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  Discussion on Stallion standing that is one of a twin
Author Message
Member:
morg1

Posted on Monday, Dec 31, 2007 - 10:50 am:

DrO, I came across a gray Morgan stallion standing at stud that is one of a twin. He has a twin brother who is also healthy and productive. Can the stallion pass on a higher instance of twins or offspring that will have a higher instance of twins? He is a coming 4 year old stallion with his first foal crop due this spring. He is everything that I am looking for in a stallion. I am not planning on breeding anything to him in the next couple of years, but am thinking about in the future. I'm just wanting to do my homework first. Thanks, Karen
Board Administrator
Username: admin

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 - 8:23 am:

Hello Karen,
Hello Karen,
Twinning in horses is controlled by the mare and the number of eggs she ovulates per cycle. The stallions semen will have no effect on the rate of twins at breeding. However there are breed predispositions to twinning so the genetics of the mare, half of which are contributed by the stallion, apparently do have an effect but how strong it is is not known.
DrO
Member:
morg1

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 - 10:12 am:

So, it is possible that fillies sired by him could have predispositions to twinning. Thanks,
Karen
Member:
sureed

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 - 2:59 pm:

Karen,

I don't know about Morgan's but I have a TB mare who has twinned every time I've bred her. The first time the twin was pinched off by the vet, the next two times the twin was reabsorbed. I have a Hanovarian mare who twinned twice in a row. We lost the first pregnancy when the twin was pinched off, then when rebred, she twinned again and the pinch off was successful. This is all to say, that twinning is something you have to watch out for under any circumstances, because as you know (unlike the stallions to which you refer), it is dangerous for the mare and the foals and can have disastrous outcomes. We check between day 14 and 17 for twins so we can take care of it if needed. I wouldn't not breed to a stallion you like because you think it might result in a twin pregnancy. Just manage the pregnancy accordingly. Best wishes.

Suzanne
Member:
morg1

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 - 4:01 pm:

I understand the danger in allowing a twin pregnancy. I want to make it clear that I do not want to breed for twins. I didn't realize that my post sounded like I did. I am actually posting so I can make an informed decision about whether breeding a mare to this stallion is worth the risk or not. Of course, like you said you can take action against allowing a twin pregnancy to continue, but I would rather not have to worry about it if possible. Thanks, Karen
Member:
morg1

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 - 4:06 pm:

Oops! Suzanne, I just reread your post and in my haste misread it. Thanks for your information and opinion. Karen
Member:
sureed

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 - 5:59 pm:

Oh good Karen, I'm glad you were able to decipher what I was trying to say.

I had no doubt that you know what you are talking about and are trying to make an informed decision. I was just trying to say I'd hate to see you pass on a stallion that has all the qualities you want because he is a twin. You could pick another stallion who is a twin but you just don't know it because the twin was pinched off or reabsorbed. Even the stallion owners probably don't know if the horse was a twin or not unless they bred the horse in the first place. I don't believe twinning is a characteristic that anyone tracks (at least not very well). As it stands, four of the five foals I have bred from three different mares are "twins." Three of them had the other twin pinched off and one was reabsorbed. Best wishes for your breeding, just choose the stallion that is the best match for your mare. Happy New Year!

Suzanne
Member:
morg1

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 1, 2008 - 10:09 pm:

I never thought about it that way. I see your point. Thanks. Karen
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