Alright, so we've decided since I'm going to working with my colt very heavily for the next year to get him ready for shows and professional riding, to breed my pleasure mare since it'll be a good time before I start getting serious with her again too.
A little a bout her:
She's a VERY sweet, very smart thoroughbred mare and she's 5 years old, will be 6 when she foals. Her movement is gorgeous and she's very light on her feet with a collected head carriage and good conformation though her back legs are a little to straight and her chest is a little narrow, she's a beautiful horse and we've had quiet a few high end horse people offer for her and her lines are that bad either. We're going to be breeding her to a quarter horse (undecided on the stud yet but we're looking at Formula One )
So we're hoping to breed in june so she'll foal near April or May and I want to learn as much as I can and before anyone freaks out, we are COMPLETELY aware this is going to be expensive, the vet's coming out in the next week or two to check her make sure she's healthy enough and make sure she's not going to be to slender for a quarter, we're also aware that we have to foal proof everything and we have a special half an acre pasture right next to the house that's visible from almost every room to turn her out in as well as two run in sheds near by that. It still needs to be foal proofed but it'll be perfect for them once it's done.


Now my first question is:
Right now she is turned out with a companion horse. He's 22 years old and has heaves and it pretty mellow and very submissive and he's /very/ attached to my mare to the point where he worries himself into breathing fits if he can't see her. Do you think it'd be bad to turn her out with him once she has her foal when the foal is a little older (around a month or two) or is it still to risky? We have another herd to put him with but he gets beat up a lot and it's not ideal for long term.

What method of foal weaning do you prefer? I've heard abrupt is best even though it's harder on the horses and that in the long run the foals are easier to manage and bond with you better. Also, is imprinting something I should try to do? This would be my mares first foal so I defiantly want to make sure they're both comfortable with me being around.

Also, I'm worried about complications. What are the chances something could go wrong? Most people seem to just foal by themselves and call the vet out later but her mother breached with her when she was born so should I be extra cautious with her having her foal and just have the vet out the second she begins to foal?

What food do you recommend I feed her while she's pregnant? Right now she's on Omelene 200 with vegetable oil on kinda iffy turn out so she's getting 3 flakes of hay with that, mixed grass. Is there certain supplements I should give her? (I did plan on asking the vet these questions to but I want to get an idea)

Any other advice anyone can give me is great and yeah, I know I could just go out and buy a foal and not risk my mare but it really just lacks the bond if anyone understands what I mean. If she isn't approved for foaling, I'm defiantly not going to press the matter and if we ever come on hard times I know of /at least/ 4 people who would very very gladly take the foal and then we have family friends who have land we could keep our horses in times of need.

if i were you i would breed her (if the vet says it's ok) when she's in heat in may. gestation length for horses is 320-360 days, and is usually closest to 340, but all mares are different.

i think separating your 22 year old would be a good idea because mares can be crazy protective of their foals from even their best friends. you wouldn't want anyone fighting because of the baby. as for weaning, abrupt is best. it doesn't take too long for them to get over it.

we wean our foals at about 7 months and one of our mares was so glad to be rid of her colt because all he wanted to do was play and it was driving her nuts lol. also, don't be surprised if your mare acts aggressive towards you at first when you try to approach her foal. it's just maternal instincts, nothing personal. she still loves you.

don't worry too much about complications. almost all mares foal out in the middle of the night anyway and some vets won't come out until the next morning. and mares love to keep you awake at night and make you think they are going to foal out any second. you shouldn't call the vet unless you see a problem. the first thing you will see is what looks like a white bubble coming out of her. this is normal. it's the allantoic sac surrounding the foal. if the bubble is red, though, call your vet immediately. it means she is passing the placenta early and the foal is getting its oxygen supply cut off. if it's white, just stay calm and don't worry about calling the vet just yet. foals don't start breathing until after the withers have passed so don't think you have a dead foal. after the withers have passed, if the allantoic sac is still covering the foal's nose, go in and gently remove it. after the foal is out, if he's not breathing, rub him like crazy all over with a towel. this will stimulate breathing. if that doesn't work, place one hand under the bottom nostril to seal it off and blow into the other. before foaling time comes, talk to your vet about emergency procedures such as a breach or a wrongfully positioned foal. he can tell you exactly what to do. the biggest problems mares have with foaling is problems with the placenta. your vet can tell you all about these and what to look for. after she passes the placenta (don't pull on it or you could cause major problems. it will hang from her vulva for awhile before she completely passes it), you need to spread it out on the ground and make sure it's completely intact and that no part is stuck in the mare. if some is your vet will have to give her some hormone injections to get rid of it, otherwise she can get bad infections and if untreated it could kill her.

omolene is a great feed and is recommended for broodmares. just make sure she always has grass and since you say it's not the greatest quality, giving her a little extra hay would be a good idea, but you don't have to give her a ton. when she reaches her 7th month of pregnancy though make sure she has lots of hay to the end of her pregnancy. that's when she'll need it most. as for supplements, a mineral supplement like a mineral block or something can't hurt.

it's more fun to have your own foal anyway instead of buying one! you are definitely doing everything you can to get ready and take the best care possible of both mom and baby. don't let anyone tell you not to breed or call you a backyard breeder. you definitely aren't! you are breeding a good quality mare that's registered and has good bloodlines. you are being a responsible breeder. you aren't just breeding "your pretty pony to that pretty pony" like backyard breeders do. i applaud you for all the preparations you are making for this. you really are thinking of everything.

if you have any questions at all about pregnancy or foaling feel free to send me an email. i am an equine science major at colorado state university and my concentration is in equine reproduction. i took a reproduction class last semester that covered everything from hormones, to sperm and egg, to reproductive anatomy, to breeding practices. this semester i am taking a foaling management class that covers pregnancy, foaling, care of the newborn foal and post partum mare, foal diseases, foaling complications, all about milk, and complications within the mare. if i can't answer your questions off the top of my head i can always look it up in one of my (many) books.

i hope this helps and let me know if you want to know anything else!

I am not saying this to be rude, rather to be nice;
If you want more answers; ask one or two questions at a time.

I would pay attention but wouldn't worry about the gelding, in fact since they run together now, it will probably be fine. if it isn't she will set him straight.

I've weaned both ways; didn't seem to make any difference.

Imprinting; yes but don't over do it.

Wait 2 weeks before halter breaking when the neck vertebra are stronger.

Have someone teach you the right way to interact with a foal, to many end up with a yearling that bites, kicks and runs over you. Sure you can fix it later, but they seem to carry a attitude about it then.