Assessment of the breeding prognosis of mares using paired endometrial biopsy techniques.

This research explores how the breeding prognosis of horses can be more accurately determined through paired endometrial biopsy techniques. The focus of the study was on subfertile mares and how their prognosis might change pre-and post-treatment.

Research Objective and Methodology

• The primary objective of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of using two endometrial biopsy samples (paired endometrial biopsy technique) in assessing the breeding prognosis of mares, as opposed to using a single biopsy.
• Biopsy samples were taken from 530 subfertile mares. Two samples were taken from each mare: one pre-treatment (“A” categories) and another post-treatment (“B” categories). The participating mares also went through a period sexual rest.
• The research made use of histopathological criteria similar to those proposed by Kenney and Doig in 1986 in order to allocate the prognosis categories to the mares.

Findings and Discussion

• In the first round of biopsy, a significant majority (87%) of the mares were classified into the third prognosis Category (3A). Nevertheless, the second biopsy led to a more and even distribution across the prognosis categories (10% in Category 1B to 3% in Category 4B).
• The study also noted the effects of the prognosis category on the foaling rates: mares from Categories 3A and 4A had foaling rates of 51% and 40% respectively. However, none of the mares in the most severe category (Category 4B) after the second biopsy resulted in a live foal – indicating the predictive effectiveness of the biopsy technique.

Conclusion

• The research concluded that using two endometrial biopsy samples, taken before and after any necessary uterine treatment, is likely to yield a more accurate breeding prognosis. This method provides a more thorough understanding of how the mare responds to treatment, which is crucial in issuing a breeding prognosis.