Abstract
Breeding management of mares in late reproductive age considering improvement of welfare. A review
Highlights
Mares retain the ability to produce offspring for a relatively long period of time
Late embryonic death occurrence is estimated at 5–24% in young mares, whereas in old mares the percentage is much higher (Ball, 1988; Meyers et al, 1991)
The clinical signs of Equine Cushing Disease (ECD) include excessive hair growth, loosing hair, polyuria, polydipsia, diaphoresis (McCue, 2002) as well as reproductive disorders manifesting in disrupted heat behaviour and decreased fertility (Dybdal et al, 1994)
Summary
Mares retain the ability to produce offspring for a relatively long period of time. The average horse lifespan is 25–30 years and it is estimated that mare can give birth to a healthy foal till the age of 20 years, or even later. Fertility in older mares decreases significantly every year and so the possibility of obtaining offspring is an individual feature (Scoggin, 2015). When comparing two mares with different reproductive statuses at the same age (over 15 years old) it is estimated that mare which foaled in the previous breeding season will have a greater chance to get pregnant than mare with fertilization or gestation problems. Breeding management of older mares is difficult and requires investment of time, money, and a lot of effort (Byszewski and Gromnicka, 1994)
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