined up?


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## General Brown (Jan 10, 2008)

Ok, I'll try to answer all the questions to the best of my ability.

No, I have not raised foals before. However, I feel that I can gain a lot of info from message boards, good friends who have been in horses for years, and a qualified vet that I do have on hand. Everyone that has raised foals before, had the first time, so don't judge me because I have never done this before.

Some of you may not like the choice of my stud that I used. It was a mammoth jack. I have wanted to experience a mule colt from birth for quite some time, and finally I have a chance to do this. And yes, he is a popular jack in our area. 

The foal will be trained by competent trainers, and when the time comes, will become my mount. He/she will not become just another pasture ornament that stays until I get tired of it. The mule will stay with me regardless.

And Joshie and Haypoint, who made you the expert in matters such as this? Neither of you have any clue as to my financial capabilities or my raising capabilities. I asked for advice, simple as that. I didnt need to be questioned concerning the amount of unwanted equines in the US, or if I had ever raised a foal before. Perhaps both of you have failed in the very subject that caused you to voice your callous opinion.

Edited to add that the daughter is 5'0. My bad there.


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## alsarve (Feb 20, 2013)

Argh! So jealous! I have always wanted a nice riding mule. I have a standard jack that's just a buddy for my gelding. But I have said if we had more acreage, I would look into breeding him to our neighbor's athletic little grey mare. She pulls an Amish buggy and is their riding mount and will also help pull in the 4 horse hitch when they plow. I just think between his quiet demeanor and her athletic nature/build, she would have 1 nice mule baby! But since we only have enough pasture for 2 horses and both of mine will stay til they pass, Bentley the jack will be gelded this spring. Sniff, sniff....hope u will post pictures of your long eared baby when the time comes!


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

There was no intention of finger pointing. I started my comment acknowledging that such comments are a huge speculation. I ended it by acknowledging we are having few pieces to the puzzle. There was no question about horse over-population. Just a statement of facts. If that shoe doesn't fit, move on. But the point of an open discussion is to share knowledge and experiences. So, while you may be able to provide a happy healthy home for the next 30 years and you understand the over-population problem, I hope this open discussion provides a bit of additional insight to those considering breeding their horse just because colts are so cute. Puppies and kitten are cute, too. But they become horses, dogs and cats and hundreds of thousands are euthanized every year. 

Call up a few CL ads ad ask them if they thought they would keep the horse forever, but the situation changed.

I make no claims to be an expert, simply stating facts. Do with them what you will.

WR, yes the horse market is worse in the US than in your country. Generally, we don't eat horses and slaughter here was stopped a long time ago, increasing abandonment/starvation as a reduction method.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

haypoint said:


> WR, yes the horse market is worse in the US than in your country. Generally, we don't eat horses and slaughter here was stopped a long time ago, increasing abandonment/starvation as a reduction method.


We likely don't eat as many as you think. I know of one high end restaurant in Calgary that serves horse meat and it is not found in conventional grocery stores. It is reasonably common in Quebec and some areas in Vancouver but it would still be considered a very slim niche market with most of our meat being exported to Europe and Japan. 

Interestingly enough, Japan is a growing market since the tuna catches are tapering off.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Your "niche market" seems to gobble up Canada's excess horses, while maintaining a steady presence at every US horse auction within 800 miles of Quebec.

There would be thousands more horses going to slaughter, if the tree huggers would let BLM manage the overpopulation.

Breed or don't breed, that's a personal choice. But it is my intense love of horses that moves me to caution strangers about what may be an uninformed choice.

Bad enough that people breed cats so their children can experience the miracle of birth, when the Animal Shelters are filled with cats no one wants. But to breed a mare when plenty of quality horses cannot find homes requires far more commitment than the average person can provide. But I do not know all the details of this situation, the mare, the Jack or what their situation will be over the next 30 years. I'm sure she's thought of that.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

What people don't also realize is that mare care can be costly and if there are ANY complications, you're looking at big vet bills. A friend had an "oops" baby who ended up with a septic joint and had a LOT of vet bills to bring the girl through. It's actually cheaper to find a foal already on the ground and work with one of them. You still get the joy of raising a baby but without the risk to your own mare and for less cost.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Annsni said:


> What people don't also realize is that mare care can be costly and if there are ANY complications, you're looking at big vet bills. A friend had an "oops" baby who ended up with a septic joint and had a LOT of vet bills to bring the girl through. It's actually cheaper to find a foal already on the ground and work with one of them. You still get the joy of raising a baby but without the risk to your own mare and for less cost.


The mare is already bred so I'm thinking your advice might be a bit late.


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

wr said:


> The mare is already bred so I'm thinking your advice might be a bit late.


Oh - I agree in this case but hopefully someone considering doing this will think twice and maybe help the excess horse population by adopting a baby rather than making another one.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Annsni said:


> Oh - I agree in this case but hopefully someone considering doing this will think twice and maybe help the excess horse population by adopting a baby rather than making another one.


Thank you! And maybe not a baby, but a sound, trained mature horse.:hobbyhors


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## Annsni (Oct 27, 2006)

haypoint said:


> Thank you! And maybe not a baby, but a sound, trained mature horse.:hobbyhors


That's even better. I'm just thinking of those who want to "train a baby".


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## General Brown (Jan 10, 2008)

Annsni said:


> That's even better. I'm just thinking of those who want to "train a baby".


First off, to all the members who answered my question about mare care for a pregnant mare, thank you all very much.


Now for the nay sayers...
I can't get over the sarcastic comments any longer. I personally don't give a rats behind if you several members that, "think he is making a mistake", care or not. You can all go take a flying leap. In all seriousness, I asked for comments and suggestions about MARE CARE? Nowhere did I ask for your opinion if I was doing the right thing. It was my decision to breed the mare, and I did so with a lot of serious thought to it. I am financially able to care for any hobby I may want to get into, and its none of anyone else's business but my own. I personally don't understand how you can have that kind of audacity. In other words...please mind your own business, and if your thoughts are so important to you, please make your own thread instead of trashing mine!!


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

When you post a question or a statement on an open forum it _will_ go off topic or in ways you can't control. Most people have strong opinions regarding the over population of horses since the slaughter ban and the sky rocketing cases of neglect and starvation. 

There are many people that are passionate about horses and get a mite testy when a someone says they bred their mare "because they want a foal." Perhaps you put a lot of time and thought into this, perhaps you will raise your mule and keep it forever, but I'll bet cash money that every person here with years of horse experience has seen this same situation over and over and over again. It's always the equine that suffers. 

I wish you luck.


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## General Brown (Jan 10, 2008)

Irish Pixie said:


> When you post a question or a statement on an open forum it _will_ go off topic or in ways you can't control. Most people have strong opinions regarding the over population of horses since the slaughter ban and the sky rocketing cases of neglect and starvation.
> 
> There are many people that are passionate about horses and get a mite testy when a someone says they bred their mare "because they want a foal." Perhaps you put a lot of time and thought into this, perhaps you will raise your mule and keep it forever, but I'll bet cash money that every person here with years of horse experience has seen this same situation over and over and over again. It's always the equine that suffers.
> 
> I wish you luck.


And this was what to do with the original topic?


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Reread my first sentence.


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## General Brown (Jan 10, 2008)

Irish Pixie said:


> Reread my first sentence.


Ok, now read part of my post....

"its none of anyone else's business but my own. I personally don't understand how you can have that kind of audacity. In other words...please mind your own business, and if your thoughts are so important to you, please make your own thread instead of trashing mine!!"


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Thanks, I accept the appreciation for my comments about mare care.
Thank you for explaining that you gave it a lot of serious thought.
Not sure that bringing up the dreadful overpopulation of horses is trashing your thread. You got a bunch of helpful suggestions and the topic drifted from there. 
Asking a stranger why they were breeding their mare might be offensive to you, but to others it is politely opening the conversation so that this serious concern can be addressed. Snarling back the first time didn't help, did it? I said nothing directed at you, yet you assume I'm a failed breeder. Some guts, General.
My suggestion that you add Se to her diet and an Se injection before foaling was not advice for just you. It was for all future searches, too. I didn't ask you if it was your first foal nor did I question the breeding. WR questioned the reasonability of a question asked by another. I responded to WR. It was mentioned that this wasn't directed at the already bred mare, but food for thought for others.
Did you miss, "No intention of finger pointing."?

You got your answers, good ones, mostly. Thread drift exists in nearly every thread. It is part of the conversation process. Telling us how awful we are is pointless.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

General Brown said:


> Ok, now read part of my post....
> 
> "its none of anyone else's business but my own. I personally don't understand how you can have that kind of audacity. In other words...please mind your own business, and if your thoughts are so important to you, please make your own thread instead of trashing mine!!"


You posted your question on an open forum, not everyone is going to agree with you and they will have opinions of their own, that's just the way that forums work. I suggest you take what you can use and leave the rest.


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## General Brown (Jan 10, 2008)

Again, thanks for your comment. I believe this has went way past its beneficial use at this point.

Moderator, please delete the entire thread, and be assured that I will never ask another question here.

thanks, GB


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Sorry, General, it stays. I've gotten my tail in the air a time or two, discovered I don't own the thread I started. Can't just take your thread and go home. 
Burning bridges never served anyone for long. Try re-reading the posts and not assume somebody is picking on you. No one said, " I think you are nuts/stupid/foolish for wanting to breed your horse." so stop acting like you've been insulted.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Annsni said:


> Oh - I agree in this case but hopefully someone considering doing this will think twice and maybe help the excess horse population by adopting a baby rather than making another one.



I have a problem with that way of thinking. Buying or adopting poor quality just encourages people to breed more poor quality. The reason I started breeding is because I was finding a lot of nothing and a whole lot of nothing doesn't make a ranch horse.


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