Breeding Season 2010- Are you and your mare ready?

January and February seem like cold months to be thinking about breeding but in reality many breeders will be gearing up and open their stallion services as early as the beginning/ middle of February.

For those of you with open (non pregnant) mares who did not have them examined in the fall, this is the perfect time to have a breeding soundness examination. Included in this would be a routine physical, rectal palpation, ultrasound examination of the uterus to detect potential problems, uterine culture and if necessary a uterine biopsy. Going over previous years breeding history along with the above examination findings before starting to breed can often greatly improve your breeding success.

A routine physical, rectal palpation and review of the mares cycling history can be helpful before starting to breed a young or maiden mare.

If you are considering shipping fresh cooled or frozen semen it might be helpful to have us go over your proposed contract and be aware of any specific requirements or restrictions so we can better advise you at the time of breeding.

There have been recent advances in the area of Equine embryo transfer that should help to make this a more cost affective alternative for those hoping to get a pregnancy from a mare that might not otherwise have one. This technique is helpful not only for the older or infertile mare but can also allow a young performance mare to produce a foal without having to carry it.

Stallion owners should consider a routine physical and reproductive examination prior to the start of the breeding season especially if shipping semen or breeding a large number of mares.

We look forward to assisting you in having a successful and productive year.

Looking toward a successful foaling and a healthy happy foal:

Soon those long 11 months will be over and it will be time for your foal to appear. Have you prepared yourself and your mare? Hopefully you have made sure that your mare is fully up to date on her vaccinations. The mares first milk (colostrum ) is the foals only source of initial protection against disease. The mare produces antibodies against infectious organisms in her environment as well as antibodies against the diseases she is vaccinated for. These antibodies are released into the mares 1^st milk and provide protection to the foal. We recommend that your mare be vaccinated against Rhinopneumonitis at 5, 7 & 9 months. Then she should have boosters for Eastern & Western Encephalomyelitis, Tetanus, Potomac Horse Fever, West Nile Virus and Rabies the last 4-6 weeks before foaling. If your mare is foaling at a farm where Stangles or Rotoviral diarrhea is a concern then we would recommend an additional schedule for these diseases. You may deworm your mare up to the last month with any product approved for use in pregnant mares. We also recommend that you deworm any healthy mare 2-3 days post foaling with an ivermectin or pryantel product.

Signs of impending foaling can vary greatly between mares. It is a good idea to have a stall prepared with straw at least a week or two prior to her anticipated foaling date. Many mares will begin to develop signs of enlarged mammary glands within the 2-3 weeks prior to foaling but some 1^st time mares will not produce noticeable mammary enlargement until just post foaling. There are several Ca* ion based tests that can be used to help predict more closely the time of foaling. None of these are fool proof but some of our clients have found them helpful and we would be glad to discuss them with you. We also have videos on the foaling process that you may borrow. Additional signs of impending foaling might include relaxation of the muscles around the tailhead area, softening and lengthening of the vulvar region, reduction in appetite and an increased sense of restlessness. Recently video cams have become more reasonable and many people use these or a baby monitor to observe their mares. Fortunately most mares deliver their foals uneventfully but when there is a problem such as a malposition it is important to call for help quickly. A normal foaling occurs in three stages. During first stage of labor a mare is often quiet restless, will nest or circle, often begins to sweat over the neck area and may get up and down repeatedly. This stage can last from several minutes to several hours and can be stopped if the mare becomes very startled or disturbed. The second stage begins when the mares water breaks (the fluid from the uterus is released) and the mare begins to have active and forceful uterine contractions. At this point the mare can not stop labor. The mare should make steady progress with her contractions and the white amnionic sack should be visable at the vulvar lips within 10-15 minutes. If this is not happening you should be on the phone to one of us. Third stage labor begins with the arrival of the foal and ends with the expulsion of the placenta. The mare should pass the placenta within 3-4 hours and the foal should be nursing well within 2-3hours. If not then you should call us.

It is important to check to be sure that the foal not only received colostrum, but that it was quality colostrum and that the foal was able to absorb the antibodies in the colostrum. We assess this by taking a blood sample at approximately 8-12 hrs post first nursing. If the levels of antibodies were lower than acceptable limits, we would recommend raising them with supplemental colostrum, commercial oral Igg supplement, or possibly IV plasma. Also at this first visit we would do a general physical examination of the foal, examine the placenta, and evaluate the mare. Many times this initial visit can pick up early problems and avoid a more serious situation.

HVA Office: 717-361-8700 www.hvaequine.com HVA ER Pager: (866) 825-0218

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