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Discussion on Use of a chute/stocks during breeding
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Member:
laurik
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Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - 2:34 pm:
Can anyone comment on the use of breeding stocks or chute during breeding? I have read of breeders using a chute to keep mare from kicking stallion during live cover. This chute is made lower in the back to allow stallion to safely mount, with a kick board that can be removed at the back at ground level. Want to know pros and cons. It must not be done a whole lot because I can't find pics or much info on using them, or building them.
Just want to consider all options for keeping stallion safe from being kicked during the process of mounting and dismounting the mare.
Thanks, Lauri
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - 5:32 pm:
Personally, I would be terrified to use a stock or chute when breeding unless we were breeding AI. I can just see too many possible accidents. A quick release, or a pull out board all sound great; but the reality is you'd have ( hopefully) two people and two horses. The mare could be kicking the stallion rearing and thrashing because he can't get his leg from between the board or sides and the upset mare. Just too much of a chance for injury. When we were breeding, I wouldn't even use breeding hobbles, even ones with quick releases. I knew of a National Champion stallion that suffered a broken leg when they were used. We had a handler stand behind a solid partition holding the mare's lead while another handler brought the stallion up. We had a twitch on the mare if it was a mare whose behavior we were unfamiliar with. One time the mare was what I deemed to be dangerous and we refused to breed her without drugs. It's not worth taking a chance imo.
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Member:
laurik
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Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - 6:13 pm:
Thanks Sara, I don't like the hobbles either and was wondering if the chute idea was any safer. I borrowed a set of hobbles to try and I could see right away that they were going to cause problems. I put them on my mare to practice using them and she could pick her hind leg up really high and cross over the opposite rope on the other hind leg! I worked with the mare with them on her for about an hour tightening and adjusting, but felt that they were a disaster waiting to happen.
I appreciate your opinion 
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - 7:01 pm:
I too am a believer in the less apparatus in the way the safer you are. You cannot beat experienced handlers for safety all around. The worse kick I ever received was doing an embryo transfer in a mare sedated and in a set of breeding stocks, 3 cracked ribs. But that was in the 80s before we knew a lot about the problems with xylazine sedation and hind limb kicking. Most important is to be sure all the handlers know their business.
DrO
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - 3:59 pm:
Lauri,if you are new to breeding, or your husband or who ever is helping you is new, I'd highly advise working out a visit with an experienced breeder and observing. I learned a lot that way. If there are breeding stations in your area, they are even better as they normally really know what they are doing. There are a lot of ways to control the situation that are safe for horses and handlers - or as safe a possible considering what you are doing anyway! Also, please have all handlers wear helmets!
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