Breed Her Early

What the exam covers

Dr. Ross has managed mare breeding programs across northeast Oklahoma for 30 years.

Reproductive exam & ultrasound

A hands-on exam and ultrasound of the uterus, ovaries and cervix — follicle activity, uterine fluid, cysts and anything else that will matter in February, found while there is still time to act on it.

Uterine health

Culture and cytology when the exam calls for it, so a low-grade infection or inflammation gets treated over the winter instead of discovered on the first cycle you try to breed.

Vaccination & deworming status

We check her record against what breeding and pregnancy require, and update what is due — before she is in foal, not during.

Body condition & nutrition

A mare that goes into winter thin is a mare that breeds late. We score her condition and build a feeding plan to have her ready when the lights come on.

Why fall, not February

Time to fix what’s found

A uterine infection treated in November is a mare ready in February. The same infection found in February costs you cycles — and cycles are the season.

A plan for every mare

You leave with a plan for the season: lights, rechecks, stallion timing and the date we start watching her cycle. Our equine reproduction page covers the full program, from cycle management to foaling.

How the lights plan works

What lights do

Sixteen hours of light a day, starting December 1, tells a mare’s body that spring is coming, and her cycling starts earlier because of it. Mares under lights are ready to breed in late January and February instead of March and April — and early foals get a head start that never really goes away.

How to run them

Put the lights on a timer: 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark, every day. The usual setup is lights on before dark, off late in the evening. A stalled mare needs one good bulb over the stall; mares living outside do fine with a lighted shelter or paddock corner where they spend the evening hours.

Consistency does the work

A week of missed nights blurs the signal her body is reading. Set the timer once, glance at it when you feed, and leave it alone until she is bred. If you would rather not run lights at home, ask us about boarding her under ours.

Dates that matter for 2027

Broodmare registry — before foaling

The mare’s registry has to be in order before the foal arrives. If she is due in 2027 and her paperwork is not settled, settle it this fall while there is no clock running.

Stallion registry — by February 1

Standing a stallion, or breeding to an Oklahoma stallion? His registry deadline is February 1. Put it on the calendar now, not in January.

Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity payments — already open

Nomination and sustaining payments for the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity are open now. Check your dates so a paid-up foal stays eligible.