EQUINE PRODUCTION

• KINGDOM: ANIMALIA

  PHYLUM: CHORDATA

  CLASS: MAMMALIA

  ORDER: PERISSODACTYLA

  FAMILY: EQUIDAE

  GENUS: EQUUS


  TAXONOMY OF HORSE
• Domesticated horse, long neck, long head, short tail but long coarse of hairs

  Equus caballus
• only true wild horse today, stocky short, pot-bellied, spiny mane, striped legs

  Equus ferus przewalskii
• formerly known as equus burchelli, wide vertical stripes and long horizontal stripes on the rump

  Equus quagga
• sleek coat, white belly, narrow stripes than e. quagga with dewlap and gridiron pattern on the rump

  Equus zebra
• most-horse like zebra, largest type with erect mane, long narrow head making it appear rather mule with narrow vertical stripes and huge ears

  Equus grevyi
• aka Onagers, Kiang. short-legged compared to horses and their coloring varies on season

  Equus hemionus
• sometimes referred as e. africanus with long ears in proportion to their size, back is straighter due to lack of withers

  Equus asinus
• Breeding Season

  April to September (Long day breeder) Northern Hemisphere
• Estrous Cycle

  21 (19 – 23) days
• Duration of Estrus (Heat)

  2 – 8 days
• Best time to breed

  Last few days of estrus; just prior to ovulation; should be bred at 2-day intervals
• Length of gestation

  335 – 342 days
• First estrus after Parturition / "foal heat"

  4 – 14 days (ave: 9 – 11 days)
• Ovulation


  1 day before to 1 day after end of heat
• Signs of Estrus (sexual receptivity)

  • Interest in and acceptance of the stallion
  • Contraction and relaxation of external genitalia – "winking"
  • Legs spread apart and flexed pelvis
  • Frequent urination
  • Allows stallion to mount and copulate
• Signs of diestrus (nonreceptive phase)

  • Squeals, kicks, bites
  • Rejects stallion's attempt to sniff or mount
• Sperm cells

  Live 24 – 30 hrs. in the female reproductive tract
• Ovum


  Viable for 4 – 6 hrs. after ovulation
• Conception: breeding must take place within 24 hrs. before ovulation as mares only stay in heat from 4-7 days
• Breed mare daily or every other day, starting on the third day
• Artificial Insemination - AI

  Straw contains 500 million sperm cells in 5-20 ml semen stored in Nitrogen tank at -196 ℃
• Covering - act of mating in horses


  4 hours - required for sufficient sperm to ascend from the uterus into the oviduct to establish pregnancy at a normal rate
• Breeding Seasonfor thoroughbred

  • Northern hemisphere: Feb 15 to July 15
  • Southern hemisphere: Aug 12 to Jan 15
• Breeding Operations

  • Hand breeding
  • Natural Cover/Live Cover
  • Pasture Breeding
  • Artificial Insemination
• Systems of breeding

  • purebreeding
  • outcrossing
• Tests for Pregnancy Diagnosis

  • Manual (per rectal) examination
  • Mare immunoglobulin Pregnancy (MIP) Test
  • Progesterone assay
  • Ultrasonography
• Health programs during pregnancy

  • parasite control
  • vaccinations
• Core Vaccinations

  • Tetanus
  • West Nile Virus
  • Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis
  • Rabies
• Signs of Approaching Parturition

  • Udder enlargement – 2 to 4 weeks before foaling
  • Marked shrinkage of the muscles of the croup area ("shrinking of the croup")
  • Isolation/segregation
  • "Waxing of the teats"
  • Restlessness
  • Sweating
  • Frequent urination
  • Rupture of the water bag
• Stages of Delivery

  • Stage 1: 1-4 hrs.
  • Stage 2: 5-30 mins.
  • Stage 3: 1-3 hrs.
• 80% of delivery is during night time at 10pm to 4am
• the following are signs of which stage of parturition

  STAGE 1

  • Abdominal pain and restlessness lasting 1-2 hrs.
  • Patches of sweat usually appear on neck, flank, & behind elbows
  • Uterus is contracting to direct foal through the cervix into the birth canal
  • Mares mare roll which is thought to assist in the rotation of the fetus
  • Rupture of fetal membranes ("water breaking") marks the end of the first stage of delivery
• the following are signs of which stage of parturition?

  STAGE 2

  • Starts when fetal membranes rupture and ends with the delivery of foal.
  • If significant process is not made within 10-15 mins. Call your vet.
  • Uncomplicated labor usually takes no more than 30 mins.
  • If delivery takes more than 30 mins. Call a vet immediately.
• the following are signs of which stage of parturition?

  STAGE 3

  • Expulsion of the afterbirth (fetal membranes)
  • If fetal membranes have not been passed 3 hrs after delivery, administration of oxytocin at 15- to 30-minute intervals until completely expelled.
• Immediate Foal Care

  • Check respiration
  • Stimulate respiration
• Foal Nursing

  • Foal stands and exhibits strong suckle reflex 20-30 mins after birth
  • Help up and guide to mare's udder if not up and nursing 2 hrs. after delivery
• Foal Defecation

  • Meconium is passed within 4-12 hrs.
  • Give enema if meconium is not passed or if constipation is present.
• Foal Diarrhea


  • Common problem during foal heat of mare (treated if with persistent diarrhea, otherwise no treatment is necessary)
  • Excessive consumption of milk: Reduce feed consumption of mare, or Muzzle the foal for a few hours
• A newborn foal's IgG levels should be above 800 mg/Dl