|
The mare owner is usually the one nourishing the wish to get his mare in foal. Although there are sometimes variations to this theme, e,g., lease construction, or the breeding of foals with guaranteed foal prices, the vast majority of these breeders are horse enthusiasts who are happy when their hobby doesn't cost too much money. With the reductions being made in agricultural land, this hobby is becoming increasingly more expensive for many The mare owner has a long road to follow: from the choice of the stallion, to the choice of the insemination facility or stallion manager, and possibly veterinary assistance. Even so, it often seems that once these choices have been made, that the influencc of the mare owner on the reproduction process is fairly insignificant.
The stallion manager is the expert in this arena. He often provides services that go far beyond simply having his stallion provide the semen. Unlike the mare owners, most stallion managers are partially or entirely dependent on their stud farm for their livelihood. Horse breeding in the Netherlands, however, would not amount to much if the stallion managers were not contributing a great amount of effort and enthusiasme.
Horses are being bred for many different reasons. This means that the stallion manager (and the veterinary) will be also be involved with a wide range of people. When a mare is sent to the stallion manager, for example, one owner will miss his mare terribly, while another one will be glad not to have to take care of her for a while. Every mare, however, has to satisfy certain preliminary conditions to have any chance of success in the breeding attempts:
- Satisfactory state of health (plus being inoculated for influenza and tetanus)
- Satisfactory condition (not too fat, not too thin)
- The mare must have normally developed sexual organs and must by cyclic (regular periods of heat).
- What's more, it will be much easier for everyone involved if the mare is reasonably easy to handle (has enjoyed a minimum of training.)
Heat
As stated previously, heat is the period in which the mare will accept the stallion. Most mares display no periods of heat during the winter, while in the spring and autumn, most mares go through periods of irregular, long or short periods of heat.
It is important that the mare manager observes his mare carefully for signs of heat and keeps track of these observations in writing. This way, it is often possible to predict the next period of heat. These observations also sometimes make it possible to deduce whether the mare's cycles are normal or abnormal (e.g., a shortened cycle can indicate a uterine infection).
Length of normal cycle: 20 to 23 days, 3 weeks
Lengthe of heat period: 5 to 7 days
This means 14 to 16 days of not being in heat.
Heat is characterized by certain physical signs as well as by certain behavioural changes. A person who knows his mare well can often tell that she is in heat even without a stallion's presence. She can become more affectionate, will long for physical contact, will become frisky in the pasture, etc. The only real way to see if a mare is in heat, however, is to bring her into contact With a stallion: teasing. For this purpose, the potential sire can be used (not in cases of Al, of course), or any pony stallion that is kept especially for this purpose. Geldings, other mires, pony stallions that are too small, or your veterinary are unsuitable substitutes. No veterinary I can replace a teasing stallion with 100% chance of success. Usually, teasing is the job of the stallion manager.
Teasing: how is it done?
The safest way to do the teasing is by arranging it so that only the teasing stallion's head has access to the mare, e.g,, over a half-door or partition. First, the mare's head is presented to the stallion's head, If she displays signs of heat, her hind quarters are presented to the stallion's head. Mares very close to ovulation sometimes display behaviour typical of heat, even far away from the stallion. It is important to take enough time in this process. Mares with a foal and young mares can sometimes take a while to warm up.
Teasing: why do it?
Proper teasing is crucial for the following reasons:
- Covering a mare that is not in full heat is similar to submitting her to rape
- Covering a mare that is not in full heat does not produce a Pregnant mare
- The uterus of a mare not in full heat has only a moderate resistance to infections. Only the uterus of a mare in full heat has a good resistance to the bacteria that are being introduced with every covering or insemination.
- When a mare not in full heat is forced into mating, she will not only not become pregnant, but she may got infected as well.
Symptoms of heat
Changes in behaviour
It is often possible, even without the presence of
a stallion, to see that a mare is in heat by
observing her changes in behaviour, e.g., the mare
becomes more affectionale, seeks physical contact more often?, becomes frisky in the pasture, or whinnies more often. Some mares become so confused that they are impossible to ride (they stop when urged on).
Physical symptoms
The vulva of a mare in heat is swollen; sometimes rather slimy threads of mucous can be excreted. These excretions must be absolutely clear,
Reactions to the stallion
Stance
A mare in full heat will stand in the proximity of a stallion. She will sometimes spread her legs apart and will sometimes drop her hind quarters, She will allow the stallion to sniff or bite any part of her body.
Winking
The vulva of a mare in heat will open and shut quickly when she is approached by a stallion. This is called 'winking'.
Urinating
A mare in full beat will release a little urine for the stallion. It is assumed that this urine will be translucent and somewhat slimy (like orange juice) before ovulation but will be clear afterward.
Teasing protocol
Based on all previous findings, a protocol has been established for teasing so that the various stages of heat can be distinguished on a scale from 0 (not in heat) to 4 (in full heat). By correctly employing the protocol and by covering only mares in full heat, teasing can be an effective method for attaining positive results, not only from natural service but also when using Al (source: experimental farm at Lelystad). This can be achieved, thus, without checking the egg cell.
Teasing protocol
Score
- 0. Mare repulses stallion
- 1. Mare is interested, does not repulse stallion
- 2. Mare winks, allows stallion to approach her flanks
- 3. Mare displays interest quickly, lets her flanks be licked, winks, and releases some urine.
- 4. Mare is very interested, spreads her legs, winks and releases a lot of urine. Mare is in full heat. A distinction should be made between clear and cloudy urine. Cloudy urine indicates full heat.
Foal heat
Practically every mare goes into heat about 10 days after foaling (this varies from 3 to 18 days); this is called foal heat. During this heat, most mares produce a nicely sized follicle, and ovulation almost always occurs. If one wants to take advantage of this beat, it is important that the uterus has sufficiently recovered. As a rule, mares that have had difficulty releasing the placenta or have had a hard delivery are not covered during their foal heat. Older mares take longer to recover from foaling, for this reason, covering mares older than 12 years during their foal heat is definitely not advisable. It is possible to have a veterinary conduct tests into the advisability of a certain mare's chances of success in regard to covering during her foal heat.
Teasing as a way to diagnose pregnancy Teasing is highly unreliable as a means for diagnosing pregnancy. In the first place, the length of the average horse's cycle varies considerably. Horses can also sometimes go into heat again spontaneously within 10 days of the last heat; this can lead to a definitely mistaken conclusion. And sometimes, even a pregnant mare can display symptoms of heat.
Sign up
|
|
