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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Reproductive performance measures among Thoroughbred mares i...
Equine veterinary journal2010; 41(9); 883-888; doi: 10.2746/042516409x456068

Reproductive performance measures among Thoroughbred mares in central Kentucky, during the 2004 mating season.

Abstract: To improve efficiency at the farm level, a better understanding of how farm management factors impact reproductive performance is important. Objective: To assess reproductive efficiency and effectiveness among Thoroughbred mares in central Kentucky. Methods: A cohort of 1011 mares on 13 farms in central Kentucky was followed during the 2004 mating and 2005 foaling season. Information on farm level practices was collected via interviews with farm managers. Reproductive records were collected for each mare mated to obtain information on mare characteristics. The influence of mare age and status (maiden, foaling, barren) on Days 15 and 40 post mating pregnancy rates, foaling rates and total effective length of the mating season were assessed. The influence of stallion book size on reproductive performance measures was also examined. Results: Per season pregnancy rates on Days 15 and 40 post mating and live foal rate were 92.1, 89.3 and 783%, respectively. Per cycle rates for the same time periods were 64.0, 583 and 50.8%. There were no significant associations between stallion book size and reproductive performance outcomes. The mean +/- s.d. interval from the beginning of the mating season to the last mating of the mare was 36.5 +/- 26.1 days. Conclusions: Mare age had a significant impact on efficiency of becoming pregnant, maintaining pregnancy and producing a live foal. Overall, fertility did not decrease among stallions with the largest book sizes. Total interval length of the mating season can be reduced if managers ensure maiden and barren mares are mated at the beginning of the season and foaling mares are mated at the earliest oestrus after acceptable uterine involution has been achieved. Conclusions: Measures identified in the study can be used by owners, farm managers and veterinarians to improve mare reproductive performance and identify parameters to assist with the implementation of effective culling practices.
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Publication Date: 2010-04-14 PubMed ID: 20383986DOI: 10.2746/042516409x456068Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

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This research article assesses the reproductive performance of Thoroughbred mares in central Kentucky. Factors such as mare characteristics, mating season, and farm level practices were studied to determine their impact on reproductive efficiency.

Research Methodology

  • The study followed 1011 mares across 13 farms in central Kentucky during the 2004 mating season and the subsequent foaling season in 2005.
  • Information on practices at the farm level was collected through interviews with farm managers, and reproductive records for each mare mated were collected to obtain data on the mares’ characteristics.
  • The research also examined the influence of the size of the stallion’s mating book (the number of mares a stallion is bred to in a breeding season) on reproductive performance metrics. Frequent factors such as age and status (whether the mare was maiden – never been bred, foaling – had foaled before, or barren – not able to carry a pregnancy to term) of the mares were also studied.

Results of the Study

  • The research found that per-season pregnancy rates on Days 15 and 40 after mating and live foal rate were 92.1%, 89.3%, and 78.3% respectively.
  • The rate per breeding cycle for the same time periods were 64.0%, 58.3%, and 50.8% respectively.
  • The study did not find any significant associations between the size of the stallion’s book and the outcomes of reproductive performance.
  • The average interval from the beginning of the mating season to the last mating of the mare was around 36.5 days.

Conclusion and Recommendations

  • The age of the mare had a significant impact on the efficiency of becoming pregnant, maintaining the pregnancy, and producing a live foal.
  • It was also concluded that overall fertility did not decrease among stallions with larger book sizes.
  • The researchers suggest that the total interval length of the mating season could be reduced if managers ensure maiden and barren mares are mated at the beginning of the season and foaling mares are mated at the earliest oestrus (the period of fertility in a mare’s reproductive cycle) after acceptable uterine involution (the return of the uterus to its normal size and state after delivery) has been confirmed.
  • The findings of the study could be used by owners, farm managers and veterinarians to improve mare reproductive performance and to develop effective culling (the process of removing breeding animals from a group based on specific criteria) practices.

Cite This Article

APA
Bosh KA, Powell D, Shelton B, Zent W. (2010). Reproductive performance measures among Thoroughbred mares in central Kentucky, during the 2004 mating season. Equine Vet J, 41(9), 883-888. https://doi.org/10.2746/042516409x456068

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 41
Issue: 9
Pages: 883-888

Researcher Affiliations

Bosh, K A
  • Maxwell H. Cluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, USA.
Powell, D
    Shelton, B
      Zent, W

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Female
        • Horses / physiology
        • Kentucky
        • Male
        • Pregnancy
        • Pregnancy Rate
        • Pregnancy, Animal / physiology

        Citations

        This article has been cited 11 times.
        1. Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworska J, Stanley CR. The Social and Reproductive Challenges Faced by Free-Roaming Horse (Equus caballus) Stallions.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 24;13(7).
          doi: 10.3390/ani13071151pubmed: 37048406google scholar: lookup
        2. Roach J, Arango Sabogal JC, Smith K, Foote A, Verheyen K, de Mestre AM. Multivariable analysis to determine risk factors associated with abortion in mares.. Reprod Fertil 2022 Nov 1;3(4):301-12.
          doi: 10.1530/RAF-22-0087pubmed: 36374277google scholar: lookup
        3. Pollard CL, Gibb Z, Clulow J, Ruiz A, Sheridan A, Bahrami M, Swegen A, Grupen CG. Supplemental Nicotinic Acid Elevates NAD(+) Precursors in the Follicular Fluid of Mares.. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 27;12(11).
          doi: 10.3390/ani12111383pubmed: 35681847google scholar: lookup
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          doi: 10.3390/vetsci9040186pubmed: 35448683google scholar: lookup
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          doi: 10.1294/jes.32.31pubmed: 34220269google scholar: lookup
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          doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05175pubmed: 33083622google scholar: lookup
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          doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2019.1132-1139pubmed: 31528044google scholar: lookup
        8. Müller-Unterberg M, Wallmann S, Distl O. Effects of inbreeding and other systematic effects on fertility of Black Forest Draught horses in Germany.. Acta Vet Scand 2017 Oct 18;59(1):70.
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        9. Gibb Z, Aitken RJ. The Impact of Sperm Metabolism during In Vitro Storage: The Stallion as a Model.. Biomed Res Int 2016;2016:9380609.
          doi: 10.1155/2016/9380609pubmed: 26881234google scholar: lookup
        10. Meliani S, Benallou B, Halbouche M, Haddouche Z. Time of foaling in Arabian mares raised in Tiaret, Algeria.. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2013 Jul;3(7):587-8.
          doi: 10.1016/S2221-1691(13)60120-3pubmed: 23835758google scholar: lookup
        11. Katila T, Reilas T, Nivola K, Peltonen T, Virtala AM. A 15-year survey of reproductive efficiency of Standardbred and Finnhorse trotters in Finland--descriptive results.. Acta Vet Scand 2010 Jun 14;52(1):40.
          doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-52-40pubmed: 20546559google scholar: lookup
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