We discuss reproduction tips for senior mares in this video with equine reproduction specialist Dr. Maria Schnobrich. Since 2012, Schnobrich has worked as a theriogenologist at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital with a primary focus on problem mares and stallions. She practices ambulatory reproduction and advanced reproductive techniques. She has been involved in several research projects collaborating with colleagues locally and nationally. Schnobrich’s interests include diagnostic methods for the problem mare, enhancing reproductive success in the mare and stallion, and evaluating field data to assess practices that enhance reproductive efficiency.
(Editor’s note: The content of this video is the expert’s approach to the topic. Please consult with your practitioner if you have questions.)
Considerations for Breeding Older Mares
The first reproduction tips that Schnobrich offers clients who want to breed older mares is that reproduction is a luxury. That means the mare must be in a good state of nutrition and health before you start into the reproduction part of management.
Schnobrich said as horses get older, they have a higher propensity to have inflammaging (chronic, low-grade inflammation that is part of the aging process). That can have a negative effect on reproductive efficiency.
She recommends having your veterinarian evaluate your mare. This will include testing for metabolic disease such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID or Cushing’s disease) and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). “This can establish a baseline from which we can build on her reproductive health,” explained Schnobrich.
Breeding Soundness Exam
Having a veterinarian conduct a breeding soundness exam is the next step. “This will let you know how viable it is to proceed with different breeding programs,” she said.
Options might include having the mare carry her own foal or possibly use a recipient mare for gestation.
“If she has significant pathology, you might need to consider other options such as transvaginal oocyte aspiration and ICSI,” Schnobrich added. (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a reproductive technology that involves harvesting an egg then injecting a single sperm into an egg.)
Sometimes a 15-year-old or older mare is able to carry a pregnancy to term with no problem. This can be determined during the breeding soundness exam. That will entail a rectal palpation of the mare’s reproductive system, ultrasound examination, cultures, and cytology. A biopsy also might be performed if the veterinarian deems that necessary.
Reproduction Options
Senescence of reproduction is a normal age-related decline in the ability of the mare to reproduce. “The ability of the mare to carry the pregnancy is probably the first thing that goes,” noted Schnobrich.
If for some reason the mare cannot carry the pregnancy, the next step would be embryo transfer, she said. That involves breeding the mare, then flushing the embryo out of the uterus and putting it in a recipient mare.
If the mare can’t be bred and conceive on her own, there are still options to get a foal. Schnobrich said oocyte aspiration can be done. That oocyte then is fertilized in the lab and implanted in a recipient mare.
“This procedure has been used very successfully in mares up to 24 years of age that might not even develop a dominant follicle for breeding,” said Schnobrich.
Final Words
Just because your mare is considered an ‘aged’ mare, there are many reproduction options that are available to you,” she stressed. “It’s important to understand what is going to be the best fit for your mare and the most efficient.”
If you are thinking of breeding your older mare, speak to a reproductive specialist or your veterinarian to find out what’s available
Further Content
- Second Careers for Broodmares Video. Dr. Rachel Doenges. MySeniorHorse.com
- Breeding Maiden Senior Mares Video. Dr. Karen Wolfsdorf. MySeniorHorse.com
- Mare Reproductive System Diagram. MySeniorHorse.com
- Old Mares: Oils and Nutrients Can Help Oocyte Metabolism. Kimberly S. Brown. MySeniorHorse.com
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Kimberly S. Brown is an award-winning writer and publisher. She is the Editorial Director for My Senior Horse. Brown spent 10 years at Equine Network, parent company of My Senior Horse. Prior to that she worked for three years in equine nutrition after she retired from nearly 30 years working at The Blood-Horse. Brown spent the last 15 years of her time at that organization creating and developing The Horse and TheHorse.com.View all posts