Effect of artificial insemination protocol and dose of frozen/thawed stallion semen on pregnancy results in mares.

This research article describes a comparative study on two different pipettes (Minitube pipette and Ghent device) for performing deep intra-uterine insemination in mares, using two dissimilar doses of commercially available frozen-thawed semen from two stallions of proven fertility. The Minitube pipette was found to be more effective in terms of pregnancy outcomes and deep horn insemination was revealed to generate better pregnancy rates when the same low doses were implemented.

Study Design and Conditions

• The research compares the efficiency of two different insemination pipettes that are used for deep intra-uterine insemination in mares—the semi-flexible Minitube pipette and a new device with a more flexible telescopic insemination catheter, referred to as the Ghent device.
• These insemination devices were tested using two different doses of commercially available frozen-thawed semen sourced from two stallions with proven fertility. This was to understand the effect of the protocol of artificial insemination and varying doses of stallion semen on pregnancy results in mares.

Results

• The study concluded that the semi-flexible Minitube pipette was more successful in inducing pregnancy in the mares. This suggests that the design and flexibility of the insemination pipette can greatly influence the success rate of the artificial insemination procedure.
• Further, the study demonstrated that deep horn insemination is superior to insemination into the uterine body for achieving pregnancy. This finding was supported by higher pregnancy rates obtained from deep horn insemination using the same lower doses of semen. Specifically, deep insemination presented 30.6% better pregnancy rates. Therefore, not only the design of the pipette but also the point and depth of insemination play crucial roles in conception rates in mares.

Implications

• The study’s results play a significant role in stretching the understanding of the effects of various insemination protocols and semen dosage on pregnancy rates in mares. This knowledge can lead to more effective infertility treatments, aiding animal breeders with better pregnancy outcomes.
• The findings also raise the need for more advanced and adaptable insemination devices for horses, contributing to further research and evolution in the field of veterinary science.