Breeding
5 articles on Breeding.
Updated 30 Oct 2026
Breeding7 min read
Horse coat colours: the genes, the passport and the foal
Three base colours, two genes, and a passport that records what someone saw. What chestnut, bay, the dilutions, grey and white patterns mean for a buyer, and what a DNA test can tell a breeder.
Breeding7 min read
How long are horses pregnant? What 340 days leaves out
Everyone says 340 days. One study of 433 pregnancies found viable foals from 315 to 388. What moves the date, how to work out a foaling window, why 1 January matters, and when the scans fall.
Breeding4 min read
What stallion licensing and a performance test prove
Licensing and performance testing measure two different things, and neither measures what most people assume. What each one proves, what it does not, and why winter is when it gets decided.
Breeding5 min read
Breeding a mare: what a covering season really costs
The stud fee is the number everyone quotes and the smallest part of the bill. Here is the shape of a whole covering season — vet, transport, keep and the contract terms that decide what happens if your mare does not hold.
Breeding7 min read
Setting a stud fee: what the season actually costs
A stud fee is the smallest number in a breeding transaction and the only one most adverts mention. What the fee has to cover before you publish it.
