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Dr. Glenn Blodgett is the horse division manager at the 6666 Ranch, a member of the SBS Affiliate Laboratory Network and the current president of the American Quarter Horse Association. In recent years, Dr. Blodgett has implemented the use of chemical ejaculation with one of the stallions in his care. In this article, he will share with us in what situations chemical ejaculation might be useful, recent research performed using the procedure, how he uses it in his breeding program and the success rate of his attempts.

In our previous article, My Stallion is Not Settling His Mares…What Do I Do?, we discussed possible causes for the decline in a stallion’s fertility and areas of reproductive management one can investigate further to determine if the infertility can be suitably managed or resolved. One tool a stallion owner/manager can use to better understand the reproductive status of their stallion is to have a breeding soundness exam (BSE) performed. In this article, Dr. Ed Squires outlines the components of a routine BSE which include: physical exam, reproductive history, testes palpation and/or ultrasound, semen evaluation, cultures and an assessment of his sexual behavior. A BSE provides valuable information on how to manage the stud and gives an indication of the number of mares he could breed.

How a stallion owner/manager responds to and handles mare owner concerns regarding semen quality or fertility can make or break a relationship or reputation. This article aims to give stallion owners an overview of the factors involved and provide a systematic guide to troubleshooting a resolution if possible. In Part 1 of this article, published in last month’s newsletter, we discussed the stallion’s breeding history, the importance of a breeding soundness exam (BSE), and stallion management practices as well as semen quality and evaluation. This month in Part 2, we will review common problems identified after the semen evaluation, the relevance of the mare book and their reproductive status and discuss the topic as it relates to those stallions breeding with frozen semen.

It is around this time of year that we receive calls for advice from anxious stallion owners concerned about a lower than anticipated conception rate for their stallion, in the hopes of finding some resolution and correcting any potential issues before the end of the breeding season. Time is running out to fulfill those breeding contracts and get those mares pregnant. There are so many variables that contribute to successful conception and pregnancy, from both the mare and the stallion side of things. From the stallion owners perspective they are looking to address the stallion’s semen quality, breeding management and reproductive status. But where to start? This article will give stallion owners an overview and provide a systematic guide to troubleshooting a resolution if possible. How a stallion owner/manager responds to and handles mare owner concerns regarding semen quality or fertility can make or break a relationship or reputation.

Age-related testicular degeneration is a common problem in older stallions. This type of testicular degeneration is different than the degeneration that can be seen after, for example, an injury to the testes in a younger stallion. Following testicular trauma, many stallions are able to fully recover. However, age-related testicular degeneration results in progressive deterioration of the testes and an associated progressive decline in testicular function. Over time, affected stallions become progressively more subfertile and eventually may become sterile in association with decreases in semen quality, sperm numbers and testicular size. There is no proven treatment for age related testicular degeneration, although many therapies have been tried.  In this article, Dr. Regina Turner of the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the causes of age-related testicular degeneration, current research and how one can manage the breeding career of an aged stallion until a treatment or cure is found.

Breeding horses has come a long ways in the last 50 years. Veterinarians have been able to overcome many of the obstacles presented when breeding horses with advancements in artificial insemination and embryo transfer. However, there are still times when infertility of either the mare, stallion or both prevent getting foals on the ground. The most recent advances in assisted reproductive technologies, Ovum Pickup and Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), have allowed us at Weatherford Equine Breeding Center (WEBC) to take the next step in overcoming these obstacles with some promising results.