When deciding to breed look honestly at what your mare brings to the genetic pool. Is she outstanding conformation or sporting a performance pedigree that warrants continuing? Is she an outstanding representative of the breed? Don't breed just for a foal - there's too many foals produced "just because" - often you can buy a foal cheaper than breeding one.
A show record alone is not enough to warrant breeding. Look at your mare critically for strengths and weaknesses. ALL mares have weaknesses - there is no perfect horse. Pile up her strengths - conformation factors, pedigree, performance, in some breeds color. She lives with the foal and often bad tempered mares have bad tempered foals.
Once you have a clear vision then and only then go looking for a stallion. Look for a stallion with the same strengths - with preference to those whose strongest points are your mare's weaknesses. Look hard at the first two generations in pedigrees. Look at his offspring and, if possible, the mares they came from. This gives you an idea what to look for in your mare - if you find one that is similar to your mare and the offspring is poor, don't expect any different. On the other hand if the offspring is much better than the mare that might be a stallion to heavily consider.
Don't select too much on cost alone. If you balk at paying $1,500 for the stallion best matched for your mare perhaps you would be better off contacting the stallion owner to see if there might be an offspring of him available for sale. Remember in addition to those fees - you have breeding fees, transportation (either of semen or of the mare), veterinary care - and the very real chance your mare CAN die in labor. You could easily have $2,500-3,000 into your newborn foal.
If you're not discouraged...ask what kind of mares the stallion has booked. If your mare is one in a book with superior western, ROM mares, daughters of top stallions - you will have a much tougher time marketing your foal should you need to sell. Booking to a horse where she is in the top half of the class gives you more options.
Have a complete physical exam done of your mare. If the stallion owner requires a culture have one done so you have time to treat her before breeding season. Have her vaccinations done, check her teeth - in short do everything you can to get her in tip top shape. Keep her "rhino" shots up through her pregnancy to prevent abortion. Have a complete foaling kit put together.
Artificial insemination and semen preservation techniques make it possible to ship stallion semen to mares nearly anywhere. However, you need exact timing – from collection of the stallion to transport and delivery of the semen to inseminating the mare at precisely the right time. You need a good breeding veterinarian or breeding manager and access to a ultrasound machine.
Some stallions might have a lifetime breeding, share or other options available. This can give an advantage in having access to a higher quality stallion than you would be able to buy alone.
Breeding isn't something that should be done haphazard. Have a plan - be realistic about the cost. A foal can be a wonderful addition or a major headache...and it costs just as much to feed a good one as a bad one. Breed the best. Anyone can produce a foal – breeding with a goal takes effort.
