De Blasioâs effort is intended to address the needs of people at a variety of socioeconomic levels, from the very-low-income (now defined as under $25,150 for a family of four) to the middle class (families of four with incomes of $67,000 to $138,000).
Typically, during the breeding season, a mare will have a 21-day estrous cycle (the interval from one ovulation to the next). This length will vary between mares and time of the year. The estrous cycle is divided into two periods, estrus and diestrus. Estrus (heat) is the period (usually 4 to 7 days) when the mare is receptive to the stallion. During this period, ovarian follicles grow and develop to between 20 and 50mm in diameter with ovulation occurring 24 to 48 hours before the end of the estrus. Thus, the mare is still showing heat when she ovulates.
Early in the breeding season, estrus tends to be longer, whereas around the summer solstice the mare may be sexually receptive for only 2â3 days. Mares have two follicular waves each cycle. The first wave of follicular development occurs during diestrus, and these follicles become atretic.