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THE INNER MARE Owners of mares should know correct anatomical terminology, have a working knowledge of the normal reproductive cycle, and be acquainted with common problems that could occur. The following article is designed to help mare owners understand the normal reproductive tract of the mare, and the words that veterinarians use to describe normal and abnormal aspects of that anatomy.
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MATING MARES Q & A The Horse made a request to its Horse Health E-Newsletter subscribers: What questions do you have for specialists about breeding your mares? After narrowing questions down to several themes to be featured in this article, the questions were presented to two specialists in the field of equine theriogenology (the study of animal reproduction) and to one behavior specialist.
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SETTLING DOWN: REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS IN PERFORMANCE MARES Let's say you've got a great performance mare you'd like to breed. But getting her in foal might not be as simple as swapping arena for breeding shed. Mares in performance careers can sometimes be hard to breed because these mares are under more stress than broodmares, and they might have hormonal problems that interfere with good conception rates.
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WHEN YOU CONTROL HER HEAT WITH REGU-MATE,
YOU CONTROL HER FOCUS
You have spent countless hours preparing for competition, and you want to arrive knowing that your mare is ready for peak performance. When you enter the arena, her heat cycle should be the last thing on both of your minds.
If your mare's behavior changes when she's in heat, she may be a candidate for Regu-Mate (altrenogest). Proven safe and effective, Regu-Mate helps ensure your mare is out of heat when it's show time. For fewer distractions and more predictable performances, choose Regu-Mate, and put your mare's cycle on your schedule.
Regu-Mate is contraindicated for use in mares with a previous or current history of uterine inflammation. Pregnant women or women who suspect they are pregnant should not handle this product. Talk with your veterinarian about proper use and safe handling of Regu-Mate, the only approved altrenogest.
Visit www.Regu-Mate.com for more information.
Regu-Mate is a registered trademark of Intervet Inc. or an affiliate. | |
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ESTRUS AND ESTROUS CYCLES
Estrous Cycle Primer
For all things there is a time and a season. Nowhere is this more true than in equine reproduction. Nature has established a definite time and season for mares to conceive and bear foals.
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Regulating Estrus
When a mare is left to her own devices reproductively, she will fall into a rhythm with Nature. When the days are short, dark, and cold, her reproductive system will shut down. When the longer, warmer days of spring arrive, her reproductive system will begin to stir and within weeks will be ready for procreation. MORE...
More information about the mare's estrus and estrous cycles:
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PROBLEM MARES
AAEP: The High-Risk Mare
Breeders and veterinarians understand the risks and frustrations involved in trying to obtain that perfect, healthy foal. Sometimes there are added complications of a mare with problems that might prevent or hinder her ability to produce a foal. With veterinary care and knowledge of the mare's problems, that dream foal can become a reality even from a problem mare.
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Find Reproductive Problems
Most of us associated with breeding mares and stallions can't wait for the season to end and don't want to think of barren mares and stallions until next year. However, the most opportune time to identify causes of infertility might be missed if you wait before performing a breeding soundness exam.
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More information about problem mares:
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EMBRYONIC DEATH
Fetus at Risk
When a pregnant mare develops a problem that puts her fetus at risk, what can be done? Some of these foals can be saved if the problem can be discovered early and the mare given proper treatment to reverse the condition.
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No Live Foal Guarantees
Subconsciously, you've been holding your breath for months. From the moment your mare was confirmed in foal, it's been a tense waiting game. And although she will be foaling soon, you know a healthy foal is still anything but a given. Between breeding and her foaling date lurk a few dozen tragic ways in which she could lose her foal. Whether you call it "slipping a foal" or bluntly label it abortion, it's a breeder's most heart-sinking nightmare--and it's all too common.
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More information about embryonic death:
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GETTING READY TO BREED
Breeding Soundness Exam of the Mare
Horse breeding is a time-consuming and expensive business. Therefore, horse breeders must be able to assess the likelihood of a mare being able to conceive, carry a fetus through pregnancy, and deliver a live foal. While unforeseen problems can always occur, there are procedures that help you decide if a mare is suitable for breeding. The suitability for breeding does not refer to the quality of the mare or her temperament; rather it is an assessment of her genital health. Collectively these procedures are known as the breeding soundness examination.
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The Essential Elements of Equine Reproduction
In each diverse area of the world, reproductive function is molded by the environment. Since the gestation period of equids is nearly one year in most cases, adaptation to a breeding season that corresponded to the best weather and grass seasons was important to survival. This seasonality is controlled by several factors, with light being the primary agent. The interaction between lengthening days and melatonin, secreted by the pineal gland, is the control mechanism. Melatonin, which has an inhibitory effect on reproductive function, is reduced as day length increases, releasing the hormonal control of the mare's cycle.
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More information about getting your mare ready to breed:
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LOOKING FOR BREEDING SUPPLIES? CLICK HERE!
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ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
The ABCs of Artificial Insemination
There are many reasons why you might decide to breed your mare by artificial insemination. The most common is to allow you to use a stallion that is a distance away--even abroad--and so increase the scope of stallions available.
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Advances in Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination is becoming an increasingly popular method for breeding horses, and with that comes advances in the timing methods used to inseminate mares.
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More information about artificial insemination:
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ADVANCED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
The ART of Breeding
When a mare or stallion develops any kind of problem that interferes with its ability to perform reproductively, it could be time to investigate the options of assisted reproductive technology (ART). These are the techniques that offer the hope of producing foals from mares or stallions that might no longer be able to pass along their genes to future generations any other way.
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Researchers Produce First Foal with Deceased Mare's Shipped Oocytes
The first foal produced with oocytes harvested from the ovaries of a mare and shipped across the country for transfer into a surrogate mare was born at Colorado State University in July 2002.
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Embryo Transfer
Once an experimental technology, embryo transfer has become an integral part of breeding programs throughout the world. Experience and technological improvements have made it a productive and relatively reliable procedure. Unlike the in-vitro fertilization procedures commonly used in human infertility treatments, both conception and early embryo growth occur in the donor mare.
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More information about advanced reproductive technologies:
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BREEDING FARM MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
Should I Breed My Mare?
To breed or not to breed...With apologies to William Shakespeare, that is a question that perplexes many mare owners and is one without a single, simple answer.
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Improving Breeding Programs
In today's competitive equine market, developing strategies to succeed and grow can mean the difference for an equine business. MORE...
More information about breeding farm management and planning:
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UNDERSTANDING BREEDING MANAGEMENT
This straightforward guide discusses the preparations required--and the challenges--of getting mares pregnant. Christine Schweizer, DVM, Dipl. ACT, covers such topics as the mare's anatomy, the reproductive system, and the importance of teasing and veterinary monitoring.
To order your copy of Understanding Breeding Management from Exclusively Equine, click here.
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