Broodmare Retirement Age
 

Please say a prayer today for one of my favorite old mares, at 21 she is pregnant with her 13th foal. And it is suspected that she is hemorrhaging internally. As I write this she is on her way to Hagyard's, a trip which is likely only going to save the life of her foal.

My question is this...how old is too old? I know it has been debated regarding racing, but at what point does it become cruel to ask a mare to produce 'just one more foal'... time and time again older mares die foaling and I have to say I am tired of seeing it happen to the one's that I love...
older mares have lower rates of conception,
higher rates of fetal loss,
higher rates of complications such as retained placenta, placentitis, and uterine artery rupture.
Increased scarring of the uterus from multiple foalings can lead to poor placental development and attachment, which can in turn lead to problems with the fetus.
Many older mares have lower quality colostrum

and all of this doesn't even take into account that older mares cost more...the vet bills to get an old mare pregnant and keep her that way are far greater than those of a relatively young mare.

thoughts?

I'm sorry to hear that and I hope Hagard is able to save her as well. :(
There is a certain breeder in KY who is basically floating her farm on the progeny of their very old mares...so sad to see them. Ribs sprung barely able to walk. It doesn't make a lot of sense either because a lot of buyers don't want a foal out of a older mare anyway.

What's the solution ?

I think it really depends on the current health of the mare and her breeding history.

What a sad situation and my prayers are with you and this wonderful mare. God bless you for caring. I have my own opinions as to how old is too old, but all I can say is I have not bred my best mare back in two years due to the fact she has chronic laminitis. She does well until the latter stages of pregnancy and her last two babies were fine. However, I am not willing to run the risk that things could get ugly. My mare is 17 this year and she has been so good to us. I realize not everyone sees things the way I do, but I just couldn't put an older mare like that under that much risk. JMO.

truly sad... my thoughts are with her. no horse deserves to go out like that...

Prayers for your mare Pais. I truly hope they are able to save her.

just to clarify...I do not own this mare. She is merely one that I am very attached to.

She is yours in your heart because you love her. That is OK too. We will still say prayers for her.

I will pray for your old friend. I know this is a hard subject, if mares are kept in constant production, which is actually how their systems are designed, than they don't normally have a problem carrying the foal. I agree with you though on the actual delivering. I lost my beloved old mare at 21 to a torsion that was inoperable, she hadn't had a foal in 6 years, but the day I cradled her head and said good buy, my deepest regret was that I didn't have at least a few more from her, she was a show horse, but her foals were all champions. I personally would not breed a mare past 20. I think they've earned the rest and deserve the retirement. I had to keep my mare on Regumate the entire 11 months of gestation on her last foal when she was just 17. It does get more difficult. I sure hope everything is okay with your old mare. Fingers crossed. :(

Prayer said. Let us all know what happened.
Hope all goes well.

It is so sad when a mare goes out this way, but as to your question, I am afraid it is idiosyncratic. Every mare is different and has to be evaluated for herself and her condition. Usually an older mare tells you when she is ready to quit by not getting in foal, or slipping early, a couple years in a row. If she continues to conceive easily and deliver without complications, an older mare can produce into her twenties. [I have an old friend in Tennessee who had an unregistered TB mare who kept popping them out into in her mid/late 20s - catch on the first cover, become a barrel on legs, deliver before you know she's ready - that was just her.] Other mares are ready to quit by 15. I do think one ought not to try to drug an older mare into conceiving after she's told you it's her time, economic considerations notwithstanding.

i agree, it depends on the mare....one thing tho, yeah, mares usually reproduce year after year in the wild, but they also don't live nearly as long as they do in captivity, so i have to wonder just how many foals they are meant to have..

i hope she comes out ok pais-the foal as well. saddest thing is when they can't save either--and i'm sure you appreciate me being so maudlin and bringing THAT up.

i'll keep my fingers crossed that both are healthy!