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To increase the odds that a mare will become pregnant, semen from a chosen stallion must be in good condition and the mare’s uterine environment must not be hostile to sperm viability. Several recent studies have uncovered factors that influence the chance that pregnancy will result from a particular breeding.

  • Mares are sometimes treated with N-acetylcysteine to combat inflammation of the uterine lining. If treated mares are to be bred soon after use of N-acetylcysteine, it is recommended that using N-acetylcysteine at 0.5 to 1% rather than 3% will help to avoid unwanted effects on sperm.
  • For subfertile stallions, sperm taken directly from the testes rather than collected after ejaculation showed better quality after freezing and thawing. Pregnancy rates were also much higher using the frozen-thawed testes-derived semen compared to rates using traditionally collected semen.
  • Semen from some stallions has better viability after cooling than semen from other stallions. Researchers found that when cyclodextrin is added to collected semen to protect it against freezing, pregnancy rates increased for stallions whose semen had showed less activation of sperm after cooling.
  • The addition of omega-3-enriched oil to stallion diets may be a way to improve semen quality by improving cell membrane integrity and functionality during cryopreservation processes. EO-3, an excellent source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, was developed by Kentucky Equine Research as a palatable liquid supplement that can be fed to all classes of horses.

Owners who are considering breeding their mares will usually get the best results by scheduling a reproductive exam for a mare several months before breeding season, choosing a stallion with known fertility, and consulting with a veterinarian to treat any problems that may arise.

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