FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Factors Influencing the Popularity of Artificial Inseminatio...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(7); doi: 10.3390/ani9070460

Factors Influencing the Popularity of Artificial Insemination of Mares in Europe.

Abstract: The purpose of this review was to analyze factors affecting the popularity of artificial insemination of mares in Europe in the context of sperm quality. Taking into account the prices of stallion semen on the world market, efficiency is important for the profitability of its use in artificial insemination programs in Europe. To increase the efficiency of a semen insemination facility, it is necessary to correctly and objectively assess the quality of semen. The available range of tools allows an effective evaluation of the potential fertility of a stallion. For several years, artificial insemination programs in Europe have been gaining popularity. However, the frequency of chilled or frozen semen use is still quite low. This is mainly due to the common, negative opinion about the effectiveness of the use of packaged insemination doses as opposed to natural insemination. Unfortunately, the quality of the semen offered often deviates from expectations, which results in unsatisfactory (and therefore unprofitable) pregnancy rates. This review presents the popularity structure of chilled and frozen semen use in European horse breeding as well as the current state of research on the effectiveness of semen production technology. It is shown that the popularity of using chilled semen in the artificial insemination of mares in Europe has been gradually increasing in the group of sport mares, while in the group of breeding mares, in recent years, frozen semen has been gaining popularity. In the remaining group of mares (not classified as sport or breeding), insemination with chilled semen has been dominant.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2019-07-19 PubMed ID: 31331026PubMed Central: PMC6680944DOI: 10.3390/ani9070460Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Review

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article discusses the factors influencing the use of artificial insemination in horse breeding in Europe, focusing on the quality of sperm and the common perception of artificial insemination techniques. The article gauges the popularity of artificial insemination methods, as well as their efficiency and profitability, in breeding sport horses and other types of mares.

Context of the Study

  • The study was conducted with the objective of understanding the factors impacting the popularity of artificial insemination of mares in Europe. It also aimed at analyzing the relevance of sperm quality in this process.
  • The efficiency of using stallion semen, especially considering its market price, was a focal point of this research. This is because the efficiency of semen directly impacts the profitability of artificial insemination programs.

Tools and Evaluation of Quality

  • The research emphasized on the importance of correct assessment of semen quality to improve the efficiency of an artificial insemination program.
  • The study indicates that present tools available give a fair evaluation of a stallion’s potential fertility.

Semen Use and Popularity of Artificial Insemination

  • Artificial insemination programs have been gaining popularity in Europe over the years. However, the use of chilled or frozen semen is still not as widespread.
  • Trends show a general negative perception about the effectiveness of packaged insemination doses versus natural insemination, contributing to the reservation towards using chilled or frozen semen.

Quality and Effectiveness

  • The quality of offered semen often falls short of expectations, leading to unsatisfactory pregnancy rates, thus making the process unprofitable.
  • The research presented an overview of the level of use of chilled and frozen semen in European horse breeding, and also provided updates on ongoing research on the effectiveness of semen production technology.

Trends in Semen Usage

  • For sport mares, the popularity of using chilled semen for artificial insemination has been increasing gradually.
  • In the case of breeding mares, the use of frozen semen is gaining popularity.
  • In categorizing mares that are neither identified as sport nor breeding, insemination with chilled semen is the dominant practice.

Cite This Article

APA
Kowalczyk A, Czerniawska-Piątkowska E, Kuczaj M. (2019). Factors Influencing the Popularity of Artificial Insemination of Mares in Europe. Animals (Basel), 9(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9070460

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 7

Researcher Affiliations

Kowalczyk, Alicja
  • Department of Environment, Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Wrocław University Of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 38C, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland. alicja.kowalczyk@upwr.edu.pl.
Czerniawska-Piątkowska, Ewa
  • Department of Ruminant Science, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland.
Kuczaj, Marian
  • Institute of Animal Breeding, Wrocław University Of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 38C, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 32 references
  1. Pagl R, Aurich JE, Schlosser FM, Kankofer M, Aurich C. Comparison of an extender containing defined milk protein fractions with a skim milk-based extender for storage of equine semen at 5 °C. Theriogenology 2006;66:1115–1122.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.03.006pubmed: 16620943google scholar: lookup
  2. Nath LC, Anderson GA, McKinnon AO. Reproductive efficiency of Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses in north-east Victoria. Aust. Vet. J. 2010;88:169–175.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2010.00565.xpubmed: 20529022google scholar: lookup
  3. Mizera A. Insemination of Mares Versus Natural Mating in Europe in the 21st Century. Agricultura, Alimentaria, Piscaria et Zootechnica. Folia Pomeranae Universitatis Technologiae Stetinensis Szczecin, Poland: 2019.
  4. Colenbrander B, Gadella BM, Stout TAE. The predictive value of semen analysis in the evaluation of stallion fertility. Reprod. Domest. Anim. 2003;38:305–311.
    doi: 10.1046/j.1439-0531.2003.00451.xpubmed: 12887569google scholar: lookup
  5. Battut I, Kempfer A, Becker J, Lebailly L, Camugli S, Chevrier L. Development of a new fertility prediction model for stallion semen, including flow cytometry. Theriogenology 2016;86:1111–1131.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.04.001pubmed: 27207472google scholar: lookup
  6. Gottschalk M, Sieme H, Martinsson G, Distl O. Relationships among stallion fertility and semen traits using estimated breeding values of German warmblood stallions. Theriogenology 2017;89:68–71.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.10.011pubmed: 28043372google scholar: lookup
  7. Love C. Relationship between sperm motility, morphology and the fertility of stallions. Theriogenology 2011;76:547–557.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.03.007pubmed: 21497893google scholar: lookup
  8. Jasko D, Lein D, Foote R. Determination of the relationship between sperm morphologic classifications and fertility in stallions: 66 cases (1987–1988). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 1990;197:389–394.
    pubmed: 2391279
  9. Kenney RM, Evenson DP, Garcia M, Love C. Relationships between sperm chromatin structure, motility, and morphology of ejaculated sperm and seasonal pregnancy rate. Biol. Reprod. Mono. 1995;1:647–653.
    doi: 10.1093/biolreprod/52.monograph_series1.647google scholar: lookup
  10. Benhajali H, Richard-Yris M-A, Ezzaouia M, Charfi F, Hausberger M. Factors influencing conception rates of Arab mares in Tunisia. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 2010;117:106–110.
    doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2009.04.010pubmed: 19481379google scholar: lookup
  11. Allen W, Brown L, Wright M, Wilsher S. Reproductive efficiency of Flatrace and National Hunt Thoroughbred mares and stallions in England. Equine. Vet. J. 2007;39:438–445.
    doi: 10.2746/042516407X1737581pubmed: 17910269google scholar: lookup
  12. Van Buiten A, Van den Broek J, Schukken Y, Colenbrander B. Validation of non-return rate as a parameter for stallion fertility. Livest. Prod. Sci. 1999;60:13–19.
    doi: 10.1016/S0301-6226(99)00049-4google scholar: lookup
  13. Van Buiten A, Westers P, Colenbrander B. Male, female and management risk factors for non-return to service in Dutch mares. Prev. Vet. Med. 2003;61:17–26.
    doi: 10.1016/S0167-5877(03)00128-4pubmed: 14516714google scholar: lookup
  14. Chabory E, Damon C, Lenoir A, Kauselmann G, Kern H, Zevnik B, Garrel C, Saez F, Cadet R, Henry-Berger J. Epididymis seleno-independent glutathione peroxidase 5 maintains sperm DNA integrity in mice. J. Clin. Investig. 2009;119:2074–2085.
    doi: 10.1172/JCI38940pmc: PMC2701883pubmed: 19546506google scholar: lookup
  15. Ainsworth C, Nixon B, Jansen RP, Aitken RJ. First recorded pregnancy and normal birth after ICSI using electrophoretically isolated spermatozoa. Hum. Reprod. 2007;22:197–200.
    doi: 10.1093/humrep/del351pubmed: 16971383google scholar: lookup
  16. Bedford SJ, Varner DD, Meyers SA. Effects of cryopreservation on the acrosomal status of stallion spermatozoa. J. Reprod. Fertil. Suppl. 2000;56:133–140.
    pubmed: 20681125
  17. Neild DM, Gadella BM, Chaves MG, Miragaya MH, Colenbrander B, Aguero A. Membrane changes during different stages of a freeze-thaw protocol for equine semen cryopreservation. Theriogenology 2003;59:1693–1705.
    doi: 10.1016/S0093-691X(02)01231-1pubmed: 12566145google scholar: lookup
  18. Valcarce DG, Cartón-García F, Riesco MF, Herráez MP, Robles V. Analysis of DNA damage after human sperm cryopreservation in genes crucial for fertilization and early embryo development. Andrology 2013;1:723–730.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2013.00116.xpubmed: 23970451google scholar: lookup
  19. Pegg DT, Diaper MD. The unfrozen fraction hypothesis of freezing injury to human erythrocytes: A critical examination of the evidence. Cryobiology 1989;26:30–43.
    doi: 10.1016/0011-2240(89)90031-Xpubmed: 2924591google scholar: lookup
  20. Hammerstedt RH, Graham JK, Nolan JP. Cryopreservation of mammalian sperm: What we ask them to survive. J. Androl. 1990;11:73–88.
    pubmed: 2179184
  21. Morris GJ, Faszer K, Green JE, Draper D, Grout BWW, Fonseca F. Rapidly cooled horse spermatozoa: Loss of viability is due to osmotic imbalance during thawing, not intracellular ice formation. Theriogenology 2007;68:804–812.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.06.009pubmed: 17645937google scholar: lookup
  22. Sardoy MC, Carretero MI, Neild DM. Evaluation of stallion sperm DNA alterations during cryopreservation using toluidine blue. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 2008;107:349–350.
    doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2008.05.126google scholar: lookup
  23. Squires E, Barbacini S, Matthews P, Byers W, Schwenzer K, Steiner J, Loomis P. Retrospective study of factors affecting fertility of fresh, cooled and frozen semen. Equine. Vet. Educ. 2006;18:96–99.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3292.2006.tb00425.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  24. Samper JC. Ultrasonographic appearance and the pattern of uterine edema to time of ovulation in mares. Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners Phoenix, AZ, USA. 7–10 December 1997; pp. 189–191.
  25. Barbacini S, Loomis P, Squires EL. The effect of sperm number and frequency of insemination on pregnancy rates of mares inseminated with frozen–thawed spermatozoa. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 2005;89:203–235.
    pubmed: 16261677
  26. Hemberg E, Lundeheim N, Einarsson S. Successful timing of ovulation using deslorelin (Ovuplant) is labour-saving in mares aimed for single AI with frozen semen. Reprod. Domest. Anim. 2006;41:535–537.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2006.00709.xpubmed: 17107513google scholar: lookup
  27. Metcalf ES. Optimizing pregnancy rates using frozen–thawed equine semen. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 2005;89:209–212.
    pubmed: 16265748
  28. Vasquez JJ, Medina VM, Liu IKM, Ball BA, Scott MA. Nonsurgical hysteroscopic insemination in the mare. Proceedings of the 44th Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners Baltimore, MD, USA. 6–9 December 1998; pp. 68–69.
  29. Morris LH, Allen WR. An overview of low dose insemination in the mare. Reprod. Domest. Anim. 2002;37:206–210.
    doi: 10.1046/j.1439-0531.2002.00375.xpubmed: 12173985google scholar: lookup
  30. Lindsey AC, Schenk JL, Graham JK, Bruemmer JE, Squires EL. Hysteroscopic insemination of low numbers of flow sorted fresh and frozen/thawed stallion spermatozoa. Equine. Vet. J. 2002;34:121–127.
    doi: 10.2746/042516402776767321pubmed: 11902755google scholar: lookup
  31. Morris LH, Tiplady C, Allen WR. Pregnancy rates in mares after a single fixed time hysteroscopic insemination of low numbers of frozen–thawed spermatozoa onto the uterotubal junction. Equine. Vet. J. 2003;35:197–201.
    doi: 10.2746/042516403776114162pubmed: 12638798google scholar: lookup
  32. Petersen MM, Wessel MT, Scott MA. Embryo recovery rates in mares after deep intrauterine insemination with low numbers of cryopreserved equine spermatozoa. Theriogenology 2002;58:663–665.

Citations

This article has been cited 10 times.
  1. Ullah A, Chen W, Shi L, Wang M, Geng M, Na J, Akhtar MF, Khan MZ, Wang C. Challenges and Enhancing Strategies of Equine Semen Preservation: Nutritional and Genetic Perspectives. Vet Sci 2025 Aug 25;12(9).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci12090807pubmed: 41012733google scholar: lookup
  2. Dordas-Perpinyà M, Yánez-Ortiz I, Sergeant N, Mevel V, Catalán J, Bruyas JF, Miró J, Briand-Amirat L. ProAKAP4 as Indicator of Long-Lasting Motility Marker in Post-Thaw Conditions in Stallions. Animals (Basel) 2024 Apr 23;14(9).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14091264pubmed: 38731267google scholar: lookup
  3. Alharbi YM, Ali M, Alharbi MS. Impact of the Antioxidant Hydroxytyrosol on the Quality of Post-Thawed Stallion Semen. Vet Med Int 2024;2024:6558480.
    doi: 10.1155/2024/6558480pubmed: 38716203google scholar: lookup
  4. Harris IT, Maddock C, Farnworth M, Nankervis K, Perrett J, Pyatt AZ, Blanchard RN. Temporal trends in equine sperm progressive motility: a systematic review and meta-regression. Reproduction 2023 Jun 1;165(6):M1-M10.
    doi: 10.1530/REP-22-0490pubmed: 37000597google scholar: lookup
  5. Ramirez-Perez H, Guerrero-Netro HM, Torres-Rodríguez P, Díaz-Durán M, Boeta-Acosta AM, Diaw M. A combination of taurine and caffeine maintains sperm quality in equine semen during chilled storage. J Adv Vet Anim Res 2021 Dec;8(4):635-641.
    doi: 10.5455/javar.2021.h555pubmed: 35106304google scholar: lookup
  6. Rečková Z, Filipčík R, Soušková K, Kopec T, Hošek M, Pešan V. The efficiency of different types of extenders for semen cooling in stallions. Anim Biosci 2022 May;35(5):670-676.
    doi: 10.5713/ab.21.0300pubmed: 34991206google scholar: lookup
  7. Gacem S, Valverde A, Catalán J, Yánez Ortiz I, Soler C, Miró J. A New Approach of Sperm Motility Subpopulation Structure in Donkey and Horse. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:651477.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.651477pubmed: 34113670google scholar: lookup
  8. Gacem S, Catalán J, Yánez-Ortiz I, Soler C, Miró J. New Sperm Morphology Analysis in Equids: Trumorph(®) Vs Eosin-Nigrosin Stain. Vet Sci 2021 May 6;8(5).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci8050079pubmed: 34066550google scholar: lookup
  9. Catalán J, Yánez-Ortiz I, Gacem S, Papas M, Bonet S, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Yeste M, Miró J. The Effects of Red Light on Mammalian Sperm Rely upon the Color of the Straw and the Medium Used. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jan 8;11(1).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11010122pubmed: 33429933google scholar: lookup
  10. Catalán J, Papas M, Trujillo-Rojas L, Blanco-Prieto O, Bonilla-Correal S, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Miró J, Yeste M. Red LED Light Acts on the Mitochondrial Electron Chain of Donkey Sperm and Its Effects Depend on the Time of Exposure to Light. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020;8:588621.
    doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.588621pubmed: 33365309google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,001 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.