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Archived Content from Previous Equine-Reproduction.com index pages:
(Newest content at the top)
CEM Outbreak in WisconsinThe OIE (Organisation Mondiale de la Santé Animale - World Organisation for Animal Health) yesterday (October 17th 2006) listed an outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM) on a farm in Mount Horeb, Dane County, Wisconsin USA, identified on October 4th. The disease has been identified in two Lipizzaner stallions that originated in Eastern Europe, but have been resident on the operation. 16 other susceptible animals have so far been identified as being healthy. CEM is a highly contagious sexually transmissible disease of horses that was last identified in an outbreak in the general equine population of the USA in 1997, although several cases have been identified in quarantine at the time of importation since then. Taylorella equigenitalis - a bacterium - is the causative agent. It is a notifiable disease with potential for significant negative impact in the case of a full-blown outbreak. Such an outbreak occurred in the USA and UK in the late 1970's and cost the Thoroughbred breeding industries there an estimated $60 million.
Gelding to Breed!?!
Cryozootech, the equine cloning pioneers have announced the birth of E.T.Cryozootech-Stallion, born on 2nd June 2006. This clone is an identical copy of the show jumper ET, who was twice winner of the World Cup, and number one on the World ranking for 3 years in a row - but with one (or rather two) very important differences! ET was a gelding - but this clone is of course an entire colt, and once he reaches sexual maturity he will have the potential to pass on the same genetic ability that ET himself would undoubtedly have done had he not been gelded as a three year-old. It is hoped that a few mares will be bred in 2008, producing long-awaited "ET" foals in 2009!
EVA Outbreak in New Mexico
There has been an outbreak of Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) at MJ Farms in Veguita, New Mexico, resulting in an estimated loss of 40% of on-farm pregnancies, as well as infection of stallions. EVA is primarily a respiratory disease, but has serious reproductive implications, as it can cause abortion in mares, and remain in the stallion's reproductive tract, being shed into semen at the time of ejaculation. This infected semen, if then introduced into non-protected mares, is likely to result in infection of that mare, with the potential for transmission to other horses, and the possibility of an abortion storm such as MJ Farms has experienced. As this is a virus, it cannot be controlled by the use of antibiotics, nor will it be destroyed by freezing. Consequently infected semen will remain infectious even if shipped cooled or frozen. The best form of control is preventative in the form of vaccination of susceptible animals. It should be noted that while the vaccine Arvac (Fort Dodge) is available in the USA, it may not be available in all countries, and indeed there may be local restrictions as to the use of such a vaccination. EVA in the animal may be asymptomatic, causing more problems as it may not be recognised that there is an active infectious state until serious repercussions such as abortion or pregnancy failures become apparent. As it is primarily a respiratory disease, it can be spread by aerosol transmission rather than sexually, presenting further complications as asymptomatic but infectious animals may be present at shows and other equine gatherings unbeknownst to other attendees - or even the owners themselves.
Don't Panic!!
It is important to emphasize that EVA is not a disease to be panicked about, but rather a disease to be managed - something achieved easily with the appropriate vaccinations. It is not a new disease and appears to have been around for possibly over 100 years, although it was not specifically identified until more recently in the 1950's. Dr. Peter Timoney of the Gluck Center in Lexington KY, USA is a world-renowned expert on EVA (the virus itself incidentally is known as "equine arteritis virus" or EAV, while the disease is "equine vial arteritis" or EVA), and has prepared a comprehensive article on the disease entitled Equine Viral Arteritis: Is the Disease a Cause for Industry Concern? (available in Adobe .pdf format at that link - but note that at 12 Meg it is a large file). It is certainly an article that is food for thought!
Dead heat?
  Racing Clones at Winnemucca Photo courtesy of, and © The Humboldt (Nev.) Sun |
Well, not quite! The two mule clones - both carriers of identical DNA donated by a full sibling to the racing mule "Taz" - Idaho Gem and Idaho Star raced against each other in Winnemucca NV on Sunday (June 5th, '06). Almost everyone was hoping for a dead heat, as of course in theory that would have proven the "identical" aspect of cloning, but it didn't turn out that way. The two clones have been in training for a while for this big day, but with different trainers, and both won their qualifying heats at Winnemucca in order to end up racing against each other in the final with six other mules. As it turned out, Idaho Gem came home in third place (with Bar JF Hot Ticket the winner), while Idaho Star came in in seventh place! Oh well, a fairytale ending to this great expectation would have been too good to be true! It certainly did demonstrate though that the nature vs nurture concept does play a large part to success in racing, as things did not go as smoothly as they might for Idaho Star, who did not have his regular jockey on Sunday, and seemed to stall out on the rail at one point. It will be interesting to see what happens the next time they meet on the track! |
Resolution of "Tennessee Situation"
The Tennessee Veterinary Board has decided that the practice of artificial insemination in the equine should be considered a non-veterinary or "exempt" procedure, which is in keeping with most other States and Provinces in North America. Persons who have been fined in the recent round of court cases related to the issue are to have their fines refunded, and any other penalties reversed. We are relieved that common sense has finally prevailed...
Clones of '06!
The first clone foals of 2006 are starting to arrive! At Royal Visa Southwest in Purcell OK on February 19th, a clone of the AQHA champion cutting horse mare Royal Blue Boon was born. On March 9th a clone of the AQHA mare Tap O Lena was born, and two clones of the quarter horse mare Bet Yer Blue Boons are anticipated any day. ViaGen and Encore Genetics, the companies responsible for the cloning process, reports there are to be a total of seven clone foals to be born this year as a result of their work.
In an unconfirmed report, there are believed to have been 5 foal clones of the Quarter Horse Smart Little Lena born in Texas in a cloning project performed at Texas A&M University. [Note - since initially going to press this has now been confirmed].
At this time, the cloned animals will remain unregisterable as a result of the AQHA position on registration of cloned foals outlined below. The Zangersheide Registry in Europe remains the only registry with forward-vision to have actually registered a clone foal.
Charges Filed in Tennessee AI Situation
Charges have been filed and court dates set for early April (2006) in the ongoing AI situation in Tennessee. Persons previously notified by the Veterinary Board that they have been considered to be in contravention of the Veterinary Practice Act as a result of their performing artificial insemination in mares have now been formerly charged and given a court date for early April.
In the Tennessee Legislature, Bills are being submitted and withdrawn, with the currently most favoured Bill considers equine AI to be a veterinary procedure that will require the indirect supervision of a veterinarian - despite the fact that this is in opposition to the recommendations made to the Legislature last week (see below). This is particularly surprising, as this Bill has been authored by Eric Swafford, an MTSU graduate with a degree in Animal Science. The surprising aspect is that as the holder of such a degree, he would in all probability have been taught how to perform equine AI even though he is not a veterinarian, and one would think would understand the ramifications and impact of authoring such a restrictive Bill!
The Tennessee Veterinary Board is itself scheduled to meet April 17th for a proposed Rule Making Hearing. During this session there will be further discussion as to the standing of a variety of equine reproductive procedures, including semen collection, which has always been considered to be a non-veterinary procedure even in countries with more restrictive veterinary laws such as the United Kingdom!
In an interesting but unfortunate adjunct to these assisted reproductive troubles in Tennessee, we had an attendee at our course held recently in Tennessee who had just - in the last year - moved to Tennessee from New Jersey with their entire warmblood breeding operation. They are now intending to leave Tennessee in the event that these restrictive reproductive veterinary laws are enacted. One cannot help but wonder how many other breeders will follow this lead, and what negative impact this will have on the Tennessee equine agricultural industry, which is currently worth millions of dollars annually to the State. It may well be that the Legislature and many others in Tennessee do not realise that Tennessee has the second highest horse population of any State in the US behind Texas. There are approximately 185,000 horses in Tennessee (National Agricultural Statistics Service, March 2, 2003) and the State motto is "Agriculture and Commerce". It seems that the State motto sadly does not apply to the average horse breeder in the Tennessee.
Tennessee Legislature Hears Support for Equine AI being Considered a Non-Veterinary Procedure
At several recent meetings of the Tennessee legislature, representation has been made by multiple parties supporting a Bill currently before the House that legislates AI to be a non-veterinary procedure. The Bill also rescinds penalties that have been paid by persons previously considered to be in contravention of the Veterinary Practice Act for their performing AI in the equine. Representatives from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the Middle Tennessee Academy of Equine Practitioners presented material in keeping with their position of support for the Bill from other groups and individuals such as the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association and specialists respected in the equine reproductive industry such as Dr. Michelle Leblanc. This presentation can be viewed in streaming video in the agricultural session of February 28th 2006 by going to the streaming video section of the TN House of Representatives (the link is in the drop down section under "committee meetings" as "Agriculture - 02/28/06" and is towards the end of the presentation). There have been a number of Bills similar to the current Bill in the recent history of the Legislature and it is hoped that this current Bill will be debated and voted upon by the end of March.
Tennessee Veterinary Board Meets in AI Situation
On February 16th the Tennesee Veterinary Board met to consider the ongoing AI-by-the-lay-person situation in that State (see below). The legal team for the TN Farm Bureau and two of the people accused of performing AI without a veterinary license presented the argument that the regulations exceeded the authority of the Veterinary Practice Act (VPA). The VPA doesn't define AI as veterinary medicine, although it was common at the time the Act was passed. The Act does specifically state that embryo transfer is a veterinary procedure as well as some other breeding practices, but does not mention AI. The legal team made the point that the courts had repeatedly and consistently ruled that if the legislature had wanted AI to be a vet act they would have identified it as such. One of the purposes of the meeting was that the Vet board was to decide if they had exceeded the bounds of the Act, and by a vote of 3 to 2 they decided they had not exceeded the Act, although they were looking at additional rule making to allow AI.
We feel confident that this will continue to be an ongoing matter and will report upon it as we are made aware of developments.
Renowned Veterinary Researcher Receives Prestigious Award
We are delighted to be able to offer congratulations to Dr. Dirk Vanderwall on his being awarded the accolade of "Theriogenologist of the Year for 2005". Dr. Vanderwall, who received the award in recognition of his expertise in clinical theriogenology, has performed research in a variety of areas of equine reproduction, assisting in development of essential knowledge to aid in the breeding of horses and other equids, but is perhaps best known in his role as lead researcher in the development of the first cloned equids. Dr. Vanderwall was kind enough to consent to becoming one of Equine-Reproduction.com's veterinary advisors several years ago, and we are extremely happy that he has received this award of peer recognition for his valuable research and practical expertise.
New Gestational Duration Records Set in Australia
Until recently the record gestation for a horse was reputed to be 417 days, but that record has been well beaten by some Thoroughbred mares in Australia! "Sangam" owned by Lasca Bowcock (Scone, NSW), foaled after 421 days on the 8th of December (see photo at left), which was thought to be quite a new record! At almost the same time though, a second mare - Corona Star - was giving birth in Euroa, Victoria after 445 days of gestation! Corona Star and the new foal are owned by Chris Gliddon.
Tennessee Veterinary Board Pursues action over Breeders performing Artificial Insemination
The Tennessee Veterinary Board has ordered the State to take action against breeders in Tennessee who have inseminated mares other than their own. The Board indicates that this is in contravention of Tennessee Code Annotated sec. 63-12-119, which references "the practice of veterinary medicine without a license". "Consent Orders" have been issued by the Office of General Counsel for the Tennessee Department of Health instead of pursuing formal disciplinary proceedings. These reportedly allow recipients to pay a settlement fine of $750 for each year of having performed AI on animals other than their own, rather than being formerly charged under the Act. It is our understanding that 96 such letters have been issued to date.
Not surprisingly, many breeders are resisting the actions of the Veterinary Board and have retained a legal firm to defend their case. The Chattanooga-based firm - Miller and Martin PLLC - may be reached at (423) 756-6600. The Tennessee Farm Bureau has also become involved supporting the breeders, with their position reported as being that the actions of the Veterinary Board exceeded the authority of the Act.
The issue will receive further review during a meeting of the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Board which commences at 9:00 am on December 8th and 9th. The meeting location is the Tennessee Room, Ground Floor, Cordell Hull Building, 425 Fifth Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee 37247 and is open to the general public.
We hope to keep you apprised of this ongoing situation.
Cloning is Here to Stay!
 |
The combined efforts of animal cloning leader ViaGen Inc. of Austin, TX and performance horse marketing experts Encore Genetics Ltd. (Weatherford, TX, USA) is set to present as many as 30 (thirty) cloned foals next year with foalings starting in February. The DNA source for the clones is described as being "six high-profile performance horses". Breed and discipline are at this time unannounced, although it has been reported that they are not of the Thoroughbred breed, the Registry for which remains resistant to anything but live cover techniques, regardless of the safety of animals and personnel. Royal Vista Southwest has provided the recipient mares for the process, and it is in Purcell Oklahoma that the foals will begin to be born next (2006) spring. |
227. HORSES NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REGISTRATION
(a)Horses produced by any cloning process are not eligible for
registration. Cloning is defined as any method by which the genetic
material of an unfertilized egg or an embryo is removed, replaced by
genetic material taken from another organism, added to with genetic
material from another organism, or otherwise modified by any means
in order to produce a live foal.
The only trouble with this is that any offspring of a clone produced by normal breeding methods is not going to be eligible for registration, as a result of the sire or dam having been ineligible - even though clones are just "twins separated in time". It's going to be interesting...!Database Lists Stallions whose Semen we have Frozen
We are pleased to present a partial database of stallions whose semen has been frozen by Equine-Reproduction.com. This database is searchable by stallion name or breed, and if listed a link is provided to a page with further information about the stallion and contact information for the owners/managers. A stallion listing does not necessarily indicate availability for breeding by frozen semen, as some owners have had their stallions' semen frozen for future use. Please contact the owner directly from the page provided for that stallion. We have attempted to contact all stallion owners with whom we have had the pleasure of doing business, but some of our contact information was out of date, so if you are an owner whom we have not been able to contact and would like to have your stallion listed, please contact us!
Leading horse cloning company Cryozootech receives Zangersheide passports for cloned foals
 Pieraz-Cryozootech-stallion, the clone of Pieraz  Paris-Texas, now revealed to be a clone of Quidam de Revel |
In September 2005 at the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses in Lanaken (Belgium), Cryozootech presented "Pieraz-Cryozootech-stallion", the clone of Pieraz,
twice world champion in endurance. Equine specialists present were given the opportunity to evaluate the horse and observe the obvious health and good condition of the animal. A second
Cryozootech cloned foal "Paris-Texas" was presented on video at the Zangersheide press conference. This second horse - a clone of the world famous showjumper Quidam de Revel - had been
cloned at the request of the owner. During the press conference Dr. Eric Palmer, the Cryozootech CEO, was pleased to receive passports from Stud-book Zangersheide for both "Pieraz-Cryozootech-stallion" and "Paris-Texas", thereby providing official recognition and documentation for both cloned foals. Early in 2001, Stud Book Zangersheide had received a request from Dr. Palmer, founder of Cryozootech, asking whether they would register cloned horses. On May 29th, the board of directors of Studbook Zangersheide made a resolution that cloned horses could be registered in the studbook if the DNA profile of the donor was recorded in the files of the studbook and the clone's profile was identical. The clone would receive the same paper as the original with a number and the indication of the cloning process (CL). The two foals have fulfilled the conditions required by the studbook, and they receive the first passports of cloned horses issued by Zangersheide Stud Book. |
It has been announced that yet another cloned equine has joined the cloned stable, making a current known total of six (three mules, three horses)! Researcher Katrin Hinrichs, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A and M University headed a team working in conjunction with French scientist Dr. Eric Palmer of Cryozootech, the producers of the first cloned equine announced this year. The latest clone is of an unnamed European performance stallion. The donor cells were skin cells collected and processed in Europe and then shipped to TAMU for the actual cloning process to be performed. The resulting foal - a bay colt named "Paris Texas" - was the only successful result from 400 originating DNA-transfers.
Another cloned horse born in Italy
A second cloned horse has been born in Italy - also the second only in the world. On February 25th, 2005. The clone "Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion" (called "Pieraz II" for short!) is the clone of 1994 and 1996 world endurance champion Pieraz, owned by US horsewoman Valerie Kanavy. In an interesting twist, the champion Pieraz is a gelding and therefore unable to reproduce by the usual method. With the production of the clone, there is now the possibility of the continuance of the bloodlines, as it is intended that Pieraz II will remain a stallion and therefore be able to breed.
The fact that the genetic source cloned animal - a gelding - will be able to reproduce raises some interesting points. Not the least of these interesting points is the issue of "gene expression". Although a cloned animal is genetically identical to the source animal, it has been seen that it will not necessarily be physically or mentally identical. Equine-Reproduction.com recently visited again with the cloned mules. All three of the "identical" clones were there - Idaho Gem, Utah Pioneer and Idaho Star. Idaho Gem and Utah Pioneer were - as ever - happy to see visitors and be scratched. They are also dark brown. Idaho Star however is more shy and retiring, and although he eventually comes and visits, he takes his time to get there. He is also a lighter brown colour overall. How can that be? They are all genetically identical! Gene expression is in all probability the reason. Which leads to the interesting question - will a foal sired by a clone of a champion gelding be the same offspring as if it had been sired by the champion himself? Genetically maybe....
Improved Equine-Reproduction.com Bulletin Board!
The Equine-Reproduction.com Bulletin Board is now configured to allow registration. Becoming a member of the board allows you multiple privileges, such as being able to edit and delete your messages, receive notification of posts in any or all topics, and remain permanently logged in (using a cookie). We hope you find these additional attributes of value and assistance.
Equine-Reproduction.com A.I. technicians DEFRA certified
Equine-Reproduction.com A.I. technicians recently travelled to England and received DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) certification for the performance of artificial insemination of equines. The United Kingdom has a requirement to complete a government-accredited course before certification is approved under The Veterinary Surgery (Artificial Insemination of Mares) Order 2004.
Renowned Researcher Joins Equine-Reproduction.com Veterinary Consultant and Advisory Board
We are delighted to announce that the renowned equine reproduction researcher Dirk Vanderwall DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT has graciously agreed to join our veterinary consultant and advisory board. Dr. Vanderwall gained international recognition as one of the leaders of the combined teams from the Universities of Idaho and Utah State to produce the first cloned equid (see also below for details).
Veterinarian Continuing Education Credits now offered by Equine-Reproduction.com
Equine-Reproduction.com is pleased to announce that our Twin Falls, Idaho (February 5th and 6th, 2005) equine reproduction short course is approved for 21 hours Continuing Education (CE) credits for Idaho licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Texas veterinary technicians have been able to obtain maximum CE credits from our courses for some time.
In keeping with our continued service-based philosophy, our University of New Hampshire, Tennessee and North Carolina locations were also approved for CE credits. More sites will be approved, and the short course information page will be updated to reflect that accordingly.
In the event that you are a veterinarian or technician from another State, and would like your State to approve the courses for CE credits, please have the Veterinary Board from your State contact us by telephone or e-mail to discuss requirements.
FDA takes action against US veterinary compounding pharmacy
Are you in the USA, and do you use Progesterone and Estradiol (P&E) in your breeding program? (And even if you don't this may well still affect you!)
Last year, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) on compounding for animals that disallows all compounding from bulk ingredients, a ban that is in
our - and other's - opinons unjustified and threatens the health and well-being of many animal patients including horses.
The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) among others mounted a campaign in response to the FDA ruling, and thousands of pharmacists, veterinarians, and pet owners wrote letters to the FDA asking that the Vet CPG be withdrawn and
reissued in draft form to allow for revision of the problematic portions of the guidance. The CPG was not however withdrawn, and in fact, the issue has now been stepped up, as last week
(August 12th, 2004) FDA personel raided BET Pharm, LLC, a well-known veterinary compounding pharmacy in Lexington, Kentucky USA. This raid followed issuance of a warning letter by
the FDA last November, and resulted in the impounding of certain compounded products at the BET Pharm facility, pending a decision as to the next actions to be taken by FDA and BET Labs in a
legal capacity.
That the FDA has continuously ignored the public outcry against the CPG, in spite of IACP's numerous conciliatory efforts, and taken this action is a major cause for concern. This concern is
compounded by the news that there are allegedly an additional 20 compounding pharmacies that are to be targeted for similar action. Additionally, in April FDA sent a letter to all State
boards of pharmacy asking for their cooperation in conducting inspections to determine the scope of the "illegal" veterinary compounding activity. These developments make this issue
increasingly urgent for those impacted by the CPG!
We at Equine-Reproduction.com intend to keep our visitors informed of the ongoing situation, and offer suggestions as to actions that you, as members of the public, can take to aid in
reaching a favourable resolution of the situation that will continue to allow breeders access to such important drugs as the progesterone and estradiol combination that we favour so much for control of the estrous cycle. Note that these of course are not the only drugs that are affected, and
horses are not the only species that are affected! This ongoing FDA action will ultimately affect all veterinary compounded products.
Vaccination of pregnant mares with the West Nile Virus vaccine:
It was brought to our attention several times during the past breeding season that there exists a site on the Internet ("The Lost Foals Group") which alleges a connection between the West
Nile Virus vaccine and pregnancy problems. We at Equine-Reproduction.com believe it is extremely important that all viewers of that site are made aware that nowhere on that site is
there a single shred of scientific evidence supporting the claims. We are personally acquainted with some of the researchers who evaluated the safety of the vaccine for use in pregnant
mares, as well as some of the farms where the research was performed. Neither the researchers nor the farms found any evidence of a problem. We do however believe that one important thing
should be brought to everyone's attention - inoculation with any vaccine during the first 45 days of pregnancy can result in pregnancy loss (in fact it is preferable for mares
to be kept toxin free during the first 90 days of pregnancy), and yet we are repeatedly coming across incidences where mares have been inoculated with WNV vaccine during those first 45 days.
Keep your mares toxin-free for the first 90 days of pregnancy! - do not vaccinate, deworm or expose your mare to any toxin-related situation during that time frame.
We consider the above-mentioned site so unworthy of promotion that we will not present the URL here. We do however encourage you to review the article discussing the site presented by Dr.
Traci Hulse of Durango Equine Veterinary Clinic (available by "clicking" here), as well as some of our own personal observations which we placed in a thread on our bulletin board to be found here.
World's First Cloned Equids
 Kathy St.Martin of Equine-Reproduction.com meets with Idaho Gem and researcher Dr. Dirk Vanderwall at U-Idaho (The shyer Utah Pioneer can also be seen nursing in the background) |
On May 29th, 2003 the combined research teams from the Northwest Equine Reproduction Laboratory (University of Idaho) and Utah State University announced the birth of a live cloned mule - the first equid to have ever been successfully cloned. The foal was born on May 4th, 2003. This is momentous news for the equine industry and we would like to congratulate the combined research teams on their success, as well as thanking them for this opportunity to be a primary disseminator of the news! A detailed article is available on our site here. The world of Equid cloning moved forward again on May 28th 2003, with the announcement of the successful foaling of a cloned horse. Researchers from the Laboratory of Reproductive Technology, a nonprofit research organization in Cremona, Italy, have produced a live foal cloned from skin cells from its own dam - so essentially the mare gave birth to herself! The outcome was not without a lot of effort - starting with more than 800 manipulated oocytes, only twenty-two successfully developed into seven-day-old embryos, of which 17 were then transferred into nine mares with four resulting pregnancies of which "Prometea" is the sole survivor. |
On June 9th 2003, a second mule clone "Utah Pioneer" joined his brother, "Idaho Gem", as the only equine clones in the world, and then on July 27th, a third cloned mule foal - "Idaho Star" - was born!
Appaloosa Horse Club Approves use of Frozen Semen
We would like to welcome Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) breeders to the world of frozen semen use! This is the first breeding season in which frozen semen could be used to produce Appaloosa
foals eligible for registration with the Association. We applaud both the AQHA and the ApHC for their support of this valuable technology for breeders.
Incidence of MRLS reduced
As we enter the latter portion of the 2003 breeding and foaling season, it is relieving to report that although there were documented cases of MRLS this year, the number of affected animals
was not as great as in the last two years. For up to date information on mare reproductive loss syndrome, please visit this page on our site, which
also includes links to other sites providing information on the topic.
Equine Reproduction Expert Joins Equine-Reproduction.com Team!
We are delighted to announce that world-renowned equine reproduction specialist Dr. Jonathan F Pycock, B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., D.E.S.M., M.R.C.V.S. has joined our team of veterinary consultants. In addition, we will also be adding a selection of articles on
different aspects of equine reproduction by Dr. Pycock in our articles section.
Equine-Reproduction.com Attends ISER
We were pleased to have been invited to participate in the 8th International Symposium on Equine Reproduction, with the opportunity to send a delegate to attend. After an exciting 6 days of information-packed scientific
paper presentations by some of the worlds' leading equine reproduction researchers, not to mention extended discussions outside the meetings, we have returned home and look forward to being
able to pass details of many of the newest technologies on to the general public via this web site.
AQHA Changes Rules on Embryo Transfer
In a landmark decision, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) has changed it's policy of registering only one foal produced through the use of embryo transfer from a single mare per
breeding season. The change, which will come into full effect in July and be retroactive, means that there will be no restrictions on the number of foals that can be registered as being
produced from a single mare in any given year. There had been an ongoing court battle during which the Texas Court system had ruled three times that such a restrictive registry rule was a
"limitation of trade". In addition, the AQHA has reversed a previous policy which limited the registration of foals produced by the use of frozen semen used after a stallions death to those
foals produced only as a result of breedings completed no later than the end of the calendar year of the stallions' death. Frozen semen may now continue to be used until all supplies are
exhausted. The AQHA's decisions are heralded by all of us at Equine-Reproduction.com as well as many others as being healthy ones for both Quarter Horses and the entire equine
industry, as it is likely that this will cause other registries that still have similar restrictions in place to remove them.
Equine-Reproduction.com at the Appaloosa World Show
We were recently pleased to be able to assist the Appaloosa Horse
Club (of America) which is in the process of considering approval of the use of frozen semen by offering a free informational seminar on the subject to persons attending the 2001 World
Championship Appaloosa Horse Show in Fort Worth, Texas. It was great to have the opportunity to assist in this important step for Appaloosa breeders!
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