Insemination of horses: methods and their benefits, pregnancy and childbirth, care

Horse owners should know the types and features of mating, the criteria for the correct selection of animals. Otherwise, there is a risk of dilution of the purebred breed, a decrease in livestock. The main stage of mating is insemination, which in horses is carried out by three natural methods and artificially. The task of the owner is to choose a convenient method of reproduction, during the process to control the behavior of animals, then observe the course of pregnancy.

How do horses reproduce in the wild?

Natural conditions - the regulator of the number of individuals in the wild herd.Animals mate in spring and until mid-summer. There is a male and up to 12 mares in the herd, of which one is the main one - alpha. It is the alpha female that the stallion prefers during the breeding season. The role of the male is to protect and cover the females. He is ready to mate all year round, often covering mares without estrus, but in this case, pregnancy does not occur. Copulation can occur multiple times, making it more likely to be fertilized.

Natural uncontrolled reproduction has both pluses and minuses. Positive aspects of the process:

• natural;
• insemination during ovulation;
• a mare is only interested in a strong and he althy stallion, which has a positive effect on the gene pool;
• offspring from birth adapt to living conditions;
• one stallion can impregnate several mares.

Disadvantages of the natural process:

• an inexperienced stallion may pull away from a mare during ejaculation, preventing fertilization;
• high probability of inbreeding;
• virtually no way to keep purebred.

Which is better: free mating or controlled?

On horse farms, the process of insemination is controlled by a person, since it is in his interests to maintain pure breed, increase livestock, and improve breed qualities.

Controlled mating has several advantages over natural mating:

1. The probability of successful insemination is 95%.
2. There is an opportunity to save and restore the breed.
3. The stud horse can be kept separately from the herd.
4. There is an opportunity to improve the quality of the breed.

A young stallion can impregnate 20-25 mares, a mature horse twice as many.

Selection of horses for mating

The owner should pay attention to the he alth of individuals, character, behavioral characteristics, pedigree. It is much more important to choose the best stallion, since the foal takes most of the hereditary characteristics from him, and the characteristics of the mare are less important.

Principle of selecting horses for insemination:

1. Individuals should be approximately the same height or coverage will become problematic.
2. The stallion must be he althy, strong, without physical and behavioral defects.
3. Both individuals must conform to breed standards in appearance and behavior.
4. The optimal age of a mare for insemination is 3 years. You should not let a horse that is too young for mating; due to the immaturity of the reproductive system, weak and unviable offspring can be born in it.Old mares should not happen either, they have a high probability of developing tumor and cystic formations of the reproductive organs.
5. To maintain thoroughbreds, horses of the same breed are selected.

How do you know if a mare is in heat?

When estrus begins, the behavior of the mare changes. Her:

• raises tail;
• bows head;
• spreads hind legs a little;
• squeals softly.

Stallion's girlfriend becomes interesting. He sniffs her, pinches her neck with his teeth. The main sign of estrus is the discharge of a yellowish mucous mass from the vagina. There is excessive urination. The vulva swells, its mucous membranes are exposed due to muscle contraction. Mature horses become nervous, irritated, spinning around stallions.Young females, on the other hand, become quiet and confused.

When the stallion comes up from behind, the mare stands up as if she is going to poop. Emits a small amount of urine, signaling readiness to mate. Copulation lasts 12-20 seconds.

Hunting lasts 2-3 days. After a successful insemination, the mare will no longer allow a stallion to her.

Methods of mating horses

Insemination of horses naturally under human control is carried out in three ways:

1. The manual method is the most used. Optimal when keeping horses in stalls. Insemination is completed successfully in 95% of cases. The stallion and the mare are introduced in a small paddock, they are given time to sniff. The horseshoes are removed from the mare, the vulva is washed and the tail is raised. To prevent the stallion from getting injured, a random harness is used.
2. The cooking method is the best option if horses are kept in herds. The horse is allowed into a herd of 3-7 mares, located in a paddock. The stallion hunts mares, insemination takes place.
3. Mowing is another herd method of insemination carried out during the mating season. Horses are divided into shoals - groups of one male and 25 females. Insemination is completed successfully in 100% of cases.

Artificial insemination of mares

In large stud farms, artificial insemination is often used. The selection of horses is standard.

Method benefits:

• high insemination efficiency (one dose of semen is enough to inseminate 20 females);
• possibility to use a sperm bank from the best manufacturers;
• no chance of infection and injury to horses;
• impossibility of exhaustion of the sire.

First, semen is taken from a stud horse. Previously, the stallion is checked for he alth, take the necessary tests.The semen is transported in a freezer box. The introduction of seminal fluid into the vagina of the mare is carried out by a veterinarian-inseminator. In order for the insemination to proceed safely, the horse's legs most often have to be fixed with a special machine.

Pregnancy and birth of a horse

Mares carry the fetus for 340 days (plus or minus 2 weeks), which is about 11 months. Obvious signs of pregnancy are noted in the later stages. The owner of a horse can tell that she is pregnant by the following signs:

• increased or weak appetite;
• horse lethargy;
• udder enlargement;
• ignoring the stallion;
• the desire to retire;
• densification of the abdomen, palpable laterally on palpation.

At a later date, when listening to the abdomen, you can clearly hear the fetal heart beating. To identify a horse's pregnancy at an early stage, it is better for the owner to contact a veterinarian. He uses the following methods:

• rectal or anal examination (successful insemination is fixed by a change in uterine tone);
• Ultrasound (allows you to detect pregnancy already on the 10th day after insemination);
• blood and urine test for hormones;
• vaginal smear analysis.

A pregnant horse can become more aggressive, so all procedures must be carried out carefully and calmly. The birth process lasts about 30 minutes. If there are no complications, then the help of a veterinarian is not needed. A horse in labor is restless, usually lying on the bed, but may also give birth in a standing position. You don’t need to disturb her with your attention, just stand at a distance to control the process.

A foal is born head first. It happens that the fetus turns forward with its hind legs. Then you need veterinary help. After about 10 minutes, the horse that has given birth rises.This breaks the umbilical cord. If the horse gave birth standing up, then the umbilical cord breaks when the foal falls to the ground. If the umbilical cord does not break, then it must be cut off with sterile scissors, tied with a thread.

Postpartum care

After giving birth, the mare and foal must be carefully looked after. In order for the horse to regain strength, she needs a half-hour rest. During this time, the owner must wash the parts of the body soiled during childbirth: hind legs, udder, butt, tail. Dirty bedding should also be changed.

Immediately after giving birth, the mare will lick the foal, feed him, then only rise to her feet. About an hour after the birth, the afterbirth comes out. It will be disposed of immediately. The raised mare is fed and watered. Vaginal discharge in a horse that has given birth lasts about a week, so you will need to change the litter daily.

If 2 hours have passed after the birth, and the placenta has not come out, then you need to immediately call the veterinarian.

The born foal is wiped with a clean towel. Listen to the breath, it should be calm and even. When the mare helps the cub up, you need to carefully look to see if he is lame.

After 2 hours the foal is already drinking mother's milk. If the sucking reflex does not appear, then you will have to express mare's milk, let the cub drink from a bottle. The foal's meconium should pass 2-3 hours after birth. If this does not happen, you need to provoke a bowel movement by inserting a finger into the anus or giving the baby a large spoonful of castor oil to drink. A newborn foal must not be separated from its mother.

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