NHT Magazine Spring 2018

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Veterinary Advice… BREEDING FROM YOUR MARE What you need to know… Breeding a foal of your own is becoming more fashionable due to the convenience of “AI at home”, but have you considered all the facts? The foal pictured above is the gorgeous ‘Saffy’ - a homebred foal in Northamptonshire by Sue Griggs & Kim Taylor. Photo credit to Claire Hirst Photography Is the mare a suitable mother? Many aspects are inherited, for example temperament and conformation, i.e. flat feet, navicular, bad teeth, joint problems and much more. There is still debate whether headshaking, sarcoids and some stable vices are also inherited. Is she reproductively sound? Often it is the older mare recruited to have a foal. However with age the ovaries may become less active, the uterus a less receptive environment and her ‘reproductive conformation’ may cause her to be more susceptible to developing complications after insemination. Is the stallion really what you are looking for? Obviously looks are very important but remember he will provide half of the DNA for the foal. Have you chosen him for his athletic potential? Do you want a competition or a show horse, do you want ‘more bone’ or ‘more speed’? But also remember he will influence all of the same inherited considerations mentioned before, including temperament and conformation. Have you considered the timescale? A mare successfully bred today should be rested for 40 days then can be returned to a reasonable level of exercise up to around 6 months of pregnancy. After foaling, at 11 months & 10 days, the mare needs to nurse the foal until about 6 months of age. Only at this time should the foal be weaned and the mare returned to work. If necessary she can be re-covered from as early as 9 days after foaling. The foal realistically now needs to be turned away to mature until breaking at around 3 years old, dependent upon breed. How much will it cost? Assuming there are no complications then you should budget for 3 cycles/attempts of the mare conceiving and the vets fees associated with this. Remember the livery fees if away at stud will include at least a 28 day scan post conceiving, and possibly a 42 day scan. A stallion ‘nomination’ fee, whether natural, fresh, chilled or frozen (including transport and storage). On foaling, winter feed, rugs and bedding. Stabling and veterinary fees at foaling. Registration, passport and microchipping. Worming, vaccinations, insurance, weaning, castration, farriery, dentistry, also possibly wolf tooth removal. Then sending away for breaking and schooling. Only then might you have a saleable commodity but do not imagine it will cover the above costs, this is a labour of love! 23 How do I proceed from here? Assuming the mare is healthy and has to go away to stud she will need swabs and blood samples taking to make sure she is clear of venereal diseases. These take at least 10 days to be processed. Once at stud she may be “short cycled” to encourage her to return into season ‘in the next few days’, to help speed the process up. What happens at stud? When in season she will be examined repeatedly over the following few days to ascertain the optimum time for covering or insemination. Once impregnated she will be checked to ensure she is clean inside, then checked at 16-18 days and if pregnant scanned again at 28 days for a foetal heart beat and a further scan at 42 days. Did you know that while a natural mating may produce viable semen living for up to 5 days, frozen semen, once thawed and inseminated, may only live for 6 hours, just like the unfertilised egg! Thus timing is critical. This explains the necessity for so many visits. Should I use AI or Natural? Usually you will not have a choice! Internet stallions may only supply frozen semen, stored at -176C, but some will offer chilled semen due to having a better fertility rate. However, whichever method you chose it is imperative that the semen comes with a fully comprehensive health certificate, ensuring it is free from all contagious diseases. Advantages of AI include: Less need to travel mares or put them at risk from being exposed to infections or injury. Greater choice of stallions from all over the world. Advantages of Natural covering: Cheaper and the only recognised method of mating registered Thoroughbred mares. Too Posh To Push? Embryo Transfer may be the answer for competing mares but this is very expensive and should ideally be undertaken at a specialist facility. It entails washing out a 7 day old fertilised embryo from the mare then implanting it into a recipient surrogate mare for the next 11 months. Still interested? Start soon as the breeding season starts in the spring. Feel free to ring the practice on 01933 222145 to discuss with us your mare’s needs for the <strong>2018</strong> breeding season and set the ball rolling soon. Note: The photo is for illustration purposes only and has no connection to the magazine or Swanspool Equine Clinic
As a dedicated 5 vet equine practice we offer 365 day, 24hr cover for all of your medical emergencies and routine veterinary treatment. Bringing all of the latest equipment to your yard. Below are just some of the treatments we offer: ♦ Routine Dentals/Wolf Tooth Removal ♦ Vaccinations ♦ Castrations ♦ Passports & Export For Travel ♦ Portable Digital X-Rays ♦ Tendon & Pregnancy Scanning ♦ Shockwave Therapy ♦ Diode Laser (Sarcoid Removal) ♦ Purchase Examinations ♦ Free Weight Clinics ♦ Faecal Worm Testing ♦ Endoscopy & Gastroscopy Examinations ♦ Free Client Evening Talks ♦ Free Visit Schemes ♦ Medication Of Joints & Our Own Supplements ♦ Blood Samples (using our own in-house lab) ♦ Mobile Diagnostic Unit & Technician 1 London Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BT Based in Northamptonshire Not close enough? No problem! We deliver to all of the UK! Reasons to shop with FCEquestrian Customer Loyalty Scheme in place Huge savings on Rider Wear Customer Service at its best Top Brands Stocked Regular Offers Competitive Prices Price Match where possible Now also available for events! Book us today for all your events - big or small - we are available all year round, so please book now to avoid disappointment! 24
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NHT Magazine Spring 2018

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