Cycle of a mare

Question
How soon does a mare start cycling to where she can become pregnant?  How soon does a stallion become fertile enough to start breeding?  I have a half-brother and sister kept together who are now 7 months old. I obviously don't want them to start breeding!  Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi LIndsay-
Thanks for your question. Experts put a stallions sexual maturity at 18 months to three years (sometimes later) but sometimes they can impregnate a mare by the time they are 12 mos. old. Mares are generally fertile at about 2YO but most responsible breeders wait until they are at least 3 to give them time for their bones to mature, etc. Unless you have a really good reason to keep your colt a stallion, I recommend gelding him fairly soon. Your vet can tell you if he's ready. Geldings make for nicer and easier horses to handle and you don't want any mis-breedings down the line. Thanks for asking, Toni