Only AI...anymore. Had too much trouble with the mares. We built a new barn and installed our own stocks and phantom. Believe it or not, it wasn't all that expensive to do.
I keep my stallions in very large paddocks with run in stalls. Then 4-5 times a week, they are turned out in our regulation size-roping arena for exercise a couple of hours at a time. They are kept alone but are side by side with a small walkway between their pens. Then the mares are kept outside of their pens with a small walkway between them and the stallions. The boys can see the mares, call them to them, but are not in with them. Therefore I don't worry about the stallions hurting themselves, the mares or the babies.
I don't breed on the foal heat. If I want to breed again that soon, I breed on the 28-day heat. I know many do it...but to me it just doesn't seem right.
Most often though I give my mares a year's break between having their foal and getting pregnant again. I feel it's best to be easy on them when they're young and their breeding lives will extend over many years.