Trying Live Cover For Mini Horses

Horse breeding season is officially underway again at Running Springs Mini Farm, and this week, all eyes are on our girl Regina. If you've been following along, you already know that Karen is successfully bred, and Coco, who we purchased already pregnant, is expecting as well. That means we'll be welcoming at least two foals in 2026! But now, it's Regina's turn to (hopefully) join the baby bump club.

We've had a tough time getting Regina bred through artificial insemination, so we're trying something new, or actually, something old: live cover. If you're new to the world of horse breeding, especially when it comes to a mini horse, let's walk through what's been going on here at the farm, why we're switching methods, and how we're crossing our fingers for a successful pregnancy.

Why We're Switching from AI to Live Cover

Regina's reproductive cycle has been tricky from the beginning. She ovulates very late in her cycle, which makes it nearly impossible to time the shipping of semen, get it collected fresh, and have it arrive right when she needs it. Add in the weekend logistics, because of course ovulation doesn't respect the calendar, and it's just been a major challenge.

Instead of continuing the artificial insemination route, we decided to switch to live cover, which is actually quite common in the mini horse world. It's also something Regina is familiar with, she's had all three of her previous foals through pasture breeding, and it's worked well for her every time.

Meet Maddox: Our Guest Stallion

We were lucky enough to bring in a gorgeous stallion named Double K's Maddox the Kid from Middle Tennessee. Maddox is here to stay for a little while, until Regina is confirmed pregnant. He's 10 years old and absolutely stunning, even though he's lightened quite a bit from his coal-black younger years (a common thing with grays!).

The plan is to introduce Regina and Maddox slowly. Since Coco and Karen are already bred, they won't be coming into heat, so Maddox's focus will be all on Regina. We started by letting them interact through the fence, giving them time to calm down, sniff around, and settle into each other's space.

Watching for Signs

The goal here is simple: wait for Regina to come into heat and allow Maddox to do his job naturally. When mares are in heat and receptive, they'll often back up to the stallion. That's exactly what we saw Regina doing, although she was still a little unsure and hadn't quite fully committed.

This is totally normal. Often, the presence of a stallion can help bring a mare into heat faster. As of last Friday (today is Thursday), Regina had no real activity, no follicles building and no signs she was close. But we're hoping that changes in the next few days.

Maddox will stay at Running Springs until we have a confirmed pregnancy. We'll watch for successful breeding, log the dates, and then check her two weeks afterward to see if there's a tiny foal on the way.

Choosing the Right Stallion

One of the coolest parts of this process has been choosing a stallion with a solid pedigree. Maddox stood out to Chandler Marks, my go-to mini horse breeder mentor, for both his sire and dam lines. He actually has half-siblings that Chandler has worked with, which gave us confidence in this pairing.

If everything goes according to plan, we'll be adding another beautiful, healthy foal to our 2026 arrivals.

What's Next for Regina?

For now, it's all about watching and waiting. Maddox and Regina have settled into a rhythm, he's clearly interested, and she's slowly warming up. We'll continue tracking her behavior, keep an eye out for real breeding activity, and hopefully catch her in the perfect window.

In about two weeks, we'll know if we've got another foal on the way. If we're lucky, one cycle will do the trick. If not, we'll keep trying, with plenty of updates for you along the way.