"COMPLETE RIDER" YOUR #1 HORSE DESTINATION
Republished with permission from Equine Research CenterWhen to Breed
Once the follicle ovulates releasing the egg, the egg is now ready for penetration by a sperm cell to form a conceptus. If the egg is not penetrated within approximately six hours of ovulation, it degenerates and becomes non-viable. Due to this very short life span of the egg, it is preferable to have the sperm cells already in the Fallopian tubes when the egg is released from the ovary. Sperm cells have a longer life span than the egg. Depending on the stallion, sperm cells can survive for as long as 72 to 96 hours once inseminated into a mare. However, to maximize conceptions every effort is made to inseminate the mare within the 48 hour window prior to ovulation. To accomplish this, you must determine as accurately as possible when ovulation will occur.
Determining When Ovulation Will Occur:
Mare managers in conjunction with their veterinarians assess when a mare will ovulate based on:
previous cycles - history
teasing charts
size and texture of current follicles
status of the endometrial folds
status of the cervix
A combination of all these factors is assessed and an educated prediction of ovulation can be made. Previous cycles and current teasing charts help to establish a mare's normal pattern. Speculum exam of the cervix reveals a relaxed and open cervix. Normally, the mare will have been showing heat for three to five days.When all the facts are assessed and ovulation is predicted to occur within the next 48 hours, the mare is inseminated.
Adapted from an Equine Research Centre article by
Moira F. Gunn, B.V.M.S.,
Armstrong Bros. Inglewood, Ontario
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