Stallion Collection Schedules Affect Mare Pregnancy Rates

This can pose a problem for mare owners working with a limited breeding window due to the short lifespan of the mare’s oocyte and the stallion’s sperm.
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Stallion Collection Schedules Affect Mare Pregnancy Rates
Breeding stallion collection schedules can vary widely, so know the stallion’s contract terms (how frequently he is available, how many collections are permitted, etc.) in advance and plan accordingly. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
Artificial insemination can be a management-intensive and expensive endeavor for mare owners. They must time the mare’s ovulation precisely with the availability of good-quality semen. Therefore, owners are often at the mercy of when their desired stallion is collected and, if dealing with shipped semen, when that semen arrives.

Lisa Metcalf, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACT, owner of Honahlee PC, a breeding facility in Sherwood, Oregon, recently looked at how collection and insemination schedules affect pregnancy rates in mares bred using fresh or cooled semen. She shared her findings at the 2017 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Nov. 17-21, in San Antonio, Texas.

Breeding stallion collection schedules can vary widely, said Metcalf. Many are collected every other day, while others are collected daily, weekly, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, or between horse shows. The reason for this variation, she said, can be stallion- or staff-dependent.

This poses a problem for mare owners working with a limited breeding window due to the short lifespan of the mare’s oocyte and the stallion’s sperm

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Alexandra Beckstett, a native of Houston, Texas, is a lifelong horse owner who has shown successfully on the national hunter/jumper circuit and dabbled in hunter breeding. After graduating from Duke University, she joined Blood-Horse Publications as assistant editor of its book division, Eclipse Press, before joining The Horse. She was the managing editor of The Horse for nearly 14 years and is now editorial director of EquiManagement and My New Horse, sister publications of The Horse.

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