10/13/2026
๐ด๐ก HORSE BREEDERS โ ITโS TIME TO PUT THOSE MARES UNDER LIGHTS! ๐ก๐ด
If youโre hoping for EARLY 2027 breeding dates, your mare should be under lights ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER 1ST!
Mares are seasonally polyestrous, meaning their reproductive cycles are strongly influenced by the length of daylight. During the shorter days of fall and winter, many mares enter a period of reproductive inactivity or transition.
By artificially extending the hours of โdaylight,โ we can help stimulate the mareโs reproductive system and encourage her to begin cycling earlier in the breeding season.
โ๏ธ OUR RECOMMENDED LIGHTING SCHEDULE:
4:00 PM โ 11:00 PM EVERY SINGLE DAY
Consistency is extremely important! The goal is to create a reliably extended photoperiod every dayโnot just turn the lights on occasionally.
๐ก YOUR ENTIRE ENCLOSURE NEEDS TO BE WELL LIT!
If your mare is housed in a:
โข Barn stall
โข Stall with a run
โข Pen
โข Covered enclosure
โฆthe ENTIRE area she has access to should be adequately illuminated.
A good practical rule: After dark, you should be able to comfortably read a newspaper in ANY part of her enclosure.
Dark corners matter! Your mare should NOT be able to โget away fromโ the lighted area between 4 PM and 11 PM. If she can stand in a dark run, corner, shelter, or other portion of her enclosure for extended periods, you may not achieve the consistent photoperiod you are trying to create.
For best results, evaluate the enclosure after it is completely dark. Walk through the stall, run, and pen and make sure the lighting is adequate throughout the entire space.
๐ด ANOTHER OPTION: EQUILUME MASKS
An Equilume Mask can provide an alternative to traditional barn lighting by delivering targeted blue light to the mare. This can be especially useful for mares living outside, mares without access to adequately lighted stalls, or management situations where maintaining whole-enclosure lighting is difficult.
๐ WHY PUT YOUR MARE UNDER LIGHTS?
An appropriately managed lighting program can help:
โ Encourage mares to begin cycling earlier
โ Shorten the winter reproductive transition period
โ Promote more regular estrous cycles earlier in the year
โ Improve the likelihood of having a mare ready to breed early in the season
โ Allow better planning for ovulation, breeding and artificial insemination
โ Assist with scheduling embryo transfer, OPU and ICSI programs
โ Increase your opportunity for an early 2027 pregnancy and an early 2028 foal
โ ๏ธ DONโT WAIT UNTIL YOU WANT TO BREED TO START LIGHTS!
The reproductive system needs time to respond to the increased photoperiod. Starting on or before November 1st gives your mare time to transition toward normal reproductive activity before those early breeding dates arrive.
๐ผ WANT A JANUARY FOAL? PLAN AHEAD!
If your goal is a January foal, we recommend scheduling a Breeding Soundness Examination in early to mid-January.
Depending on the mare and her reproductive history, we may also recommend a uterine culture +/- additional reproductive diagnostics.
This gives us an opportunity to determine whether:
โ Your mare is actively cycling
โ Her ovaries and reproductive tract are progressing appropriately
โ Her uterus appears healthy and ready to receive a pregnancy
โ Additional treatment or reproductive management is needed before valuable breeding time is lost
The goal isnโt simply to get your mare pregnantโitโs to establish the healthiest pregnancy possible and ultimately produce a healthy mare and foal. โค๏ธ๐ด
๐
NOVEMBER 1ST IS COMING!
If early breeding is part of your 2027 program, NOW is the time to get those lights and timers set up or get your Equilume Mask ready!
Valley Veterinary Services Inc.
๐ (559) 942-1101
๐ ValleyVeterinaryServicesInc.com
From House Pets to High Performance Horses โ Delivering Advanced Equine Reproduction and Total Veterinary Care!