The reproductive system of the horse has evolved over time with specific protective functions that are necessary for fertility. The horse and pig are the only domestic animals in which semen is deposited directly into the uterus, in contrast to
A meeting of the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners on March 7 brought together six of the leading researchers/investigators dealing with mare reproductive loss and other syndromes seen in the spring of 2001 in central Kentucky and
It is estimated that 35 million acres of United States pasture are planted with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), and roughly 700,000 horses graze these fescue pastures. This plant is a cool-season plant, so it grows in cooler climates,
According to Reuters Health news, Japanese scientists recently announced that they have sequenced the genome of Clostridium perfringens. The anaerobic (active in the absence of oxygen) pathogen is widely recognized as being a causal
More than 350 veterinarians, farm managers and personnel, and other members of Central Kentucky’s horse industry gathered on Feb. 4 in Lexington to review what is known about the mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) of 2001, and how to monitor
As was stated Feb. 4 in a news story on this web site, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture filed emergency regulations regarding testing procedures for contagious equine metritis (CEM) to be followed when breeding an imported mare i
Due to concerns resulting from last year’s foal losses attributed to Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS), the Kentucky Department of Agriculture today filed emergency regulations regarding procedures that are followed when breeding an importe
Not every mare that is mated during a breeding season becomes pregnant, nor does every mare that conceives carry a foal to term. Failure of conception, early embryonic losses, and abortions are a fact of life in equine reproduction, and problem
The World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA) met in Sorrento, Italy, in conjunction with the October 2001 Italian veterinary association annual meeting. WEVA meets every other year in locations designed to attract veterinarians from countries
The Kester News Hour kicked off the scientific program of the AAEP convention. Named for the late veterinarian General Wayne O. “Sage” Kester, first president of the AAEP, the hour was designed to cover timely topics that were too brief and/or
Breeding is big business. Those who doubt need only look at the results of the 1998 Keeneland November breeding stock sale for verification. Prices for broodmares and weanlings soared–top price for a broodmare, $7 million; for a weanling, $1.5
On Jan. 25 the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center reported 77 equine abortions from Dec. 30, 2001 through Jan. 19, 2002. That number, comparable to the 75 reported over the same period in 2001, could ease fears of
Each year throughout the United States, mares lose their pregnancies due to placentitis or an infection in the placenta. Placentitis causes lesions in the placenta, which provides nourishment from the mare to the fetus. When that nourishment is
What problems should I expect when retiring my mare, a performance horse, to the broodmare paddock for her first foal?
Many think that lactation in the mare is not that important, especially compared to the dairy cow, from which milk is taken directly for human consumption. However, the importance of lactation in the mare must not be underestimated. Indeed, some
The birth of a foal is a wondrous event; if all goes well, it is over quickly as the mare goes through the three stages of labor. The first stage generally involves restlessness as the mare paces the stall, paws, lies down, gets back up, and
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