Evaluation of the breeding behavior of Brazilian Pony stallions.

The research conducted a comprehensive analysis of the breeding behavior in Brazilian Pony stallions, by assessing multiple attributes like reaction and mounting time, and testosterone levels, amid different age groups and seasons.

Research Objective and Methodology

• The main goal of the research was to deeply observe and evaluate the breeding behavior of Brazilian Pony stallions during semen collection, in particular, scrutinizing the influence of the horse’s age and the time of evaluation on the characteristics of their breeding behavior.
• Nine stallion horses, falling into two age categories amongst 5–13 years, were evaluated during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons.
• The features observed included reaction time, mount time, ejaculation time, mounting sans erection, mounting sans ejaculation, flehmen (a behavior typically seen in male horses involving the curling of the upper lip to better detect pheromones), kicks, bites, smells, vocalizations, and serum testosterone concentration.

Results and Statistical Analysis

• Various tests like variance and correlation analysis were performed on the collected data, providing average scores of all the evaluated variables.
• The age of the horse had a substantial impact on its reaction time, however, no significant impact was observed on other evaluated variables.
• Moreover, the month (or season) in which the evaluation was conducted did not seem to notably affect the majority of variables.
• Significant correlations were observed between the horse’s age and reaction time, as well as mounting time.
• The research also found a moderately negative correlation between testosterone concentration and the time consumed in mounting and ejaculation.

Conclusion

• The general breeding behavior in Brazilian Pony stallions was found to be relatively stable across different months of evaluation and in different age categories.
• Additionally, the research found no substantial impact of the age or the month of evaluation on testosterone concentrations, suggesting that the collection of semen is feasible throughout the year.