Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Medicine Man a paint or a pinto?
A: Let's get our terminology straight first. To be truly accurate only horses registered with the APHA should be called "paints." But there is an American Paint Pony Registry and Medicine Man is registered with that association. But he really should be called a "pinto."

Q: Can I register my foal with the American Paint Horse Association?
A: No, because Medicine Man is a pony and is not registered with APHA. But all his foals can be registered with the Virginia Pony Breeders Association.

Q. What pinto pattern is Medicine Man?
A: Medicine Man is a "frame" overo. This overo pattern is different from the tobiano pattern. To see the difference go to our Photo Album. Blue Manitou,like Medicine Man, is an overo. Sparkle Plenty is a tobiano. There are four pinto patterns: tobiano and overo--the overo having three sub-types within it--frame, sabino and splashed white.

The American Paint Horse Association has extensive information concerning what characteristics these different patterns have. Also review this link: Rosa Roca Miniature Horses to see pictures and read a great discussion of color distribution.

Q: Can I be sure that I will get a foal with the overo pattern if I breed to Medicine Man?
A: Unfortunately, no. Even though the overo pattern is a dominant gene, it doesn't always manifest itself in the foal coloration when Medicine Man is bred to a solid mare. Medicine Man is Oo - he carries both a dominant overo gene and a non-overo gene. We have about a 75% "spotted" rate.

Q: What happens if I breed a tobiano mare to Medicine Man?
A: Well, you certainly increase your chances of getting a spotted foal. If your tobiano mare is homozygous (TT) she will always pass on her tobiano gene no matter what she is bred to. So you could get a tobiano (To) or a tovero (TO). If she is heterogyzous (Tt), then about 50% of the time she will pass on the tobiano gene. So when you breed her to Medicine Man,(Oo) you could get a tobiano (To); an overo (tO); a tovero (TO); or a solid (to).

Q: I have an overo mare. Wouldn't I be assured of an overo foal if I bred her to another overo like Medicine Man?
A: This is a troublesome issue. You would in 75% of the breedings get an overo foal. But one out of four of those foals would probably have the LWS (Lethal White Syndrome) gene. That is a OO gene or double dominant. Foals with two doses of the dominant O are born almost totally white and die within the first few days from gut innervation abnormalities. Horses with only one O are frame overos and survive. Medicine Man as well as most frame overos does carry the LWS gene. I usually discourage frame overo mare owners from breeding to Medicine Man unless they are willing to take the 1 in 4 chance of losing their foal or if they have had their mare tested and she is free of the LWS gene. You can find a complete discussion of this issue by going to the University of California at Davis's web site at http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/horse/lethalwo.htm. This site provides the information and forms necessary for having this simple test done. By doing this you can minimize your worries about this genetic problem and be better informed about choosing a stallion to breed your mare to.

Q: What do I need to do to get my mare ready to be bred?
A: When your mare arrives at Breezeway she must have
1) A negative coggins test done within one year; 2) be wormed within two weeks of arriving; 3) be up-to-date on all vaccinations including a flu and tetanus vaccine with rhino, Potomac Horse Fever, Rabies, and West Nile (done within 6 months). She should have no hind shoes. She should have a clean uterine culture report unless she has a foal at her side or is a maiden and has never been bred before.

Q: What do I bring when I come to Breezeway to drop off my mare?
A: The stud fee of $250 must be paid prior to breeding. The stallion contract must also be signed. Mare care fees will be paid when mare is picked up. (This contract can be downloaded from this site.)

Q: What happens if my mare does not get in foal?
A: If owner produces a signed veterinarian's certificate stating that the mare is not in foal, the stud fee will be returned. Mare care fees are non-refundable. The mare can be rebred throughout the breeding season.

Q: What if our mare aborts or the foal does not stand and nurse?
A: Stud fee will be returned. You have a LFG (Live Foal Guarantee) from Breezeway Farm. Or you can rebreed the mare at no additional cost except for mare care. You may sell your breeding to someone else, or may substitute another mare -- provided you follow all guidelines as stated previously and let us know of the changes.

Q: Do you do AI (Artifical Insemination) or ship semen?
A: No. We do only live cover breeding.

Breezeway Farm welcomes mare-owners who are new to this breeding business. Don't be intimidated. We were all new at it once upon a time. We are a small breeding farm and stand only one stallion at the present time. We try to limit our outside mares so that each one gets enough special attention from us - and from Medicine Man ! -- to assure that she gets in foal. Feel free to ask questions and to come by to inspect our facility.