Teagasc Equine Conference - Over €2,000 to Breed a Foal

The financial returns from horse breeding were outlined at the Teagasc National Equine Conference which took place in Athlone, today, Thursday 12 November. New figures from Teagasc show that it costs over €2,000, on average, to breed a foal.

The conference addressed the sometimes thorny question of how much it costs to breed and produce a foal. With the lower prices currently available for foals this question is particularly relevant this year. Using the Teagasc excel-based ‘Equine Cost Control Planner’ Teagasc equine specialist Ruth Fennel estimates that it costs €1,936 to keep a breeding mare for a year, with an additional €379 of costs incurred in keeping the foal. This level of cost, which surprised some of the 150 delegates at the conference when it was presented, is based on getting an average mare in foal, and includes all the usual practices for both mare and foal. Stud fees, which can vary from €200 to €4,500, were included in the calculation at €850.

These figures are all contained in a new publication, ‘Equine Reproduction – A Guide for Farmers and Breeders’ which was launched at the conference by the Teagasc director Professor Gerry Boyle. This new Teagasc equine booklet outlines the basics of breeding, specifically for small- and medium-sized horse breeding operations.

Professor Boyle addressing the conference said: “It is essential to know and analyse the financial situation of your horse breeding enterprise to ensure that sound financial and breeding decisions are made. The costs outlined here today clearly show that the prices being achieved for foals are not covering the costs of producing them, and up until now this fact was not being faced-up to.”

A new classification system for Irish sports horse stallions is planned to be introduced from January next. A traffic light system will be used, with those stallions recommended for breeding getting a green light, those achieving a preliminary recommendation for breeding getting an amber light and those not recommended for breeding classified with a red light. Recent research carried out by UCD shows that foals by approved stallions achieve, on average, €400 more at auction than those by other stallions. It is hoped that this new classification system will discourage breeders from using poor quality stallions.

Estimated breeding values are now being used to predict the genetic advantage that a stallion or mare will pass on to its offspring for a particular trait. UCD research also shows that 70 per cent of the offspring of stallions with an EBV greater than 120 competing in show jumping competitions will reach the level of 1 metre 30 or above. This rate falls to 15 per cent where the EBV is less than 100.

Other speakers at the Teagasc equine conference included Dr Ine van Deurzen, KWPN inspector from the Netherlands, and Ms Inken Johannsen, Holstein Verband, Germany.