BREAKING NEWS:EVA Presentation Now Available on the Equine-Reproduction.com Web siteOTHER NEWS:"Webinar" Presentation on EVA by Equine-Reproduction.comWe will be giving a presentation on EVA (equine viral arteritis) tomorrow night (Wednesday April 2nd) at the final of the RPSI 30-day stallion testing held at Silver Creek Farms, Broken Arrow OK USA. The presentation, which starts at 7:00 pm Central US time, is to be "webcast" and should be viewable via the Internet. To access the presentation, go to http://www.silvercreeksporthorses.com/StallionTest2008.htm and follow the link at the left that reads "CLICK HERE TO VIEW FINAL TWO DAYS & EVA SEMINAR (link available on April 1st at 1:30 pm)". Please be advised that we have had some issues attempting to open the web site using a "Firefox" browser (it intermittently locks up), although it opens in Internet Explorer with no issues. We hope this may prove of interest and use to some of you! Transported Semen Permits and Restrictions in the USA Following the outbreak of Equine Viral arteritis (EVA) that significantly affected the Quarter Horse industry, some States are implementing and enforcing permit requirements with regard to shipped semen. One such State is Montana, which now requires a stallion owner to obtain a permit prior to shipment and use of semen shipped into that State. The permit application must be accompanied by a USDA-Aphis approved lab test result indicating that the stallion tested negative for antibodies to EIA (equine infectious anaemia) within the last 12 months prior to the application, and EVA within the last 6 months. If a stallion has been vaccinated against EVA, then proof of vaccination must be demonstrated. If the stallion has not been vaccinated, but has a positive titre for antibodies, then a virus isolation test of the semen must prove negative. Similar restrictions apply to the importation of stallions to Montana, although not if they are to be temporarily imported for competition. Importation and use of semen from positive and shedding stallions will not be permitted, and any veterinarian inseminating semen received without the requisite permit will be subject to sanction. We at Equine-Reproduction.com always strongly support education of the breeding public about the issues surrounding EVA, but we do have concerns about the degree of restriction and lack of uniformity of the requirements of a permit such as that of Montana. Our concerns are:
Sad Loss to the Industry It is with regret that we announce the death of Dr. Pedro Jou of Ayr Ontario, Canada. Dr. Jou was well known and respected for his equine reproductive work, in particular with embryo transfer. Through his web site "EquineEmbryos.com" he marketed frozen semen and embryos both from Europe and which had been frozen at his business location in Ayr. Dr. Jou will be sadly missed in the horse breeding community, in particular by his many clients. Equine Cloning - The Next Generation With the advent of the first equine clone, there was speculation by some as to whether the cloned animal would be reproductively sound. Researchers and scientist had no such doubts, and that has now been proven with the first pregnancies being announced in and by cloned horses. Prof. Cesare Galli, from Italy, who was responsible for the first cloned horse, has announced that the clone Prometea (who was in fact a clone of her own dam) is pregnant and due to foal in 2008. Cryozootech have announced that "Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion" - an entire clone of the gelding "Pieraz" - has been bred to Dziupla, one of the best endurance mares in France from the Vialaret farm. This once again raises the question of the stance taken by some registries to not record or register cloned horses - there would have been no way genetically to differentiate the Pieraz clone's foal from a foal sired by Pieraz himself, had it not been for the fact that the original horse was a gelding! UC-Davis Announces Test for HERDA Researchers at the University of California (Davis) have developed a genetic test to identify carriers of the homozygous recessive gene that causes the skin disease HERDA (Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia, also known as hyperelastosis cutis). Identification of animals that carry this gene prior to breeding will enable responsible breeders to either eliminate carrier stock from their herds or make educated breeding decisions with a view to achieving the prevention of an increase of the presence of this disorder and hopefully preventing it becoming as prevalent as HYPP did in the same breed. HERDA is found in Quarter Horses most commonly associated with certain cutting bloodlines. One unfortunate aspect of this disorder is that it may not become apparent in animals until they start to be worked under saddle, by which time they have often changed hands from the original breeder. The advent of this test will allow the breeders to determine the status of their breeding stock, thereby assisting in prevention of propagation of the problem. Britain's Equine Fertility Unit Slated to Close It seems likely that the Equine Fertility Unit (EFU) - an equine reproduction research facility - in Newmarket England is likely to close at the end of September. It has been in operation for many years and has achieved much useful research and many "firsts" over the last 37 years, with among other things identification of the "capsule" that surrounds the early conceptus; the significance of prostaglandins in producing estrus; early pregnancy recognition ("maternal recognition"); function of the equine placenta; the equine genome; and much more. The cause of the closure is the failure of the Thoroughbred Breeder's Association (TBA) to continue its funding of the EFU. Previously the EFU had received £300,000 (US$595,000) per year from the TBA, but there was a need to increase this figure to £450,000 (US$892,000) for the next 10 years, which it appears was unacceptable to the TBA. In the realms of hard-sought research funding, the total of £4.5 million over the course of 10 years is not great, and the loss of this premier research facility should be considered a major blow to the equine community. It is also worthy of note that there has been recent concern about the funding of the EFU by the TBA as a result of the EFU's involvement in research into advanced reproductive technologies including artificial insemination and embryo transfer, neither of which is permitted by any Thoroughbred registry world wide. If this is a significant cause of the loss of the funding, there can be little doubt that such a decision would be in the classic mode of "cutting off one's nose to spite one's face"! Professor W.R. "Twink" Allen, head of the Equine Fertility Unit who was due to retire at the end of this year, has observed of the potential closure that it "is a nasty blow and I think it is short-sighted and stupid". Equine-Reproduction.com along with many other researchers and individuals involved in equine reproduction are distressed at the potential closure, and would be happy to assist in passing on any communication from persons that may be prepared to invest in the funding for the survival of the Equine Fertility Unit and its important research - please contact us. Another Gelding to Breed!
Please visit our archived news page for past news items that have appeared on this index page.
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 Hamilton Research Inc Home of the Equitainer  Home of the world-famous INRA '96 extender!  For your veterinary ultrasounding needs  Exodus Breeders Supply  An Industry Leader in Equine Veterinary Products!  Your compounding pharmacy for reproductive needs!  Quality Tanks at Competitive Prices!  Safe, affordable breeding stocks!  International Veterinary Information Service Frozen Semen Non-Reproduction Equine Headline News from: TheHorse.com News Eight Belles' Necropsy Report Released 15 May 2008 Eight Belles, the filly who suffered a catastrophic injury after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 3, had compound fractures of both front legs at the fetlock joints, a necropsy report released May 15 concluded. The... Make Vaccination Part of Horse Show Season Preparation 15 May 2008 Competitions bring together people and horses from different corners of the country, but they also can bring disease. Ensuring horses are properly vaccinated before show season can help protect competing horses and prevent loss of performance and training... Thoroughbred Safety Committee Convenes 15 May 2008 The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Safety Committee convened for its initial meeting via teleconference May 14 to discuss the goals and objectives of the committee and to set meeting dates and timelines for the future. All seven members had reviewed documents... First Grade Students Raising Money for Horse Fund 15 May 2008 First grade students at the Seton Catholic School are fundraising to help hungry horses. All funds raised by the children will be donated to the Kentucky Horse Council's Save Our Horses fund. At a recent kickoff event the students met Kentucky Horse... NYC Horse Museum Exhibit Opening, Features ASPCA 15 May 2008 An upcoming exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History focusing on the history of the horse will open to the public on May 17. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recently announced it will participate in the... Stud Plans for Derby Champ Big Brown Expected Today 15 May 2008 Big Brown, winner of the Kentucky Derby and 1-2 morning line favorite for the Preakness Stakes May 17, will not run past his 3-year-old campaign, it was announced May 14. Speaking at a post-post position draw press conference for the second jewel of... Ford to Recall Some F-150, Lincoln Pickup Trucks 15 May 2008 Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 655,000 Ford F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT pickup trucks to fix a hose that could affect the vehicles' braking power. The automaker is issuing the recall of 2005-2006 versions of the trucks with 5.4 liter 3-valve engines,... Horse Auction Operators Deal with Down Market 14 May 2008 In a glutted market where some horses can be had for as little as $2, auctioneer Tim Jennings is trying to convince horse owners it's still a good time to sell their animals. "We're telling people to compare how much they're spending on the horse... Equine Corneal Ulcers Discussed In-Depth at AAEP Convention 14 May 2008 At the 2007 AAEP convention's In-Depth Ophthalmology session, Caryn Plummer, DVM, Dipl. ACVO, assistant professor at of the University of Florida veterinary school, described the outer corneal layer (epithelium) as the windshield of the eye, and explained... Rider Injured at Rolex Released from Hospital 14 May 2008 The rider seriously injured when her horse crashed into a fence at the Rolex Three-Day Event in Lexington was released from the hospital on Tuesday. University of Kentucky Hospital spokeswoman Whitney Hale said 24-year-old Laine Ashker was released... Pfizer Extends Barbaro Memorial Fund Support 14 May 2008 Since late January, Pfizer Animal Health and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) have joined forces to help fund laminitis research through the NTRA Charities' Barbaro Memorial Fund. Pfizer Animal Health displays featuring "Riding with... |
In our ongoing efforts to assist breeders with directing access to good quality and well priced equine reproduction equipment, we are able to offer a listing of reconditioned equine reproduction ultrasounds for sale at affordable prices direct from Universal Medical Systems.
Equine reproduction topics covered in our articles section on this site include artificial insemination (A.I.); information about, and the use of frozen semen; stallion handling articles, including "phantom mare" training, and other semen collection methods; the collecting and processing of cooled transported semen; different equipment and supplies needed for semen collection and processing, and artificial insemination; managing the mare for breeding (including hormonal manipulation and the use of other drugs such as Oxytocin); and some articles relative to foals and foaling.
It's our aim to bring you not only a wide selection of articles about both basic and advanced equine reproduction topics; but also a variety of links to sites containing more information about horse breeding. There is a book sale section where we list and review books on equine reproduction that are offered for sale there in association with Amazon.com. We also invite you to review our equine reproduction short course details, as well as stallion semen freezing and other services that Equine-Reproduction.com is pleased to be able to offer the horse-breeding public. Our bulletin board is an active community with a large membership that discusses and provides information on a wide variety of equine reproduction topics.
If you have a question about anything you see on our site, or about any other equine reproduction matters, or if you have a subject that you feel would be a good topic for an article to be written about, please contact us! Feedback is important to us to make this a useful site for all. If you would like to add a link to this site from your own, please feel free to do so. To assist you in this, we have some pre-formatted links available for you to copy here.
Please use the buttons at the top of this page or the text links below to visit the rest of the site, and remember to return periodically, as new information and articles are added regularly. If you have comments, questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the mail form on the contact page.
