I am doing some research into the world of equine breeding and would appreciate your input in the area of stallion breeding information. My questions are as follows:
How many mares does your stallion cover in a breeding season?
What is the maximum number of mares you allow your stallion to cover in a day?
What percentage of your breedings are the same breed vs. cross breeding with other breeds?
What percentage are live cover vs. A.I.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Tasha, It depends entirely on the results of an extensive physical examination, reproductive and semen evaluation done on a stallion just prior to the start of each breeding season. Since everything can change from one breeding season to the next or even during a breeding season. We stand TB's so we do not breed using artificial insemination, Its all live cover. However the same should apply for a stallion used in any breeding program. This helps ensure the longevity of their breeding career, and allows the person responsible for the stallion to have all the available information. To recognize problems before they reach a stage that cannot be managed. Also In the event something does go wrong and contracts are unable to be fulfilled. It's just good stallion management practice. One would sure not like to get a bunch of mares booked then realize that this year the horse is not capable of breeding that many mares with any degree of success. That can be devastating to a breeding program, not to mention the reputation of the stallion in question.
HP
Tina
Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2001 - 12:20 pm:
I am interested in breeding to a stallion this season who`s semen will have to be transported.After speaking with the breeder he stated this will be the first season for collecting and transporting,so my question is what should I be looking for when it comes to the stallion`s physical examination,reprodutive and semen evaluation?I beleive there is a certain count that should be looked at, isn`t there?This is my first season for using transported semen and any information would be of help.
Tina that information is usually the exclusive domain of the stallion owner. What you as the one receiving the semen would be looking for is. Two doses in a shipment, each containing ~500 million (progressively) motile sperm. The volume of each dose should be around 50-60ml in total volume. Along with the shipment you should also receive a report indicating, time of collection, time shipment was sent, raw semen evaluation, extended semen evaluation, type of extender and antibiotic used and ratio that the sample was extended. This information is for one shipment only and any subsequent shipments should contain similar information. The person doing the insemination should be able to do a simple evaluation of sperm motility on the sample just prior to actually inseminating the dose. This is usually done by a veterinarian, reproductive tech or someone well versed in CTS techniques.
Most breeders who deal with CTS keep a parallel sample of each collection in an equitainer that is packaged at the same time as the shipment. So that they can review their sample in the event the shipped sample should arrive in less than ideal condition.
The results of a reproductive & semen evaluation of a stallion is a management tool for the stallion owner and normally not provided to those breeding to the horse.
HP
Jos
Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2001 - 04:00 pm:
As outlined by HorsePro, the standard insemination dose is 500 million motile sperm and in order to obtain that, the most accepted industry protocol is to ship a minimum of 1 billion motile sperm and assume an arbitrary 50% die-off rate.
You should note that not all farms will ship 2 insemination doses and in fact the use of a second insemination dose is controversial. The argument can be made that if a second dose is inseminated 12 hours after the first (e.g. one in the evening, and repeat with the second the next morning) then you are putting the second dose into a uterus at the height of it's post-breeding inflammatory response, which will simply result in the death of the sperm and a possible prolongation of the inflammatory response.
If a second dose is shipped, our practice is to determine whether we feel an ovulation is imminent (i.e. within 12 hours), and if it is we will inseminate both doses; if the ovulation is not predicted to occur within that time frame, we will save the second dose for use 24 hours after the first.
The most telling statistic that you should ask for normally with a stallion that is transporting semen (although it will not be available or necessarily accurate in this case as he is only just starting) is the "first cycle pregnancy rate". You will see stallions advertised as having "100% conception rate" or something of the like, but if it took 5 estrus cycles to achieve that, it really isn't much use to a mare owner! A 100% "first cycle conception rate" however is something to be proud of!
Jos you make a very good point with regard to the second dose. In fact I subscribe to the old axiom that semen stores far better in the mare than the Equitainer. However having said that, my experience is that often the veterinarians on the receiving end request two doses. That usually tells me one of two things. Either they are unsure of their predicted ovulation time or they have little confidence in the quality of the shipments. This has been stated to me many times. Regardless of the fact that I have always tried to do everything in my power to insure that they receive the best possible opportunity to complete the procedure with every expectation of a conception.
Interestingly enough, I have often had to deal with veterinarians who had little or no knowledge of CTS and that in it's self has made the CTS program very difficult for me as the one on the sending end. Unfortunately when the various associations accepted this as a procedure. They did precious little to inform their membership of all the pros and cons involved in it. Thus many of the people that I have dealt with are of the assumption that it's really no different than placing and order and viola, mare in foal. That's very unfortunate because when every one involved is adequately informed and the logistics are not compromised, the program works very well.
I have just gotten a mare. I am new at this. My question is this.....How often does a mare come into season? What do I look for????? Thanks KP
Jos
Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2001 - 11:28 pm:
The entire cycle is approximately 21 days - that is from ovulation to ovulation.
Estrus ("heat") lasts approximately 5 to 7 days and most mares ovulate in the last 24 to 48 hours of estrus.
Diestrus - that stage in between "heat", is therefore about 14 to 16 days.
Generally the mare should be bred on an every-other-day basis starting on the third or fourth day of "standing heat" (which is the stage at which she will accept the stallion) until she rejects tha stallion's advances. Breeding more often than avery other day, except in special circumstances (with a subfertile stallion for example) will usually not produce a greater chance of pregnancy and in fact may well reduce the chances owing to a greater post-breeding uterine inflammatory response.
Hello. Collected a 3 year old "virgin" stallion yesterday off a phantom mount- yes, he finally got the picture... he definitely ejaculated but I had no sample in the collection bottle- Looking further I saw the entire sample backed up against the filter as apparently most of the sample was gel. Refiltered what I could of the sample and saved about 25ml(probably was about 100 ml to begin with) Took this sample, checked it under the microscope- approx 35% PMS- put in the Densimeter for an extension and concentration count- All this in an effort to get a dose to AI a mare a little later that night. Question is- what effect does the gel have on sperm motility, fertility, etc when extended and in the mare? 2. Ideas to reduce the gel fraction from this stallion and not back up the filter. Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions
Anonymous (216.248.102.169)
Posted on Saturday, June 02, 2001 - 11:32 pm:
Hi. Purchased a stallion a year ago, he is now a five year old. He has gotten mares in foal in the past, we were told when we purchased him that he had problems in the past where he would have to cover the mare three or four times to finaly ejaculate, but that they thought he had outgrown those problems. We started using him this year and thought that everything was going ok, our vet had seen him cover a mare and also thought that everything was going ok until none of the mares that we were breeding were getting in foal. We had him cover a mare and our vet tried to collect a sample to check only to find that there was nothing to collect. We have tried a number of recommended procedures including having him on an antidepressant for the last 60 days without success. He goes through the process of breeding, the teasing, mounting, mushrooming and ocassionaly does flag him tail as if he were ejaculating, but nothing comes out. Got any ideas? We are at our wits end and would like to make sure that we have tried everything that we can before we make any decessions about gelding him.
Kelly (63.172.47.224)
Posted on Sunday, June 03, 2001 - 10:30 am:
Would you consider pasture breeding one mare at a time? We stood a stallion who would not breed while people were looking. He would take a couple of hours to breed a mare, and then he may not ejaculate.
We put him in our arena overnight, the next morning, the mare was bred and all was well.He was very shy about the entire process, and felt more comfortable under the cover of darkness. It's worth a try!
Karen (216.64.203.139)
Posted on Monday, June 04, 2001 - 08:52 am:
It occures to me to wonder if he might be experiencing what's called retrograde ejaculation - the ejaculate goes into the bladder instead of exiting out the "normal" way. I do not know if this happens with horses, or if there's a way to test for it or a way to treat it if it DOES occur in horses - does anyone know?
Anonymous I have had stallions do this on occasion and the cause usually turns out to be one of two things.
1: The horse is excessively endowed and as a result penetrates the mare to far making the process uncomfortable for both. The problem is usually easily solved by using a breeding roll to limit the depth of penetration.
2: The horse has a problem with their hind end, something in the hind legs causing pain when in the mounted position or a spinal or pelvic misalignment that only causes pain when mounted. This one can be more difficult to pin down and correct. The first one is relatively simple to rule out if the horse is normally endowed. The second can be far more difficult to identify. In any case, perhaps using the modified manual collection method (described in detail on this site) may be a valuable alternative, and may help solve the mystery.
I have a few quick question, how old should a stallion be before breeding, how many mares should he cover that year, and how long does the semen live in the mare after breeding???
Kelly (63.172.47.189)
Posted on Monday, August 06, 2001 - 07:11 pm:
Because I have performance horses, I like to get them well started under saddle. If they are of show quality, I will wait until they are sucessfully shown. (I like to keep their minds on the job!) For these reasons, I will wait until they are 3 ( at the earliest ) or 4 year olds. Many people will breed at age 2.
The number of mares that you breed, depends on the method of coverage. AI will enable a stallion to service many more mares than live cover. The same amount of semen that it takes to live cover one mare, could very well inseminate 3 by AI.
Usually, the semen will be viable from 48 - 72 hours after breeding. Once again, this depends on many different variables. Some stallions sperm does not do well when cooled or frozen. It is a good idea to have your stallion checked out at the onset of breeding season.
Noble Knight (206.157.249.116)
Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2001 - 05:37 am:
Kristen, There is a big difference in the breeding potential in stallions. I agree that 3 or 4 years old is the best time to start. One must be careful not to overbreed a stallion for a couple of good reasons. First of all, overbreeding a young stallion may cause a Permanent Decrease in sperm production. Second, some stallions will loose their sex drive and refuse to cover a mare if they are bred 2 times a day.
Each stallion is a little different but a good rule of thumb is: Breed a 3 year old 15 to 20 times a season and cover no more than one a day. A 4 year old 20 to 40 mares a year covering 1 to 2 times a day. 5 years and up can breed 40 to 60 mares a year covering 2 times a day. If you find yourself having to double up in a day remember to keep an eye on his sex drive.
Most mature stallions regenerate 5 to 6.5 billion sperm every 24 hours. 1 billion is widely accepted as satisfactory for breeding. You can see the potential for artificial insemination shipments but again the stallion should not be collected more than 1 or 2 times per day or the collection may be considered inferior.
I am wanting to breed a stud of mine to one of my mares. I have never bred any horses before, so is it ok to let them be alone in the field and just let them do what they have to.?
Also, how will you know if your mare is bred?
Anonymous
Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 10:11 am:
I have been reading magazines with stallion services. Question is, what is a chute fee??
Anonymous
Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 11:15 am:
Amy- you will probbaly be best to NOT pasture breed. It is not as safe for the horse- espcially if you have a young stallion. Find someone who is very experienced handling stallions and hand breed them. This way if he gets too excited he can be calmed down before a mare places a well aimed kick to the testicals/legs/other dicey areas.
Anonymous
Posted on Thursday, April 24, 2003 - 09:54 am:
For the person that asked about the chute fee. A chute fee is an amount of money charged by the stallion handler that is above and beyond the stud fee. It may include collection costs if they are shipping semen, but it may not. Every stallion owner handles this differently. If you are looking to breed a mare, your best bet is to contact the stallion owner and handler and see what the chute fee covers.
Anonymous
Posted From: 207.232.196.117
Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 10:47 am:
how old does a stallion have to be before he can be bred to mares?
Some stallions can breed as early as 2 years old. It completely depends on whether or not the testicles are fully descended and a lot also depends on the stallion's mentality. Some are still very much babies at the age of 2, while others act very mature. A lot depends on each individual.
I think it's important to note that although it is not common practice for humans to stand stallions (or "colts" more correctly at that age) at stud until the stallion is at least two years of age (and older with many stallions), some colts may be able to breed a mare and get her pregnant when they [the colt] are as young as nine months of age!
The above question does not differentiate whether it refers to a breeding by choice of the owner or the colt!
There are many instances of mares being "accidentally" bred by in some cases their own foals, because they were left in with them, or young fillies being bred because they are turned out "with all the other kids".
So - if you are asking with relation to when it is desirable to start breeding a colt commercially, then the answer is two at the earliest (and many will not be mature enough at two). But if the question was with reference as to when to remove a colt from a filly or mare in order to prevent an undesired breeding, the answer is nine months!
Hi! I'm curious as to why field breeding isn't considered more? We have a very small farm, and don't have the facilities or the manpower to do otherwise. Our stud colt is only a month old, so we haven't had to worry about this so far. But next year, he will be in the field with my 8 year old mare. One plus one is bound to equal three at some point.
Pature breeding can be quite successful for a small farm.
My main concerns are with breeding outside mares, whose safety I am responsible for. It is a safety concern for the stallions as well. Not all mares take to the breeding process as a natural response!
In hand breeding and AI is a more controlled event. I know how many times each mare is covered and that all concerned are being protected from injury. Many times, an older mare does not benefit from the repeated breedings that can occur in the pasture. There is also the possibility that the stallion may be covering certain mares and not the others to satisfaction.
Basically, for me it is the commercial aspect that dictates my breeding preference.
TX Breeder has outlined some of the issues, and to those I will add that it can be difficult or even impossible in some instances to identify when the breeding took place. This means that one cannot determine an estimated gestational duration with any degree of accuracy, which can be a problem as one should be there for the foaling. Additionally, if the mare loses the pregnancy at some stage, if the stallion is still in with the mare, she may be re-bred unbeknown to the owners, and end up with an extremely strange time of year to foal!
The other aspect that is a major concern in my book is the safety issue for the animals. Even with in-hand live cover stallions occasionally get kicked and legs get broken, or mares get injured during the breeding process. With no human control on the activity, if things get bad, they can get very bad, and the last thing one wants is animals injured to the point where they have to be euthanized.
Pasture breeding does happen, and for some people it happens successfully with no problems. But the risk of only one serious problem is deterrent enough for me...
Anonymous
Posted From: 64.12.116.13
Posted on Thursday, June 02, 2005 - 05:31 pm:
to respond to the original question. my stallion is a warmblood, unapproved although successful in sport. I don't advertise other than a web page and word of mouth since it is expensive to do so. Other than a few exceptions, standing a stallion is not a profitable enterprise for the owner. Most stallion who do enough business to be marginally profitable are owned by people who have huge budgets to purchase high dollar horses, compete them to the top of their sport if they're not already there when purchased, and advertise every where imaginable. People not in that league just can't be competitive however it can be very rewarding to own a nice stallion if profit isn't the sole motive. My guess is that even the most elaberate successful sport horse breeding operation is little more than a tax write off for the uber wealthy. My stallion typically breeds 10-12 mares a year, all via AI, no live cover which I understand is high average for a warmblood sport horse stallion, even those approved by their registries. The majority of mares booked are TB's with a rare warmblood or arab mare. I have never needed to collect him more than once a day since we can typically ship at least 10 doses from a single collection. My vet collects late in the day so that all orders are in prior to processing the semen. In an emergency I would probably allow him occasionally to be collected twice in one day but not more. Its hard work and he's also in full training during breeding season.
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