BREAKING NEWS:Loss of Another Top Equine Reproductive VeterinarianMore than 100 mares reside at Hurtgen's Nandi Farm, including some used exclusively as recipient mares for ETs. In addition the farm stands stallions - in particular the Standardbred stallions Tom Ridge, Quik Pulse Mindale, Nuclear Breeze, Garth Vader and Lear Jetta. Dr. Hurtgen's wife, Linda, sought to assure the industry that Nandi Farm's commitment to and participation in Standardbred breeding will continue, though it will no longer perform embryo transfers. We offer our deepest condolences to Dr. Hurtgen's family on their loss of this respected leader in the equine reproductive industry. 02/17/10
OTHER NEWS:Breakthrough in Equine Reproduction: Live Foal Born after Embryo Biopsy, Vitrification and Transfer Minitube International has achieved a scientific breakthrough that will allow for genetic testing and preservation of equine embryos. The world's first foal from a biopsied and vitrified embryo transferred into a surrogate mare was born on Wednesday January 27, 2010 at Minitube International Center for Biotechnology in Mount Horeb, WI. Both the mother "Lola" and foal are doing well. The birth of "Biopsita" marks a new era in horse breeding, providing horse breeders with an opportunity to directly test embryos for genetic traits including gender, coat color, genetic diseases, etc., and select desirable genetics from stallion and mare combinations. The study will be presented at the 10th International Symposium on Equine Reproduction being held in Kentucky this July.According to Mats Troedsson, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT the Director of the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky and Director of Equine Research for Minitube International, "Embryo transfer and cryopreservation have been steadily gaining traction in equine reproduction as the technology further develops and the equestrian community adjusts registry requirements. But the ability to genetically screen an equine embryo before transfer would change horse breeding as we know it today. The economics would just make sense." To make Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) or genetic screening of an equine embryo practical, the embryo needs to be biopsied, vitrified and later transferred into a recipient. Dr. John Dobrinsky, PhD, the Executive Director of the Minitube International Center for Biotechnology, credits his team and Minitube's dedication as key to the success. "Our scientific team and research farm staff are second to none in bringing new biotechnologies to an applied veterinary and farm level," Dr. Dobrinsky stated. "Seeing that foal walking around the stall is a strong reminder of the scientific advancements that can be made when you combine a stellar team with a strong support environment like the one here at Minitube." Dr. Dobrinsky utilized one of Minitube's recently unveiled commercial products in the study: the EQUIPRO Vit-Kit™, a complete equine direct transfer vitrification kit commercially available for equine veterinarians. (Presented here courtesy of Minitube) 02/11/10 Routine CEMO Testing Now Recommended by USDA USDA is now recommending voluntary routine testing of stallions prior to the onset of breeding in the current season in an effort to identify and ultimately eliminate any unidentified carriers of the Contagious Equine Metritis Organism from the domestic population. We at Equine-Reproduction.com have been recommending for some time that breeders voluntarily follow the British Horse Racing Betting Levy Board's Codes of Practice on CEM (see news item 03/12/2009) in order to protect both themselves from a legal perspective and breeders as a whole from an ethical perspective. It is worthy of consideration that the concept of "it couldn't happen to me" is what has resulted in the outbreak in the first place, as very few in the horse breeding world thought that there was a possibility that the CEMO was present in North America and hence there has not been routine pre-breeding testing for it as is seen in other countries. It is fortunate that the pathogen was identified on a pre-export isolation check and also that the majority of the mares bred by the affected stallions were bred by artificial insemination which resulted in a considerably lower incidence of transmission (currently 5 of 716 mares, or 0.7%) than that which was seen in the outbreak in the Thoroughbred industry in the late 1970's (which demonstrated as high as 30% transmission) where live cover was mandatory. Once again, we - and now USDA - encourage both breeders and their veterinarians to do all that they can to eradicate this disease from the USA. Stallion owners need to swab and culture their stallions; mare owners need to ask for the results of the swabs (and contemplate the possible consequences if swabbing has not been performed); and veterinarians need to be aware of the disease and its implications and educate their clients on the topic. 02/10/10 An Interesting Wrinkle to the CEM Jigsaw Puzzle? The current outbreak of CEM in the USA took a potentially interesting turn today with the OIE's announcement of the finding of a horse positive for presence of the CEM organism in the United Arab Emirates. The interesting wrinkle is that the 12-year-old Thoroughbred non-breeding stallion was born in the United States, went to the United Kingdom as a yearling in training, then was exported to the United Arab Emirates racing stable in 2001, before being purchased for dressage by a private owner. It has never bred. The finding was as a result of a routine pre-export screening in the UAE. In an associated news item, USDA have increased their export permit cost for semen export to Canada by $2 to $74. This is a further increase after the last raising of prices that took place in April 2009. 11/17/2009 Another Stallion Added to the CEMO-positive List After a period of quiescence with no news forthcoming, USDA have announced the addition of a twenty-second CEMO-positive stallion to the growing list. This stallion is located in Wisconsin - the ninth to test positive in that State. While over 90% of exposed mares have completed their testing and where appropriate treatment, and are now negative for the presence of Taylorella equigenitalis, the numbers related to stallions are not so encouraging. 715 mares have been identified as "at risk", with only 65 of those mares still awaiting completion of treatment and/or testing. Of a lower number - 273 - of "at risk" stallions, there are still about the same number as the mares (68 stallions) still awaiting completion of treatment and/or testing. It is important to recognise that the testing protocols are more complicated and extensive for stallions than for mares, and it is equally important that one be aware that the risk factor for spread by unconfirmed but positive stallions remains significantly greater than mares. Five of the twenty-two stallions so far found to be carriers of the CEMO did not test positive for Taylorella equigenitalis presence on their first set of swabs. This does therefore present a concern relative to the 68 stallions still awaiting completion of testing and treatment, as 35 of those stallions have as yet only had a single set of swabs confirmed as negative. There is a distinct possibility that several more stallions could yet test positive, raising the total number of "at risk" horses - both mares and other stallions - exponentially. While it is clear that the risk of exposure to a CEMO-positive horse is still very much present in the general equine population, it is to be hoped that the risk is gradually reducing. This does not mean that breeders need to let down their guard, and our previous recommendations with regard to voluntary pre-breeding testing will still be beneficial for the 2010 and subsequent breeding seasons. There has still not been an originating source for the current outbreak identified, and until there has been, and all tracebacks are returning "negative", the risk of CEM is still present in the general horse population of the USA. 09/07/2009 Loss of Noted Equine Scientist It is with regret that Equine-Reproduction.com reports the death of Dr. Gordon Woods, one of the team of scientists that - along with Dr.'s Vanderwall and White achieved the production of the first cloned equid - a mule - in 2003. Dr. Woods had moved to a new position in 2007 as a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, and was continuing his research into the differences between the equine and human cell, with a view to the impact those differences had on various age-onset diseases. Friend and co-worker in the mule cloning project, Dr. Dirk Vanderwall observed that Woods was a "brilliant scientist" and that this was a devastating loss. Dr. Woods passed away unexpectedly on Thursday at the age of 57. We extend our deepest sympathies to Dr. Woods' wife, children and friends. 08/23/2009 CEMO Positive Numbers Increase Two more male horses - one stallion, and one that is now a gelding - have been announced as having tested positive for the CEMO Taylorella equigenitalis bringing the number of male horses to 21. These two newly identified positive horses are located in Iowa and Wisconsin. Positive male horses have been found in seven States: one in Georgia, three in Illinois, three in Indiana, one in Iowa, four in Kentucky, one in Texas, and eight in Wisconsin. So far only five positive mares have been seen, and these are located in California (2), Illinois (2), and Wisconsin (1). The origin of the outbreak has yet to be identified, and USDA Aphis observes that "the epidemiologic investigation continues to pursue all available information relative to determining the origin of this outbreak, but no conclusions can yet be drawn". 06/02/2009 Equine-Reproduction.com LLC Introduces its Stallion Station Facility With the moving of the center of operations for Equine-Reproduction.com LLC to Wynnewood Oklahoma, "outside" stallions may now be resident at the facility for the breeding season or permanently, in addition to our mobile and "drive by" collection services. Stallions standing at the facility are managed closely for optimal fertility, with semen being shipped on a daily basis (individual stallion dependent). On-farm A.I. breeding of mares is also available by resident or other stallions (using transported or frozen semen). For the 2009 season, we are pleased to be standing Blazin Jetolena (AQHA), Edelweiss de Bonce (Selle Français), L.A. Express (Hanoverian), Mannhattan (Oldenburg), and Touch of the Blues (Registered Irish Draught). For more details of these stallions and the facility, please visit our Stallion Station page. If you are interested in having your stallion stand at Equine-Reproduction.com LLC, please contact us. 05/31/2009 19th Stallion Tests Positive for CEMO; Traceback and Testing Continues A nineteenth stallion - the seventh in Wisconsin - has tested positive for presence of the Contagious Equine Metritis organism Taylorella equigenitalis. This stallion - an American Hackney - tested positive through test breeding mares, having previously tested negative on swab cultures. This is the second stallion to test positive on breeding after testing negative on cultures, reinforcing the need for both culturing of swabs and test breeding of stallions, and treatment of mares even if they have tested negative on swab cultures. In addition to the 19 positive stallions, there are 5 positive mares, and locations have been confirmed for 904 additional horses exposed to T. equigenitalis. The total of 928 exposed horses in the USA, located in 48 States, includes 270 stallions and 658 mares. All States other than Rhode Island and Hawaii have either positive or contact animals present. There are currently two additional exposed stallions, and sixteen exposed mares still being sought. 05/26/2009 CEM - The Canadian Situation; Canada Makes Optional Importation Protocol Adjustment Following the identification of stallions carrying Taylorella equigenitalis - the bacteria that is the causative agent of Contagious Equine Metritis - the unrestricted movement of equine semen from the USA to Canada was halted. Restrictions were put in place with the intent to ensure that no infective semen, animals or embryos were imported to Canada. The restrictions put in place for the semen required certification by both a licensed US veterinarian and USDA-Aphis that the stallion was not on a premises either under investigation or quarantine for CEMO presence during the 60 days prior to the semen collection, and that the semen extender used contained an antibiotic that would destroy the pathogen. At the same time as attempting to prevent the introduction of Taylorella equigenitalis to Canada, the authorities on both sides of the border were identifying and tracking animals - both stallions and mares - located in Canada that had been potentially exposed to the pathogen. The primary route of exposure was mares that were bred with transported semen from USA-based stallions carrying the pathogen. Once located, the mares required various tests that may include clitoral, cervical and endometrial swabs, and a complement fixation test (blood test). Some of these tests cannot be performed on mares already in foal, so they must remain under quarantine until after foaling. Some Canadian-based stallions may have been exposed to "at risk" (i.e. bred with potentially infective semen) mares, and they too had to undergo testing. The last report received from CFIA indicated the total number of direct contacts as being 136 animals, involving multiple quarantine sites in six Provinces (AB 4, BC 2, NB 1, ON 9, PQ 2, and SK 1). Testing of animals included on that list of exposures was not expected to be completed until August of this year, although all animals that had returned results so far had been found "negative". This last week however has brought a new threat, with the discovery that a stallion had been imported to Canada last summer from the USA, where he had been collected at one of the facilities later identified as having been a link in positive stallion infection in that country (this was not the original index farm in Kentucky, but a different location). That stallion, which had already bred mares in Canada "live cover" was scheduled to start undergoing testing on Tuesday April 21st. On-farm mares that had been exposed by breeding to the stallion had not shown obvious indication of infection (e.g. early return to estrus, copious vaginal discharge etc.) so it is hoped that the stallion will be found "negative" for the causative organism Taylorella equigenitalis. With the requirement that all semen - including cooled - imported from the USA to Canada be accompanied by both an import permit and a Zoosanitary Certificate endorsed by USDA, there arose a problem for many breeders in that time constraints prevented the obtaining of the USDA endorsement before the courier shipment deadline. Hence, many US stallions owners ceased to ship cooled semen to Canada. CFIA has - with immediate implementation - made an optional adjustment in that if desired the semen may now be shipped with a copy of the Zoosanitary Certificate unendorsed by USDA, provided that the certificate is endorsed by USDA prior to the semen arriving at the border and being presented for clearance. Upon receipt, USDA will endorse the certificate, and fax a copy of it to one of the applicable CFIA Import Service Centres ("ISC"). When the semen arrives at the import point, CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) personnel will refer the importation clearance to the applicable ISC, who will then review their faxed permit file and issue an order for the release of the semen as long as they have had a copy of the applicable Zoosanitary Certificate faxed to them by USDA. There is a Cdn$35 charge for CFIA clearing semen in this manner. It is unknown what USDA will charge. Contact information, and which ISC should be used is presented on the CFIA web site at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/imp/importe.shtml 04/27/2009 3 More Positive Stallions; Frozen Semen Implication; USDA to Raise Permit Charges Three more stallions have tested positive for presence of Taylorella equigenitalis. Two are located in Illinois at the same facility as the stallion previously identified as positive in that State. All three stallions at that facility had also been collected at the same facility as the previously identified fourth positive Wisconsin stallion during the breeding seasons 2004-2007. The third newly identified positive stallion is located in Wisconsin - the sixth to test positive in that State - and is a Thoroughbred that had semen collected several times between 2004 and 2008 at the same facility as the fifth positive stallion in Wisconsin. USDA have confirmed that a mare bred in Illinois (located at the same farm as the positive stallions in that State) was bred with frozen semen from one of the positive stallions. It does therefore appear that cooling or freezing does not destroy T. equigenitalis although further research is definitely warranted in this regard in view of the possibility - remote though it be - of cross-contamination from one of the positive stallions located on that farm. With only 5 mares positive out of hundreds that have been bred to positive stallions - thankfully most of those hundreds of breedings were performed by AI - it does seem that the incidence of transmission through the use of on-farm AI or transported semen is significantly reduced. It is fortunate that until now the Thoroughbred industry has not been involved. With the first positive Thoroughbred, and the awareness that the bacteria is very effectively transmitted through live cover (but not effectively, as demonstrated, by AI) it would seem that it may be time for the Thoroughbred industry to seriously reconsider the archaic requirement of "Live Cover Only" for the production of registrable Thoroughbred foals. The last major US outbreak of the the late 1970's cost the Thoroughbred industry an estimated US$1 million per day. It is ironic that this current outbreak was identified as a result of routine testing of a stallion that was having frozen semen exported. Had the index stallion been a Thoroughbred, as there is no allowance for frozen semen use in that breed and therefore semen freezing would have been unlikely, the issue would not have been identified in that manner! The current charge of $51 for USDA endorsement of the "Zoosanitary Export Certificate for Semen" - the form issued in the USA that is required to accompany semen being exported to Canada - is to be increased (along with a variety of other USDA charges) to $72 on April 29th 2009. This is the first increase in USDA charges for several years. 04/16/2009 USDA Announces 2 More Positive Stallions and 1 More Mare USDA yesterday announced the addition of more "positive" animals to the list, bringing the totals to fifteen stallions and five mares. The newly identified stallions are located in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin stallion had been collected at the same facility as other positive stallions from that State, while the Illinois stallion - a Fjord horse born in Denmark and imported from the Netherlands in 2000 - was periodically co-located at the same facility as the fourth positive Wisconsin stallion during the 2004 and 2005 breeding seasons. The newly identified positive mare in Illinois was bred by AI in 2008 with semen collected in 2007 from an exposed stallion; that stallion is currently being tested to confirm his status for Taylorella equigenitalis. In addition to the 15 positive stallions and 5 positive mares, locations have been confirmed for 706 additional horses exposed to T. equigenitalis. The total of 726 horses, located in 46 States, includes 120 stallions and 606 mares. Of the 120 stallions, 15 have tested positive for T. equigenitalis presence, 24 negative, and 81 have pending results. Of the 606 mares, 5 have tested positive, 305 negative, and 296 are pending. One mare is still being traced in Maine. 04/03/2009 4th Mare Tests Positive for CEMO; Original Index Farm Clears Quarantine A fourth mare - the second to be located in California, and the third to be bred with transported semen - has tested positive for the presence of Taylorella equigenitalis, the Contagious Equine Metritis Organism. The mare is located in California and was bred to the positive Friesian stallion "Nanning 374". To date there have been 13 stallions identified as positive, and 4 mares. In addition to the identified positive animals, locations have also been confirmed for 698 additional horses exposed to Taylorella equigenitalis. The 715 horses are located in 46 States. There are 113 exposed or positive stallions in 19 States and 602 exposed or positive mares in 44 States. Three exposed mares and one exposed stallion are still actively being traced. All stallions on the original Kentucky index farm, DeGraff Stables, have now completed treatment and been confirmed as clear of the organism, and quarantines have been lifted. It is fortunate that this original index facility maintained excellent records which have allowed a comprehensive tracking of the pathogen's path, but even though it has been tracked back to two stallions resident in Wisconsin in 2005, USDA observes that a conclusive point of origin has not yet been identified. 04/01/2009 Please visit our archived news page for past news items that have appeared on this index page.
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and enter your foal's gestational duration! Non-Reproduction Equine Headline News from: TheHorse.com News Equine Vet Reports on Haiti Horse Situation 11 Mar 2010 Long-term veterinary outreach projects are in the works to aid Haiti's equine population, said Jay Merriam, DVM, of Massachusetts Equine Clinic, in Uxbridge, Mass., who deployed with Humane Society International in the wake of January's devastating... Wyoming Changes Livestock Disposal Options 11 Mar 2010 Wyoming livestock authorities can slaughter stray or feral livestock, including horses, and sell their meat under a measure signed into law by Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Tuesday. HB 122, the Disposal of Livestock Act, expands the Wyoming Livestock Board's... Aged Horses Show Reduced Vaccination Response 11 Mar 2010 The old gray mare's immune system ain't what it used to be. Aged horses appear to be less able to respond to vaccinations as well as their younger counterparts, said a collaborating group of veterinary researchers from Prince Edward Island,... High Risk Pregnancy in the Mare Discussed at Vet Convention 11 Mar 2010 The Table Topic on High Risk Pregnancy in the Mare at the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners was very well attended and included several individuals that have published manuscripts on this topic. The participants were polled to... Equine Hospital Tours Offered During Rolex Event 11 Mar 2010 Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, the official equine hospital and veterinary partner of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, will host tours April 21-23, for visitors during the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Tour guests will walk through... Laminitis y los Pastos de Primavera (TheHorse.com en Espanol) 11 Mar 2010 This is one of a series of articles translated as part of our partnership with A Caballo, an equine publication based in Mexico, and Jorge Murga, DVM. Keep an eye on TheHorse.com for more Spanish-language resources coming soon. Read this article in... Regenerative Medicine Conference Attracts Vets, Researchers 10 Mar 2010 More than 260 research scientists, veterinarians, and physicians from around the globe attended the first North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Conference, held in California's Santa Ynez Valley March 5-6. The meeting included formal... Navicular Syndrome Management Reviewed 10 Mar 2010 Because navicular problems might affect soft tissue as well as bone, MRI is a better diagnostic tool than X ray in these cases, said Robert K. Schneider, DVM, MS, professor at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and part owner... |
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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 Ultrasound.
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.
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