Breeding Management Considerations

1
Breeding Management Considerations
2
Whats the point

• Produce as many live healthy foals as possible
• Not highest conception rate

3
Farm managers ideal

• Breed only young (6 to 12 yrs) fertile mares
  beginning early in the season
• Rarely possible
• Young mares (lt6yrs) are harder to get in foal but
  are less likely to lose the pregnancy
• Mares over 12 years are slightly harder to get in
  foal and much more likely to lose the pregnancy

4

• Lights
• Begin breeding early in season
• Good teasing program
• Teasing charts
• Try to breed each mare only once
• HCG, GnRH

5
When to breed relative to ovulation

• 24 48 hours before ovulation for natural
  service
• 12 24 hours before ovulation for AI with fresh
  cooled semen
• 6 -12 hours before ovulation for frozen semen

6
Stallion breeding frequency

• For natural service it may be up to 3 times per
  day
• For AI it is usually 3 to 4 times per week

7
Mare breeding frequency

• Depends on stallions book
• Every other day
• Once per cycle
• Twice per cycle

8
Post breeding exam

• Ultrasound to check for ovulation and fluid in
  uterus

9
Pregnancy Exams 16-17 days

• Rebreed if not in foal
• Check for twins
• Check for fluid in uterus (infection)

10
Pregnancy Exam 40 days

• Mare will recycle with PGF if not in foal
• 13 of mares lose pregnancy between 15 and 40
  days
• 9 lose pregnancy between 40 days and term
• 45 day pregnancy certificate required by some
  insurance and sales companies

11
Fescue

• Increased gestation length
• Agalactia
• Increased mare and foal mortality
• Premature placental separation
• Thickened placentas
• Weak dysmature foals
• Decreased fertility

12
Estrus and Ovulation timing

• Decreases time spent with each mare
• Coordinate breeding schedule with stallion
• Schedule breeding around competitive events
• Synchronize for embryo transfer

13
Selection of stallion

• Good Pedigree
• Good Record
• Good Conformation

14
General management

• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Housing
• Preventive medicine
• Artificial lighting

15
Stallion Nutrition

• Stallions tend to be overfed and fat
• Most stallions can do well on pasture or hay
• May need grain in Winter or under heavy work
• Balanced diet with free choice salt and water
• Healthy stallion consumes 2 3 of his body
  weight per day

16
Stallion Nutrition

• Vitamin A deficiency can cause reduction in sperm
  production
• Green forages supply enough Vitamin A
• No evidence that any nutrient can increase sperm
  numbers

17
Exercise

• Stallions need exercise
• Turn out
• Riding
• lunging
• Treadmill
• Swimming
• Mechanical walker
• Horse needs to maintain good attitude toward
  exercise

18
Housing

• Stallions that live outside have higher levels of
  testosterone and fertility than stallions that
  are kept in barns.

19
Preventive medicine

• Parasite control
• Immunization
• Hoof care
• Dental care

20
Parasite control

• Deworming
• Most wormers considered safe
• Pasture management
• Pasture rotation
• harrowing

21
Immunization

• Specific programs vary
• Vaccinate at least 60 days prior to breeding
  season
• EVA
• Isolate stallion 28 days after vaccination

22
Coggins Test

• Annually

23
Hoof care

• Better to keep stallion barefooted and turned out
• Trim every 6-8 weeks

24
Dental care

• Examine once or twice yearly
• Perform work as needed

25
Artificial light program

• 16 hours daylight starting December 1 will have
  mares cycling in February
• It also stimulates stallion hormones fertility
• Stallions become refractory to light stimulation
  and fertility decreases
• Stallions may peak in fertility too soon in
  breeding season

26
Stallion acclimation to breeding farm

• Stallion should arrive at farm 3 months before
  breeding season
• One person should handle the horse
• Be able to control the horse
• Teach stallion to stand and back
• Pull shoes
• Provide a small turn out paddock
• May need mild sedation first time

27
Stallion acclimation to breeding farm

• Introduce stallion to breeding shed and
  procedures