Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2011 | Page 104

the rider

Island Life - February/March 2011

Equine Veterinary Diary

Miss Kate M Manners
BVM&S MRCVS

THINKING OF
BREEDING FROM
YOUR MARE?

Now is the time to start thinking if

frequent urination and “winking” of

tract and ovaries, and ultrasonography

you want to breed from your mare this

the vulval lips. Mares that are not in

of the reproductive tract. Additional

season! The natural breeding season

season will be non-receptive and may

procedures may be required such as

for mares occurs between April and

even put up a fight.

clitoral swabbing, blood sampling

September and is controlled by several

and specific uterine sampling. These

hormones. These can be chemically

Q. What should I do first if I’m

are important to ensure reproductive

manipulated to alter timings and

thinking of breeding my mare?

viability and safety.

time matings, be these by the stallion

A. A breeding soundness examination.

The pre-breeding exam can also be

or by artificial insemination or embryo

This will confirm the absence of

useful to record changes within the

transfer by veterinary surgeons. Regular

detectable

reproductive tract, which may not affect

oestrus cycles in mares are stimulated

reproductive

fertility, but are important, such as

by increasing daylight length, as well

abnormalities

uterine cysts. Their position within the

as increasing temperature and dietary

prior to

uterus should be carefully recorded at

profile in springtime.

breeding.

this stage, as on ultrasound scan they

During the breeding season mares will

It may also

can be easily mistaken for a pregnancy.

come into heat (oestrus) on average

be useful to

Knowledge of where cysts are prior to

every 21 days, pony mares have a

investigate

breeding will help determine cyst from

slightly longer cycle averaging every

fertility

foetus at the first pregnancy scan.

25 days. Once in foal, pregnancy will

problems

last approximately 11 months (310-365

following

days).

unsuccessful

Q. What can I do if I want to

breeding. This examination should be

use semen from a stallion in a
different country or if I want to
minimise the risk of injury to my
mare during breeding?

therefore make it easier for owners to

Q. How do I know if my mare is

performed at the start of the breeding

in season?

season to allow time for treatment
of any abnormalities found. Details

A. Some mares show obvious signs

of your mare’s age, work history and

of being in season (oestrus) whereas

past breeding history will be taken

others show no outward signs. A

to identify potential reproductive

common method of detecting oestrus in

problems. The mare will then have a

Advantages of A.I. include

mares is “teasing.” The mare is brought

clinical examination involving a perineal

• large number of mares can be bred

to a stallion and if in season may show

examination, manual vaginal and

from one stallion.

signs such as sniffing the stallion’s

cervical palpation and visualisation,

• the mare can be bred at home

muzzle, elevating the tail, as well as

rectal palpation of the reproductive

reducing transport and insurance costs

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A.

Use Artificial Insemination (A.I.)

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