AN INSIGHT INTO BREEDING

BREEDING PREPARATION

Approximately two months before the start of the breeding season, stallions are evaluated physically. Movement, body condition, muscle wastage, temperament and back problems are checked daily and treated accordingly.

Several bacteria can be transmitted by sexual contact and a detailed veterinary examination is required to be carried out prior to the season, including examination of the urethra, penis and prepuce, and palpation of the scrotum and testes. Bacteriological swabbing of the prepuce, penis and external urethra is carried out to ensure that the stallion is not a carrier of a transferable disease to his mares, namely contagious equine metritis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and klebsiella pneumoniae.

In order to do this one generally requires a mare from which to tease the stallion and previous work put in to control and discipline the stallion usually pays off.

In the immediate weeks prior to the commencement of the breeding season, stallions are test mated using a test mare which has no ovaries and is brought into oestrous, with Estrumate, to enable her to be covered. This serves two purposes for the stallion, firstly cleansing the testis and epididymis of older non fresh sperm and secondly to examine the nature of the ejaculate. This includes colour, which should be yellowish in nature and in certain cases sperm motility is also examined. Abnormalities may include the presence of blood in the sample indicative of haemospermia.

Heartbreak Hill prepares for France

World Equestrian Games qualifier and Vuma hero, Heartbreak Hill (Harry) is almost half-way through his quarantine at the station in Kenilworth. Being kept fit and well with daily exercise, he is certainly looking very well.

A WALK DOWN ERNIE'S YARD

The best part of being involved in horse nutrition is seeing our clients succeed. From start to finish it is always a thrill to see horses doing well and looking their best.

It is also a privilege to go through a yard and get to know the horses. This is especially exciting in the racing yards when the horses started their lives at Summerhill and we know their history intimately.

Last week I went through the Turffontein yard of Ernie Anderson and as always, was inspired by just how hands-on he is as a trainer. From feeding all 50 horses to checking each one individually, as well as supervising all their work, he is personally involved with every aspect of his yard.

Greig Muir's views of Managing Stallions

For many owners, reproduction is a straightforward procedure which begins with breeding ones broodmare and ends with parturition or foaling, the aim of which is to produce a superior equine athlete. In many cases the stallion is the forgotten part of the breeding equation, despite being responsible for half of the probability outcome of each breeding.

Stallions are the focal point of any breeding programme and have earned their “colours” as sires strictly because of five traits established before entering a breeding career, namely racing ability, pedigree, conformation, reproductive soundness and constitution.

The start of 2010 saw not only a close on the previous Breeding Season but the opening of another, which welcomes further equine athletes into the stallion fold to join other “working” stallions, all of whom are introduced to a new programme literally straight away in preparation for the start of another breeding season a few months later.

There are a number of things which may impact on the conception and an important tool for breeders is an assessment of the stallion (or mares) reproductive history and physical well being. With the commencement of a new breeding season, a stallion must have the ability to physically achieve a successful pregnancy rate when bred to a reasonable amount of fertile mares. Sadly, it is not always that simple, for there are several things that can occur that may complicate a pregnancy, resulting in fatal loss or no conception, which may be as a result of a poor performing stallion (or mare). It is therefore essential that your stallion is in good health and at peak fitness.

Winners of the 116th Argentine Open, 12 December 2009

In an exciting encounter between the two highest rated teams in the Open, the older experience of La Dolfina saw them just beating the younger Ellerstina by one goal in extra time.

Who will be at the Argentine Open Polo Championship 2009 ?

Saturday 14th November marked the start of the 116th Argentine Open Polo Championship: the Abierto Argentino de Polo, or also known as just “El Abierto.”

The tournament culminates in the final on 5 December and is held every year at the Campo Argentino Campo in Palermo, Buenos Aires. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious events in the international polo calendar and brings together the best of the best in players and horses from around the world.

Apart from the polo itself the horses are an inspiration. The Argentines have created an industry around their polo ponies, and breeding via embryo transfer means that a player can potentially play a favourite mare and her two daughters in the same season. They have developed a stud book, selectively breeding the Argentine Polo Pony, a carefully chosen combination of the Criollo and the best English Thoroughbreds, continually refined and improved upon. At each Open Tournament the horses are as much a feature as the players and a separate programme is issued, which lists each player’s horses with their pedigrees.

Ready to Run towards the Summer Cup?

Well the dust has settled and the 2009 draft of Ready to Run horses have been sold and are on their way to their new lives. Some are heading back to Summerhill to take it easy for a while longer before they get down to the real business of racing.

The sale on 8 November exceeded expectations by achieving a growth of 9.5% overall and the top lots sold were 2 Galileo fillies sold for R2.1 Million and R1 Million respectively by Summerhill.