Mare Evaluation
There are four crucial indicators when evaluating your broodmare:
• PEDIGREE
Is she by a good sire / from a good family? Is she a sister to a black type winner?
• PERFORMANCE
Did she win? What rating did she achieve? Was she sound?
• CONFORMATION
Has she any serious conformation faults that she may/ does pass on to her progeny?
• PROGENY
Has she produced winners? What rating did they achieve? Did they sell well?
• Are you making money breeding from your mare? Continuously analyse her value and her ability to breed winners and make money for you.
• Is your mare easy to get in foal? Do you know of any potential fertility problems?
• As negative traits tend to be passed on, know if your mare is sound (especially of wind).
• Keep your mare in good condition all year round with a balance of good pasture and diet.
• Employ and keep a diary of a regular worming and farriery programme. Keep your mare healthy and in good condition at all times for her and her foal’s benefit.
• Check with the ITBA recommended Code of Practice and stallion farm veterinary requirements to ensure your mare is compliant before going to stud. These requirements are vital to safeguard the health of both your mare and the Irish broodmare herd.
As seen in the ITBA guide "A Smart Approach to Responsible Breeding". The opinions and views expressed by the panel may not be shared by everybody in the thoroughbred industry so therefore all ITBA educational publications are, by their verynature, guidelines.