Conditions Essential for Effective Horse Breeding

Horse breeding has continued to be an important aspect of life. This is mainly attributed to the unmistakable importance of horses. They can operate as beasts of burden, pets or animals for sporting activities. There are several other reasons that make horses important and thus worth breeding using the best methods possible. History has shown that horse breeding has been around for many years.

However, little use of artificial methods has been recorded although some sources suggest that horse breeding involving the use of artificial insemination dates back to as far as the 14th century. Horse breeders relied on the horse’s natural birth cycle.

But, this is not the fastest way to breed horses. This is mainly because it does not lead to a significant rise in the population of horses. Based on the importance of horses, the rate at which the horses reproduce using natural methods is not enough. Thus the need to incorporate artificial methods cannot be overstated. In the light of this, a good number of artificial horse breeding methods have been introduced over the years. Generally, horse breeding now refers to the reproduction of horses by means of human methods. It may also refer to the alteration of the natural horse breeding methods for purposes of accelerating the rate of reproduction.

The one thing worth bearing in mind

Before you can proceed to learn more about the various horse breeding methods that are available today and the conditions necessary for effective horse breeding, it is more than pertinent to take into account the one thing that is worth bearing in mind. This is the fact that horses do not often give rise to many foals even if they are well fed. Twin foals are rare and may only be observed after a couple of gestation periods in a mare’s life. This is the important truth worth bearing in mind.

It is on this basis that many breeding techniques have been developed. Each of the breeding techniques that have been developed is for purposes of increasing the rate at which horses reproduce.

This is the main basis for any horse breeding technique. Fortunately, there are many breeding techniques that are available today. But, the success of the artificial breeding methods depends on a number of factors. Some of the most notable conditions that may have an impact on the success of most artificial breeding techniques are indicated in the passage.

The state of the semen

This is often important in methods such as artificial insemination and related techniques. It becomes especially necessary when inserting semen into the reproductive tract of a mare. Semen may be inserted while it is frozen or simply cooled down. The latter is preferred since it has a longer lifespan in the reproductive tract of the mare than the frozen type. But, the frozen type leads to more remarkable results if it is inserted into the tract shortly after ovulation. Therefore, experts often advise individuals using the method to try by all means to determine whether ovulation has taken place or not. Otherwise, the method may not turn out to be a success.

Follicle development

The reproductive tract of a mare may or may not be ready for follicle development. Close examination of the mare should be carried out as many as 4 times a day to make sure it is ready for the development of the follicle following insemination. This can be achieved through the use of a number of techniques. It is important to use the best techniques that are available today owing to the importance of this aspect of reproduction. The use of the ultrasound technique is often the best way to determine whether the mare’s reproductive tract is ready for follicle development or not. Any related method may be used provided it produces the same remarkable results as the ultrasound method.

Ovulation cycle

Ovulation is an important aspect of the reproduction cycle in all animals. The production of ovum for purposes of fertilization is what completes any modern reproduction technique. Therefore, it is always important to make sure ovulation has occurred prior to carrying out any artificial reproduction technique.

The general health of the mare; the general well being of the mare is vital since it will have an impact on its capacity to carry the embryo. It may also affect how well the embryo will develop in the days leading up to deliver.