b'YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2017 AAEP CONVENTION SPONSORED BYSTEPHANIE CHURCH/THE HORSE Improving the Breeding GameALEXANDRA BECKSTETT; every-other-day schedule and analyzedOvercoming Three Embryo Transfer ERICA LARSON the differences between on-farm (fresh)Obstaclesand shipped semen (cooled) inseminationVeterinarians routinely perform em-Stallion Collection Schedules Affectpregnancy rates. In the current study, shebryo transfers to obtain foals from valu-Mare Pregnancy Rates documented 417 mare cycles, inseminat- able mares that are unavailable to carry a rtificial insemination can be aning mares with fresh semen during 73 ofpregnancy for a variety of reasons. They expensive, management-intensivethe cycles and shipped semen during 344.face three common challenges, however, endeavor for mare owners. TheyAll were bred with semen containing atwhen completing these procedures. Ryan must time the mares ovulation preciselyleast 500 million motile sperm (the goldFerris, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACT, owner of with the availability of good-quality se- standard) from one of four proven stal- Summit Equine, in Newberg, Oregon, men. Therefore, owners are often at thelions 24 hours after induced ovulation.described how to overcome them.mercy of when their desired stallion isThere was a significant differenceWhile he was an assistant professor at collected and, if dealing with shipped se- between on-farm (75%) versus shippedColorado State Universitys (CSU) Equine men, when that semen arrives. semen (63%) pregnancy rates, sheReproduction Laboratory, in Fort Collins, Lisa Metcalf, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACT,said. And pregnancy rate significantlyFerris and colleagues performed three owner of Honahlee PC, a breeding facilityincreased for both on-farm and shippedstudies during the 2016/17 breeding sea-in Sherwood, Oregon, recently looked atsemen inseminations when stallions wereson to address the following issues.how collection and insemination sched- available daily. 1.What media should veterinarians use ules affect pregnancy rates in mares bredThis confirms that the duration of timefor embryo recovery?using fresh or cooled semen. from collection to insemination signifi- The options for embryo recovery Breeding stallion collection sched- cantly affects pregnancy rates, she said.fluid can be overwhelming, Ferris said, ules vary widely, said Metcalf. Many areMetcalf offered recommendations forreferring to what the vet uses to retrieve collected every other day, while othersbreeders and their vets to maximize theirthe embryo from the uterus. Clinicians at arecollected daily, weekly, Monday-chances of a successful pregnancy: CSU typically use a complete flush media Wednesday-Friday, or between horseKnow the stallions contract terms (how(a ready-to-use solution that doesnt shows.frequently he is available, how manyrequire additions of serums or antibiot-This poses a problem for mare ownerscollections are permitted, etc.); ics), whereas in many other countries working with a limited breeding windowCommunicate with mare owners andpractitioners use Ringers lactate solution due to the short lifespan of the maresstallion managers; or Hartmanns solution, which U.S. vet-oocyte and the stallions sperm.Use same-day delivery for semen; erinarians also use during uterine lavage.In her study, Metcalf compared preg- Find a reliable courier to transportDuring the 2016 breeding season Ferris nancy rates when stallions were avail- semen; and and his team alternated using com-able for daily collection to rates from a Set a standard for stallions to be avail- plete flush media (78 embryo recovery prior study in which stallions were on anable every day during breeding season.attempts) or Hartmanns solution (77 March 2018THE HORSE AAEP Wrap-Up TheHorse.com/AAEP2017 A31'