Artificial insemination in mares

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Artificial insemination in mares, without a doubt a subject that can be controversial for many.

Every horse lover must have heard at least once about this procedure.

And it is gaining more and more space. Do you agree with the insemination or do you prefer natural riding?

In this issue we will address this issue and soon we will talk about its advantages and disadvantages.

Artificial insemination

Artificial insemination in mares is the process of fertilization through the introduction, by clinical means, of the semen extracted from a horse in a certain mare.

This system has been of great help in various domestic species, especially in cattle, where it has allowed great genetic progress in both milk and meat production.

In recent years it has been perfected and simplified for use on horses and, thus, many races have adopted it all over the world.

Technique

The place where the semen is naturally deposited is in the anterior portion of the cervix.

Most most sperm end in the uterine horns.

During the technique of artificial insemination in mares, the semen can be deposited in the body of the uterus (Transcervical AI) or in the tip of a uterine horn (Deep AI).

Material used:

Insemination pipette (deep or transcervical)
Sterile syringe
Sterile gel
All equipment must be maintained at 37 ºC

Insemination pipette

Preparation of the mare

Before inseminating the mare, the tail should be bandaged and kept away from the perineal area.

Subsequently the entire perineal region; that is, anus, vulva and buttocks should be washed with soap and water 3 times, then dried with paper towels.

The semen

The semen used to inseminate the mare should be in a non-spermicidal syringe and protected (by the operator’s non-sterile hand) from adverse environmental conditions such as ultraviolet rays or extremely cold or hot environmental temperature.

Veterinarian

The veterinarian who executes the procedure must be considered:

Use a sterile palpation glove
The insemination pipette should be held with the index finger and the palm of the hand to ensure that the tip of the pipette is protected by a sterile environment.
You must have a sterile lubricant on the back of your hand covered with the sterile glove and the pipette.

Transcervical

For artificial insemination in mares there are two techniques: the transcervical and the deep.

The transcervical is the most common and is performed by inserting the gloved hand through the vulva lips through the vestibule and vagina.

The angle should be 45º so that the tip of the pipette can enter the cervix.

Once the fingers have located the cervix, the index finger is used to guide the tip of the pipette into the cervix.

The pipette is then inserted approximately 1 cm into the uterus.

The syringe with the semen is then connected to the exposed tip of the pipette and the plunger of the syringe is pressed slowly depositing the semen into the uterus.

Deep

In this type of insemination the pipette must be flexible and 65 cm long.

Once it is placed in the uterine body, the exposed tip of the pipette is held with the opposite hand externally. With the hand with which it was introduced, a rectal palpation will be performed.

Deep Insemination Technique

Tell us what do you think? Do you agree with artificial insemination or natural crossing?