A dry summer resulted in poor-quality late summer and fall pastures. In fact, some broodmare owners have already been feeding hay, which may be in limited supply, too. But there is a bright side. Serious, dedicated horse owners have the opportunity to evaluate each mare in their broodmare herd critically. If you've performed necessary management practices, you already have the information needed to make decisions on whether to keep or cull a broodmare.
Barren mares with average or poor production and reproductive records are candidates for culling.
Such mares with acceptable pedigrees and conformation, if not too old, probably have a good market value. But selling now before feeding them high-priced feed saves money. Barren mares 16 years old or older are less likely to have another foal. Mares in this age bracket often get pregnant but don't foal the next spring. You may feed these mares for several years without getting a foal.