Horse breeding from planning through foal care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses

Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends

Horse-heath-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

How to care for the basic health needs of horses

All aspects of caring for performance horses

Design and maintain a healthy horse operation

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness

News and issues for equine health professionals

Cover Story

The Many Faces of Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Unveiling what EMD and ID really look like.

Also in this Issue

Post-Foaling Red Flags
HERDA 20 Years Later
Strangles: An Old Disease in a Modern World
Before She Foals: Managing Broodmares
Beneath the Hoof Wall: Soft Tissues Injuries of the Equine Foot

Latest Q&A

4 Ways to Boost Soil Health on Horse Farms

April 22, 2024

Q&As

Equine Behavior

Our animal behavior experts field your questions about why your horse does XYZ.

Horse Nutrition

Equine nutritionists respond to queries about forage, grain, supplements, and other related topics.

Performance Horse Health

Veterinarians and researchers tackle questions about equine athletes.

Featured Podcasts

Can PPID or EMS Affect My Horse’s Joints?

Methodologies for Assessing Horses' Quality of Life Needed

When Should I Retire My Horse From Riding?

Podcasts

Ask 'TheHorse' Live

The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event.

Equine Innovators

Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky.

Fact Sheet: Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)

Fact Sheet: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses

Free Reports:

View All Free Reports

Quick referenced of horse conditions, diseases and health topics

Forms

Checklists and identification forms for horse owners

The Sub-Fertile Stallion

March 1, 1998
Posted by Les Sellnow

When we consider that foaling rates overall range somewhere in the neighborhood of 55-60% it becomes instantly obvious that simply covering a mare and getting a foal are not a sure thing. The problem is not always with the mare.

Topics: Article, Reproductive System, Stallion Care, Stallion Fertility

Favorite

No account yet? Register

Having a stallion on the premises adds another dimension to an equine operation whether it be on a farm where only a few mares are bred each year or one where that number is in the hundreds.

LEE SCHUYLER ILLUSTRATION

The master or controlling organs of a stallion’s reproductive system are the testes. Within their confines, spermatozoa are produced, along with testosterone, the primary male sex hormone.

Because of his aggressive nature a stallion must have his own housing and exercise area so that he can be segregated from other horses. The stallion also requires unique handling especially during breeding season; and this requires some expertise from a management point of view

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Written by:

Les Sellnow

Les Sellnow was a prolific freelance writer based near Riverton, Wyoming. He specialized in articles on equine research, and operated a ranch where he raised horses and livestock. He authored several fiction and nonfiction books, including Understanding Equine Lameness and Understanding The Young Horse. He died in 2023.