More on SAD

[MBlanchrd@aol.com]

Hi again, ridecamp,

Another of my two cents worth..I firmly believe that animals "shut down", as
someone said in an earlier ridecamp, for the winter. Anyone who tries to get
mares to cycle as early in the year as possible in order to get her to get her
bred in January or February can tell you it's a battle. For all the standing
under lights until 10 pm, hormones will still tell. A mare who absolutely
refuses to hold to a January breeding will catch in May just like that. You
can't fool Mother Nature!
In my humble opinion, I think it's crazy to try for January foals. The only
reason we do this is the racing industry's insistence on saying a foal's
official birthday is January 1. Paperwork is made so much easier, but the
horses suffer for it in the long run.

Michelle