Dam's Age

[Taff]

S'cuse the wording if this question.
At what age does a Dam's womb start to wear-out and result in decline in the qualitity of foal's that are not as good as when she was in her prime,[at what age is she in her prime? a ball-park figure would be fine to two questions]
Thanks in Advance.

[LB]

Like so many things with horses, it depends.

The amount of wear and tear would depend not so much on biological age as it would on how many foals the mare has had and whether those gestations and deliveries had been easy or difficult.

As to whether or not mares have lesser foals as they age, that subject is still up for dabate--and is dependent upon the quality of care the mare has received throughout her reproductive life and also whether or not she continues to be bred to the same calibre of stallions. Secretariat, for example, was born when his dam Somethingroyal was 18 and past her reproductive prime.

At what age is she in her prime? IMO, it would be from age 4 though about age 10.

[madelyn]

In my limited experience, a young mare's second foal is very nearly ALWAYS better than her first. Some people firmly believe a broodmare's prime is 10-14. Others believe it is much younger.

Once in a while there is a mare like Battle Creek Girl, who can pump out winner after winner - again, in my limited experience, I believe that a number of mares can produce very good quality foals at just about any age provided the care is excellent, and they have had whatever That Particular Mare needs in the way of time - some mares are 2nd year producers and if they are bred every year tend to throw rats. But give them a season after each foal to recover, and you get bruisers. Some mares are just DONE with everything at 14 or 15. Some mares go on producing foals until their late twenties.

I guess it sums up to management - a broodmare's prime is the time during which she is really well managed.

[Bast]

Somethingroyal was 18 when she foaled Secretariat.

She had already produced Sir Gaylord and Syrian Sea.

Your mileage may vary.