How many times does a horse have sex?

How common are twins in Quarter Horses?

Twins are more common in Thoroughbreds (25 to 35 percent of all conceptions). They are uncommon in Quarter horses (five to 10 percent). All horses should be examined for twins with transrectal ultrasound. This author prefers to check mares on Day 15 or 16 since the twin should be 14 or 15 days old.

What happened to the mare that gave birth to twins?

The mare delivered one stillborn and one weak foal at 10 months gestation that eventually died. The mare had retained fetal membranes, a common side effect of twin pregnancies, Vera said, which led to her developing laminitis. “But thanks to close monitoring and rapid intervention, the mare fully recovered,” she said.

Do Equine twins exhibit catch-up growth?

Equine twins exhibit catch-up growth throughout this 21-month period. Catch-up growth is clear when comparing the twins’ body weights and ADGs to the predicted growth curves for horses with expected mature weights of 300 to 600 kg.

How to manage twin pregnancy in horses?

Management of Twin Pregnancy 1. Breed all mares regardless of the number of preovulatory follicles. Withholding mares with preovulatory follicles from breeding does not decrease the incidence of twin pregnancy, but it decreases the overall pregnancy rate and results in a loss of breeding time.

Is there a catch-up growth curve for horses?

Catch-up growth is clear when comparing the twins’ body weights and ADGs to the predicted growth curves for horses with expected mature weights of 300 to 600 kg.

How common are twin pregnancies in horses?

Within a group of 130 mares which, in the event, carried twin pregnancies, 29 (22.3 per cent) produced their twins following diagnosis of a single palpable follicle at service and a single pregnancy 42 days later. The whole group of 130 twin-pregnant mares gave birth to only 17 live foals (13 per ce …

Are there any credible growth curves for Thoroughbreds?

Despite many studies on Thoroughbred growth, there are very few credible reference curves available for breeders to use when monitoring the growth of their horses, and most published growth curves are in a form that is neither accessible nor practical for breeders to take advantage of.

Does withholding mares with preovulatory follicles prevent twins?

Withholding mares with preovulatory follicles from breeding does not decrease the incidence of twin pregnancy, but it decreases the overall pregnancy rate and results in a loss of breeding time. 2. Check all mares for twins, regardless of the number of detected ovulations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

How do mares get pregnant?

Usually, mares produce one ovum from a ripened follicle every 21 days or so throughout their breeding season. If the ovum is fertilized by a stallion’s sperm, the mare becomes pregnant. Some mares produce two follicles and release two ova during a cycle, and if both are fertilized, a twin pregnancy results.

Can you breed a mare with twins?

Twinning in mares is undesirable, and it is managed by (1) breeding all mares, regardless of the number of preovulatory follicles; (2) checking all mares for twins, regardless of the number of detected ovulations; and (3) correcting twins by doing nothing, manual embryo reduction, or aborting the pregnancy.

What is a reference curve in horses?

Reference curves from horses raised in the same environment under similar conditions are more appropriate for breeders wanting to track the growth of their young stock rather than using a general “Thoroughbred” curve.

Do Thoroughbreds grow bigger in different countries?

Although all Thoroughbreds share a fairly narrow genetic base, geography has a significant influence on growth patterns in young Thoroughbreds. In general, Australian and New Zealand Thoroughbreds tend to be larger than American Thoroughbreds, which in turn are larger than those reared in England.

How much hormone to give a horse to get pregnant?

Oral progestone is given at a dosage of .044mg/kg body weight or approximately 1 ml per 110 pounds of body weight. Another hormone that has been used with some success in breeding management is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). HCG aids in stimulating ovulation in mares. It is most often given at the same time the mare is bred.

What are the risks of having twins in a horse?

1. Twin pregnancies result in high rates of abortion, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality. 2. Twins develop subsequent to multiple ovulations. Multiple ovulations are related to breed, parity, and mare history. Multiple ovulations are most frequently seen in Thoroughbred and Draft mares.

Is there an adequate growth curve for foals?

For the mentioned breeds, the adequate growth curve has already been described aiming to controlling foal development.

What kind of horse is reference point?

Reference Point was a dark-coated bay horse bred by his owner, Louis Freedman, at his Cliveden Stud in Berkshire, England. He was sired by Mill Reef the 1971 Epsom Derby winner who went on to be Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1978 and 1987.

Why do you have reference intervals for animal results?

Because results are analyzer-, method- and reagent- dependent, these intervals are only valid for results from our laboratory. We have reference intervals for hematology and chemistry for dogs, cats, horses, cattle, goats and alpacas.

What is the best growth curve model for a horse?

The Brody function was selected as the best model for fitting the growth curve of BW, BL and WL in females and all horses. Although, the Brody model was the best model for fitting the growth curve of HG in females and all horses, but Logistic function was the best function for fitting the growth curve for this trait in male horses.

What is a normal CSF count for a horse?

The resulting clinical reference values obtained were discussed in light of the published normal values for CSF from horses, other animals, and man. White cell counts in CSF were found to be from 0 to 6/microliters. Values for protein content were distributed between wider limits than previously reported values.

What is the curve of Spee in a horse?

The Curve of Spee is well known, yet hardly understood in the horse, as there is a striking lack of biometrically related data which could help to explain its biomechanical significance. Older horses display drastic alterations of the Curve of Spee in routine clinical examinations.

Why does my horse walk with a curved back?

The spine already “fixed” in a curved position, and the attaching muscles are unable to contract properly to round or elevate the back. Thus it is difficult to engage the hindquarters or round the back by elevating loin muscles. Vertebrae often have reduced motion so the horse takes shorter steps behind.

What is estrogen and progesterone in horses?

Estrogen brings the mare into heat and prepares her reproductive tract for breeding, while progesterone keeps her out of heat. In the non-pregnant mare, interaction of estrogen and progesterone are the main factors that determine her behavior, personality, and pain threshold.

How common is it for a horse to double-ovulate?

Some mares including those of Quarter Horse breeding apparently double-ovulate only rarely, while the phenomenon is far more common in other horses such as Thoroughbreds and some Warmblood breeds.

Is it dangerous for a horse to have twins?

When it comes to building your nest egg, you have more options than you may think. Originally Answered: Why is it dangerous for horses to have twins? The horse placenta is by surface area; it is not sharable like the placenta of animals that have litters, where each pup has a connection to the placenta.

What happens if a foal is born with twins?

With twins, the risk of a malpresentation is high. If both enter the birth canal at the same time, neither can be born. If the foal is dead or is too weak to move, and thus is not in the correct position, it cannot be born. In many cases a malpresentation can be corrected through manipulation, but not always.

What factors affect the size and weight of the newborn foal?

The size and weight of the newborn foal is influenced by the nutrition of the pregnant mare. Horses fed for rapid body and skeletal growth may develop bone abnormalities or be more prone to lameness conditions.