Facilities for Equine Reproductive Management

1
Facilities for Equine Reproductive Management

• Estrus Detection Pens
• Breeding Arena
• Breeding Equipment
• On-Farm Laboratory
• Laboratory Equipment
• Foaling Stalls
• Personnel

2
Estrus Detection Pens

• Estrus detection is very important!!!
• Teasing wall
• Stallion on one side and mare on other side of
  wall
• Teasing Pen
• Stallion stands in pen which is located in
  paddock with the mares.
• Teasing Mill
• Mares stand in pens surrounding a circle
  containing stallion.
• Teasing Rail
• Mares enter a long pen where stallion walks along
  side the rail.

3
Teasing Pen
4
Teasing Rail
5
Breeding Shed

• There are many different designs suitable for a
  breeding or semen collection area.
• Keep it as simple as possible.
• Safety is important.
• Teamwork is essential.

6
Features of the Breeding Arena

• Good, clean footing (non-slip when wet, dust
  free, some cushion)
• Ex river sand, small grades of gravel, wood
  shavings, rubber mats, etc.
• Ample headroom
• Ample, uncluttered space
• Easy entry and exit
• Near the laboratory
• Extras
• Heating and air conditioning
• Hot and cold water
• Stocks or teasing stall

7
(No Transcript)
8
Breeding Equipment

• Essentials
• Stallion restraint
• Mare restraint
• Clean buckets (with plastic bag liners)
• Head and foot safety gear for staff
• Extras
• Stocks
• Dummy mount
• Jump mare
• (ovariectomized and given estrogen replacement
  NO MORE THAN 1 mg estradiol 17b subcutaneously
  every 1-2 days or 0.25-0.50 mg estradiol
  cypionate subcutaneously every other day)

9
Features of a Breeding Dummy

• Smooth, snug, padded, cool cover
• Sturdy, quiet when mounted
• Ample front and side clearance
• Especially good footing
• Grasping grooves or mane
• Angled or level
• NOTE Self-service or adjustable dummies
  typically do not meet many of these key features.
  Penis injuries are common with self-serve
  dummies.

10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Features of the Laboratory

• Clean (dust-free, non-toxic) room
• Ample clean bench space for handling semen
• Heated/air conditioned
• Hot and cold water
• Out of direct sunlight
• Artificial vagina prep area away from semen
  handling area (water kills sperm)
• Clean storage cupboards
• Efficient workspace
• Near semen collection area

13
Basic Laboratory Equipment

• Microscope with stage warmer, preferably phase
  contrast
• Slide warming tray, slides, cover slips
• Incubator (short term storage of semen)
• Densimeter, hemacytometer, or spectrohpotometer
• Refrigerator
• Artificial Vagina, collection bottles, filters
• Sleeves, catheters, lubricant

14
Foaling Stalls

• Larger than standard stalls
• 20 x 20 or 12 x 24
• Lower 42 to 60 inches of walls should be solid
  and flush with floor
• Observation windows
• Clean, dust-free, and free of buckets and feeders
• Protected from extreme weather
• Straw bedding
• Supplemental heat
• Video camera

15
(No Transcript)
16
Personnel

• Essentials
• Team players
• Minimum for efficiency of your operation
• Calm, confident, respectful around horses
• Alert and organized

• Extras
• Agile, athletic
• Strong
• Clever