Effect of insemination time of frozen semen on incidence of uterine fluid in mares

Abstract

Ninety five mares were inseminated with frozen semen either within 12 h before ovulation or within 8 h after ovulation. The effect of preovulatory versus postovulatory insemination (AI) on the subsequent detection of uterine fluid was studied. The overall pregnancy rate was 43% and this was not significantly influenced by preovulatory or postovulatory insemination. When mares were first examined 12 h after AI, 18 of 52 mares (35%) had accumulated uterine fluid. However, when mares were first examined 18 to 24 h after AI, only 6 of 43 mares (14%) had uterine fluid. Presence of intrauterine fluid significantly lowered pregnancy rates. Timing of insemination did not affect incidence of uterine fluid. Serum concentrations of estrogen and progesterone at time of insemination did not influence uterine clearance or pregnancy rates, but both hormones were higher at preovulatory than at postovulatory inseminations. We concluded that there was no evidence that postovulatory inseminations would predispose mares to persistence of uterine fluid after AI.