Researchers Examine the Secret Life of Equine Embryos

A mare’s pregnancy might not seem that complicated on the surface, but her relationship with the embryo and its adjacent parts–in total, the conceptus–is remarkably complex. In order to prevent early embryonic loss, the conceptus must interrupt her
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

A mare’s pregnancy might not seem that complicated on the surface, but her relationship with the embryo and its adjacent parts–in total, the conceptus–is remarkably complex. In order to prevent early embryonic loss, the conceptus must interrupt her estrous cycle, signaling her uterus to create a receptive environment for attachment and growth.

Exactly how this "maternal recognition of pregnancy" occurs remains a mystery; however, researchers recently identified some of the genes involved–improving their understanding of early embryonic loss and how it might one day be prevented.

"The domestic horse is one of the few species in which the pregnancy recognition signal has not been established," explained Claudia Klein, Dr.med.vet., PhD, Dipl. ACT, ECAR, of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center .

Researchers know that among mammals a horse’s pregnancy is unique : the conceptus is mobile in the uterus for nine to 18 days following ovulation; and a capsule surrounds the embryo like an egg shell. However, veterinarians are striving for a more comprehensive grasp of the earliest days of pregnancy

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.

Share

Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
303 votes · 303 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!