Breeding is big business. Those who doubt need only look at the results of the 1998 Keeneland November breeding stock sale for verification. Prices for broodmares and weanlings soared–top price for a broodmare, $7 million; for a weanling, $1.5 million. That sale merely continued a trend developing over the last few years in one segment of the horse industry.

If the Thoroughbred sales can be used as a barometer for the horse business in general, then all breeds are affected by the upsurge in prices obtained for horses sold at auction or sold privately. With more disposable income at hand, consumers are willing to spend money on items that help fill their leisure time. Horses, no matter the breed or the discipline, are at a greater demand than ever.

It is little wonder that getting a mare in foal and producing a healthy offspring are of prime importance. These goals often are not easily achieved. There are many points along the journey where missteps can occur.

To begin with, it is not always easy to get a mare in foal. As the producing mare ages, the cumulative wear and tear on her reproductive system might lead to problems that prevent conception. If this mare is a high-quality producer, her failure to conceive and produce a live foal results in an economic loss, the effects of which last for more than a year or until the next time she can conceive and foal. Therefore, the more a breeder can do to learn about his or her mare’s possible problems before the breeding season begins, the more can be done to overcome those problems and ensure that the mare conceives and produces a healthy foal