01 January '17
(Too) much insemination? Less is more!
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Veterinary
Zangersheide
In the animal kingdom it is simple, the stallion is assisted by his beloved mare, who indicates when she is optimally receptive. In humanity, it is often guessing and missing and that is not always without consequences. A seasoned breeder and horse man has an eye for his mare. Unfortunately, not everyone has a horse's eye and that is not always without risk. There are breeders who order semen on Monday, and immediately for Wednesday and even Friday. On the assumption that the more semen is inseminated, the greater the chances of fertilisation. Wrong - a totally outdated and not harmless line of thinking. A uterus is indeed designed to receive 'foreign body material'. But, and everyone should realise and know this, the more foreign body material , the greater the chance of rejection. Trop is too much, it is every mare's natural defence mechanism. And often too much foreign matter (read semen) causes a fungal and/or bacterial infection, putting pressure on the mare's fertility.
Unfortunately, there are breeders who inseminate their mare too often per cycle, up to three times. This is not only inefficient, it is also not without risk. And there is certainly no greater chance of conception.
Every person involved must take responsibility here and it is the vet who must provide the necessary and required follow-up. His knowledge and expertise should determine the timing of insemination based on his prediction of ovulation. Then, accurate follow-up is necessary and a second insemination can be done if required. But everything starts with the mare's correct timing and prediction. Conversely, haphazard insemination can be pernicious for fertilisation. Or to put it plastically, it is better to hit the mark once than at random, risking 'collateral damage'.
Too much sperm causes too much risk and offers no greater guarantee of success. As a breeder, therefore, get the assistance of a specialist vet to assess and monitor your mare. That is your greatest chance of success.