It's officially mini horse breeding season here at Running Springs, and I've been deep in the process with my girls, Regina and Karen. Breeding minis is a whole different ballgame compared to big horses, and I've learned a lot over the past few weeks. So today I'm taking you behind the scenes of some pregnancy checks, AI procedures, and all the little quirks that come with horse breeding on the tiniest scale.
Kicking Off Breeding Season with Regina and Karen
We started this season by breeding Karen (the little white mini you may recognize if you've followed for a while), and then moved on to Regina. I got to film Regina's breeding, and she was bred to Cherryville's Magic's Witch Doctor, a gorgeous mini stallion with incredible lines. Huge thanks to Chandler Marks for collecting him and getting that semen shipped overnight!
The process with minis is just like breeding full-sized horses in theory, but the scale makes things trickier. The semen came extended in a syringe and, fun fact, we got a whole billion little Witch Doctor swimmers in that one dose.
We were watching Regina's follicle closely, and it looked great, she had one all the way up to a 40 mm, and really solid edema, which is a good sign that she's ready. Because we only had one dose and didn't plan on rebreeding the next day, we gave her Histrelin to help trigger ovulation and crossed our fingers.
Why Breeding a Mini Horse Is So Tricky
If you've ever wondered whether breeding a mini horse is more difficult than breeding a full-size mare, the short answer is: absolutely. Mini mares have much smaller reproductive tracts, which makes palpation and ultrasound more complicated. It's not something just any veterinarian can, or should, do. I'm incredibly lucky to work with the team at Tennessee Equine, who have experience with minis and actually serve quite a few mini clients beyond me.
Skinny arms help (yes, really), and sedation is often necessary. Regina, for example, needs a little Buscopan to relax during ultrasounds. That's not unusual, even my full-size mares get it sometimes, but it's especially important with minis to reduce discomfort and avoid complications.
Many mini horse breeders still use live cover, which is cheaper and more accessible since a lot of people already own mini stallions. But for me, artificial insemination (AI) is the safer and more controlled route, if you have the right team behind you.
First Checks, First Disappointments
Fast forward about two weeks, and we preg-checked Karen. Unfortunately, she wasn't pregnant. She had some follicles forming again, but the last cycle just didn't take. The semen from her first breeding came from Erl Cutty Roxx the House, and it wasn't the strongest collection, it was his first time collecting for AI that year, and the whole situation felt a little rushed. Not ideal circumstances, but part of the process.
Regina also didn't end up pregnant from her first breeding. We were bummed, but also reminded that mini horse breeding can be just as frustrating as it is exciting. The silver lining? Both mares were already cycling again and looking good for a second attempt.
Planning Round Two
We're now getting ready to try again. Karen is showing promising follicular activity, though we're waiting for just the right time. We're coordinating with Chandler to collect and ship semen again, and we're making sure everything lines up perfectly. It's a lot of checking, re-checking, timing hormones, and hoping for the best. Because once that semen arrives, it's go time.
We're considering using a more experienced older stallion for one of the next rounds, someone from Chandler's program who isn't in his main lineup anymore, but would be a great match for my girls. He's 20 years old, super sweet, and proven, so I'm excited about the possibility.
Wrapping It Up, for Now
So, that's where we're at in the mini horse breeding journey. It's not quite the storybook success I was hoping for this round, but that's real life with horse breeding, especially when working with minis.
We'll be checking Regina and Karen again next week, and hopefully timing our next AI attempts just right. Whether it's working with older stallions, tweaking our timelines, or just giving it one more go, I'm not giving up on these little ladies.
Stay tuned for more updates from Running Springs, this is all new to me too, and I appreciate everyone following along. If you have any questions about mini horse breeding, shoot them my way. I'm learning as I go, and I'm happy to share what I've picked up.
Thanks for joining me for this behind-the-scenes peek, and fingers crossed we'll have some mini foals to celebrate soon!
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