hard time foaling??

Question
Hi,
I have just recived an email (from another expert) and they told me that minis have a very hard time carrying and foaling!! I knew that was true for smaller ones (under 32 inches or so) but my mare is about 34 and a half inches tall, will she still have trouble foaling? I won't breed her if there is a large chance of her dieing or getting hurt!! She is really close to me!! What can I do to make things easier for her?  I know a man who breeds/raises/trains horses and he will be helping me chose a stallion and help me with her foaling, my mare will probably stay at his ranch while she is foaling. Will it help if the stallion is larger/smaller than my mare?
Thanks for you time!
Amy

Answer
I was told this as well when I was first interested in breeding my mares. I think there is always a potential for foaling problems,and this happens in large horses too. I had previously bred pygmy goats,so luckily have had experience in helping when they were in trouble. I have had both the tiny mares 29 inches and the other spectrum the B size and the 34 inch size. So far I have been very lucky with my kids and no problems. I do watch them like a hawk for the signs that things are soon to start happening so I am very aware when they are close. I usually can tell when they are about 12 hours away from foaling but sometimes they surprise you. I have a wireless webcam and start monitoring them when they are starting to bag up. I did try the foal alert pager but every dang time the mare layed down the thing went off. The mare basically determines the size of the foal she carries, I would make sure the stallion throws his size of smaller and bred to something smaller then your mare. I have a 30 inch Sierra Dawn Uno Pharoah son and bred him to my tiny mares and my larger ones. He tends to produce small babies but this still is no gaurentee that problems won't arise. Things just sometimes happen. Just as in people and other species. The main thing is to be available at foaling time or have someone who is willing to mare watch(I have at least 3 other people who watch my webcam)and know the signs to watch for when your mare is close.The other thing you need to do is make sure your vet will be available to come immediately if things go wrong or you are able to transport to a vet hospital if a Section is needed. I have a very special B mare I compete pinto who is a Canadian and American Champion,but more importantly is my fourth child. She is the light of my life and will never be bred. I can't gaurentee her safety in foaling and she is my best friend. I am in buisness to bred and sell my minis,but there are a couple that mean a lot more to me then the money aspect. I figure if I want another one just like them I will go out and buy one. The other mares in my broodmare band,where I love them too are part of the buisness. Where they are worth as much I don't let my heart get as involved, and if I am ever in the position where I have lost a mare to foaling dystocia It will not be quite as hard, although devastating to lose an animal not quite as bad as a good buddy. I am not telling you one way or the other as far as breeding them just my own feelings on the subject. As I said I have been very lucky. But my horses are treated on a whole as horses not hot house roses. They are stalled at nite so they get dry,but are in and out all day long. They are continually out in the summer. Unlike some I do not do the pre baby vaccines. I have heard the pros and cons and truly I see as many foals aborted doing one of the other. I take the more natural approach with less interference. I do worm them every eight weeks,even though some of my friends who breed too say not to as it will cause them to abort. I have been breeding for 8 years and so far to my knowledge have not had any abortions. My vet says my sucess rate with my breeding and with my lack of any illness colics and such is due to them being left to make their choices being indoors or out and just keeping there lives as close to natural as I can. I hope this helps and gives you food for thought. If you are doing this for your own pleasure and not for a buisness if it were up to me and I were in your place, with a big attachment to the horse I myself would go buy a weanling. But that as I said is just my opinion.