A Rare Breed
By Niki Coyne
Horses have a natural breeding season. Increasing daylight stimulates receptor centers in the brains of mares, which in turn trigger the production of reproductive hormones. These hormones initiate the pattern of regular periods of "heat" or estrus, that characterizes the breeding season each spring.
These periods continue throughout the summer, and cease during the autumn. The ideal time for a foal to be born is between February and May. Pregnancy in horses lasts 11 months, so the best time to have the mare covered is from March to June.
The majority of horse lovers don’t have the facilities and know-how to breed their own horses. Finding a facility that delivers professional breeding and gives their foals the attention and loving care they get at home can be a challenge. Fortunately, many have found both at Amethyst Acres, a 47-acre, 32-stall all-breed breeding facility in Buchanan, Virginia.
Amethyst Acres owners, Mark and Debbie Burke, have over 25 years experience in horse breeding. They are dedicated to providing personal attention to their clients and their horses while carrying out every aspect of the breeding process. This includes representing 20 to 25 stallions of various breeds each year, collecting, freezing & shipping semen, foaling, mare care, basic training, and under-saddle work. A loving "husband and wife team", they pride themselves on delivering hands-on care to their mares, stallions, and foals.
"We do it because we love the animals, but also for the best possible outcome in foaling," Mark explains. Since the mare's job is to carry out the pregnancy, maintaining her health is crucial. Their lifestyle must be minimal on stress and they have to be kept happy. Stress-management is particularly important with mares that are also show horses; their stress levels are typically higher than other mares. Stress can cause the mare to have fertility issues and to abort pregnancies.
When it comes to breeding, the stallions don’t require as much attention as the mares. Mark laughs, "Stallions are always very happy to donate their services." Mark explains that while mares require close attention primarily during the breeding process, stallions are more management intensive on a day-to-day basis.
Mark and Debbie have to pay close-attention to stallions which are not compatible and make sure they keep them away from each other. Stallions can be very arrogant and aggressive. Also, many of the stallions they deal with will be going back into the show arena once they are finished breeding, so it is very important to maintain their weight under the added pressures of breeding. "Stallions can be lucrative money sources for their owners. It is extremely important to keep them healthy, fit and happy in order to allow for the most success in breeding, the show arena, or both."
"Health wise, the biggest way we can contribute to our horses’ health is to feed them well," Mark says. Having used many feeds in his lifetime, he has found great success with the Southern States products, most notably Legends® 14P. "The beauty of a 14 percent pelleted ration is that we can feed it to our stallions and our mares. The horses have always done amazingly well on it." The Burkes also use Triple Crown® Growth for their younger horses and Triple Crown® Senior for their older horses. They have been very happy with all of the Southern States feeds that they get at Rockbridge Farmer's Co-op because their horses thrive on them without requiring supplements. Mark and Debbie only use supplements on a very specific-need basis.
Mark and Debbie have found their true passion in horse breeding. Since 1988, they have found joy in seeing life born under their care. "It is a wonderful way to have the lifestyle and the career we both love and enjoy. It does tie us down a lot - we are here 24/7 - but it is so unique and enjoyable." Mark really enjoys the interaction with the stallions at the breeding level and seeing the offspring of the mares that they have bred.
When asked what it takes to become a great breeding manager, Mark says, "It's not rocket science. It's all about attention to detail and not cutting corners. Owners want the best care for their horses - the kind of care they would give them themselves. We are meticulous with our mares and stallions." It doesn't hurt that both Mark and Debbie possess not only the "horse-sense" required to keep their operation thriving, but they also have the academic merits to boot. Mark is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Animal Science. Debbie is a graduate of Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Masters of Humanities. True horse-lovers, they are also active in horse and animal rescue. They personally rescued a shire that was headed to the slaughterhouse and they assist in placing rescued horses with new families. They are very passionate about eliminating horse slaughter and work diligently to organize other people to do the same.
To find out more about Mark and Debbie Burke, go to AmethystAcres.com or call them at 540-254-1017.
