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) / Variance in Stallion Semen Quality among Equestrian Sporting...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(8); doi: 10.3390/ani9080485

Variance in Stallion Semen Quality among Equestrian Sporting Disciplines and Competition Levels.

Abstract: Most stallions within breeding programmes are expected to breed and compete concurrently. The exercising of stallions with regards to training regimes during the breeding season is a controversial subject. Daily exercise at low intensities is important for the mental and reproductive well-being of the stallion, however higher intensities of exercise, as seen in competing stallions, may have detrimental effects on seminal quality. To calculate if competition does affect semen quality, this study investigated the effect that equestrian discipline and timing of competition had on a range of stallion semen characteristics. This was a retrospective study that evaluated the seminal data of 1130 stallion semen collections from two UK based stud farms between 2009 and 2016. Competing stallion semen quality was significantly lower with regards to concentration (p < 0.05) and progressive motility (p < 0.05) than non-competing stallions. Semen volume was higher in competing stallions (p < 0.05) than non-competing stallions. There was a significant difference in seminal attributes among disciplines and competition levels (p < 0.05). The difference in semen quality among competing and non-competing stallions, as well as the difference among disciplines suggests endocrinological and physiological changes occur in relation to training intensity and competition.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2019-07-25 PubMed ID: 31349660PubMed Central: PMC6719077DOI: 10.3390/ani9080485Google 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

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.

The research article investigates the effect of varying equestrian disciplines and timings of competition on the quality of stallion semen. The study concluded that competing stallions tend to have lower semen quality in terms of concentration and progressive motility, but higher semen volume, when compared to their non-competing counterparts.

Research Background

  • The study is undertaken because most stallions in breeding programs are also expected to compete. However, concerns exist about the impact of high-intensity exercise and competition on the quality of their semen.
  • While moderate exercise is regarded as beneficial for the overall health and reproductive well-being of stallions, there’s a belief that the rigors of competition could negatively affect the seminal quality.

Research Procedure

  • The research was conducted as a retrospective study and evaluated the seminal data from 1130 stallion semen collections. These samples were collected from two UK based stud farms between 2009 and 2016.
  • The focus was on determining if there is a significant difference in the quality of semen between Stallions who compete and those who do not. In addition, the study looked into the variations in semen quality based on different equestrian disciplines and competition levels.

Findings and Interpretation

  • Results revealed that semen quality is lower in stallions that compete compared to those that don’t, especially in terms of concentration and progressive motility. However, the semen volume was observed to be higher in competing stallions.
  • The significant difference in semen quality between competing and non-competing stallions suggests that endocrinological and physiological changes occur in relation to training intensity and competition.
  • The study identifies a need for further investigation around the correlation between semen quality and the intensity of training and competition.

Cite This Article

APA
Wilson M, Williams J, Montrose VT, Williams J. (2019). Variance in Stallion Semen Quality among Equestrian Sporting Disciplines and Competition Levels. Animals (Basel), 9(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9080485

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 8

Researcher Affiliations

Wilson, Megan
  • Equine and Animal Departments, Hartpury University, Gloucester GL19 3BE, UK.
Williams, Jess
  • Equine and Animal Departments, Hartpury University, Gloucester GL19 3BE, UK.
Montrose, V Tamara
  • Equine and Animal Departments, Hartpury University, Gloucester GL19 3BE, UK.
Williams, Jane
  • Equine and Animal Departments, Hartpury University, Gloucester GL19 3BE, UK. jane.williams@hartpury.ac.uk.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 41 references
  1. Thorén Hellsten E, Jorjani H, Philipsson J. Genetic correlations between similar traits in the Danish and Swedish Warmblood sport horse populations.. Livest. Sci. 2009;124:15–20.
    doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2008.11.021google scholar: lookup
  2. Manafi M. Artificial Insemination in Farm Animals.. InTech; Rijeka, Croatia: 2011.
  3. Brito L. Evaluation of Stallion Sperm Morphology.. Clin. Tech. Equine Pract. 2007;6:249–264.
    doi: 10.1053/j.ctep.2007.09.004google scholar: lookup
  4. Gaskins A, Mendiola J, Afeiche M, Jørgensen N, Swan S, Chavarro J. Physical activity and television watching in relation to semen quality in young men.. Br. J. Sports Med. 2013;49:265–270.
    doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091644pmc: PMC3868632pubmed: 23380634google scholar: lookup
  5. French D, Russell M, Howatson G, Jones T. Performance and endocrine responses to differing ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training.. J. Strength Cond. Res. 2016;30:693–702.
    pubmed: 26907840
  6. Vaamonde D, Da Silva-Grigoletto M, García-Manso J, Vaamonde-Lemos R, Swanson R, Oehninger S. Response of semen parameters to three training modalities.. Fertil. Steril. 2009;92:1941–1946.
    doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.09.010pubmed: 19013565google scholar: lookup
  7. Dinger J, Noiles E, Hoagland T. Effect of controlled exercise on semen characteristics in two-year-old stallions.. Theriogenology. 1986;25:525–535.
    doi: 10.1016/0093-691X(86)90136-6pubmed: 16726143google scholar: lookup
  8. Davies Morel M, Gunnarsson V. A survey of the fertility of Icelandic stallions.. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 2000;64:49–64.
    doi: 10.1016/S0378-4320(00)00192-5pubmed: 11078966google scholar: lookup
  9. Janett F, Burkhardt C, Burger D, Imboden I, Hässig M, Thun R. Influence of repeated treadmill exercise on quality and freezability of stallion semen.. Theriogenology. 2006;65:1737–1749.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.09.017pubmed: 16246408google scholar: lookup
  10. Gordon R, Mawyer J, Cavinder C, Sigler D, Blanchard T, Love C, Brinsko S, Arnold C, Teague S, Vogelsang M. Effects of moderate exercise on semen parameters and serum LH and cortisol concentrations in stallions.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2014;34:65.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2013.10.040google scholar: lookup
  11. Hayes L, Grace F, Baker J, Sculthorpe N. Exercise-Induced Responses in Salivary Testosterone, Cortisol, and Their Ratios in Men: A Meta-Analysis.. Sports Med. 2015;45:713–726.
    doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0306-ypubmed: 25655373google scholar: lookup
  12. Andreato L, Branco B. Different Sports, But the Same Physical and Physiological Profiles?. Sports Med. 2016;46:1963–1965.
    doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0587-9pubmed: 27430503google scholar: lookup
  13. Vaamonde D, Da Silva-Grigoletto M, García-Manso J, Barrera N, Vaamonde-Lemos R. Physically active men show better semen parameters and hormone values than sedentary men.. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2012;112:3267–3273.
    doi: 10.1007/s00421-011-2304-6pubmed: 22234399google scholar: lookup
  14. Wilson M, Twigg-Flesner A. A Preliminary Comparison of Semen Quality between Competing and Non-Competing Equine Stallions.. J. Vet. Sci. Technol. 2017;8:1–7.
    doi: 10.4172/2157-7579.1000443google scholar: lookup
  15. Gottschalk M, Sieme H, Martinsson G, Distl O. Analysis of breed effects on semen traits in light horse, warmblood, and draught horse breeds.. Theriogenology. 2016;85:1375–1381.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.11.030pubmed: 26893165google scholar: lookup
  16. Kuhl J, Schott F, Deichsel K, Aurich C. Effects of breed, age and season on quality of frozen-thawed semen in stallions.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2016;43:S57–S58.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2016.06.012google scholar: lookup
  17. Aldridge B, Kelleher D, Reilly M, Brophy P. Estimation of the genetic correlation between performances at different levels of show jumping competitions in Ireland.. J. Anim. Breed Genet. 2000;117:65–72.
    doi: 10.1046/j.1439-0388.2000.00232.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  18. Kearsley C, Woolliams J, Coffey M, Brotherstone S. Use of competition data for genetic evaluations of eventing horses in Britain: Analysis of the dressage, showjumping and crosscountry phases of eventing competition.. Livest. Sci. 2008;118:72–81.
    doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2008.01.009google scholar: lookup
  19. Schmidt K, Deichsel K, Oliveira R, Aurich J, Ille N, Aurich C. Effects of environmental temperature and season on hair coat characteristics, physiologic and reproductive parameters in Shetland pony stallions.. Theriogenology. 2017;97:170–178.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.04.035pubmed: 28583602google scholar: lookup
  20. Foote R. Factors influencing the quantity and quality of semen harvested from bulls, rams, boars and stallions.. J. Anim. Sci. 1978;47:1.
    pubmed: 400773
  21. GOV Legislation Data Protction Act 1998. [(accessed on 16 June 2017)]; Available online: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents.
  22. Macpherson M. How to Evaluate Semen in the Field; Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the AAEP; San Diego, CA, USA.. 25–28 November 2001.
  23. Bailey C, Rose R, Reid S, Hodgson D. Wastage in the Australian Thoroughbred racing industry: A survey of Sydney trainers.. Aust. Vet. J. 1997;75:64–66.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1997.tb13836.xpubmed: 9034505google scholar: lookup
  24. Zhu W, Zeng N, Wang N. Sensitivity, Specificity, Accuracy, Associated Confidence Interval and ROC Analysis with Practical SAS®.. [(accessed on 15 July 2019)];2010 Available online: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d1e5/c3097daf99db2c8dce3ac0edc3c5ade41460.pdf.
  25. Dowsett K, Knott L. The influence of age and breed on stallion semen.. Theriogenology. 1996;46:397–412.
    doi: 10.1016/0093-691X(96)00162-8pubmed: 16727908google scholar: lookup
  26. Darr C, Moraes L, Scanlan T, Baumber-Skaife J, Loomis P, Cortopassi G, Meyers S. Sperm Mitochondrial Function is Affected by Stallion Age and Predicts Post-Thaw Motility.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2017;50:52–61.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2016.10.015google scholar: lookup
  27. Pintus E, Ros-Santaella J, Garde J. Beyond Testis Size: Links between Spermatogenesis and Sperm Traits in a Seasonal Breeding Mammal.. PLoS ONE. 2015;10:e0139240.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139240pmc: PMC4592251pubmed: 26430740google scholar: lookup
  28. Jóźków P, Rossato M. The Impact of Intense Exercise on Semen Quality.. Am. J. Mens. Health. 2016;11:654–662.
    doi: 10.1177/1557988316669045pmc: PMC5675222pubmed: 27645515google scholar: lookup
  29. Strzelec K, Kedierski W, Bereznowski A, Janczarek I, Bocian K, Radosz M. Salivary cortisol levels in horses and their riders during three-day-events.. J. Vet. Res. 2013;57:237–241.
    doi: 10.2478/bvip-2013-0042google scholar: lookup
  30. Becker-Birck M, Schmidt A, Lasarzik J, Aurich J, Möstl E, Aurich C. Cortisol release and heart rate variability in sport horses participating in equestrian competitions.. J. Vet. Behav. 2013;8:87–94.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2012.05.002google scholar: lookup
  31. Mawyer J, Gordon R, Cavinder C, Vogelsang M, Sigler D, Love C, Brinsko S, Blanchard T, Teague S. Thermoregulation of the Testicle in Response to Exercise and Subsequent Effects on Seminal Characteristics in Stallions.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2011;31:317.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2011.03.151pubmed: 22785159google scholar: lookup
  32. Cavinder C, Perrin A, Rosenberg J, Varner D. Relative alterations in core body temperature and internal and external scrotal temperatures of exercising stallions.. PAS. 2014;30:451–456.
    doi: 10.15232/pas.2014-01310google scholar: lookup
  33. Ramires Neto C, Monteiro G, Zanzarini Delfiol D, Farras M, Dell’aqua J, Papa F, Alvarenga M. The relationships between scrotal surface temperature, age and sperm quality in stallions.. Livest. Sci. 2013;157:358–363.
    doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2013.06.026google scholar: lookup
  34. Staempfli S, Janett F, Burger D, Kündig H, Imboden I, Hässig M, Thun R. Effect of exercise and suspensory on scrotal surface temperature in the stallion.. Theriogenology. 2006;66:2120–2126.
    doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.06.008pubmed: 16876858google scholar: lookup
  35. Thomson C, Thompson D, Kincaid L, Nadal M. Prolactin involvement with the increase in seminal volume after sexual stimulation in stallions.. J. Anim. Sci. 1996;74:2468.
    doi: 10.2527/1996.74102468xpubmed: 8904716google scholar: lookup
  36. Thompson D, Miller-Auwerda P, Sandberg L. Growth Hormone and Prolactin Secretion in Horses: Effects of Multiple and Extended Exercise Bouts, β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl Butyrate Feeding, and Arginine and Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Pretreatment.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2017;49:31–39.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2016.09.009google scholar: lookup
  37. McKinnon A.O. Assisted Reproduction Techniques (ART) in the Horse—A Review from Artificial Insemination to Cloning.. [(accessed on 1 March 2016)];2010 Available online: http://www.beva.org.uk/filegrab/documents/48321fe5a9d32733ef0da731b8e57fac/ARTBEVA20102.pdf.
  38. Walters J, Parkin T, Snart H, Murray R. Current management and training practices for UK dressage horses.. Comp. Exerc. Physiol. 2008;5:73.
    doi: 10.1017/S1478061508017040google scholar: lookup
  39. Pickett B, Voss J, Squires E, Amann R. Management of the stallion for maximum reproduction efficiency.. Equine Vet. J. 1982;14:310.
  40. Johnson L, Blanchard T, Varner D, Scrutchfield W. Factors affecting spermatogenesis in the stallion.. Theriogenology. 1997;48:1199–1216.
    doi: 10.1016/S0093-691X(97)00353-1pubmed: 16728209google scholar: lookup
  41. Burger D, Wedekind C, Wespi B, Imboden I, Meinecke-Tillmann S, Sieme H. The Potential Effects of Social Interactions on Reproductive Efficiency of Stallions.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2012;32:455–457.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2012.05.076google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Najjar A, Dhaouadi A, Ezzar S, Benaoun B, Khaldi S. Sexual arousal intensity modulates copulatory behavior and semen quality in Arabian stallions: Effects of age, origin, and collection method. Vet World 2025 Sep;18(9):2615-2625.
    doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.2615-2625pubmed: 41113212google scholar: lookup
  2. Baharun A, Pertiwi PPP, Rahmi A, Rachmadanti NC, Handarini R, Iskandar H, Samsudewa D, Maulana T, Said S, Darussalam I, Nurcholis N, Arifiantini RI. Frozen semen quality of Pasundan bulls with different individual variations. Open Vet J 2025 Jan;15(1):244-251.
    doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i1.22pubmed: 40092200google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,001 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.