hmmmm question on heat and sperm??

[appyday]

So I bred Star Tuesday and Thursday...both over 100 degrees...he is stalled in the day with fans on him and out at night..think this heat will effect the breeding??? I just bred them today at 2 as I work tonight..

[Cindy]

I have never had a problem with the heat and breeding. We have bred several mares this very hot summer and they are settling just fine.

[appyday]

Thanks...I do hose them both afterward..he does not get stressed or seem to be hurting from it..he comes out..does his job and gets hosed and in 2 min he is back in his stall..I dont see any stress because of it...

[cowboy ed]

yes, this hot weather could very likely affect the success of breeding. its not impossible of course, but the heat is definitely a factor.

[appyday]

I thought with 115 heat index.....

[Carol Nelson]

Agree with ed....what you may notice more, though, is that your mares may stop cycling...although down here in 100 degree plus heat index most the summer...my mares (bless their hearts... :twisted:) just keep cycling and cycling...every 18 days!

Nothing's worse than a breeding farm that isn't breeding but the mares don't know it... :lol:

[appyday]

well Star got an Estramate shot last week and I do not want to "waste it"

[Cindy]

Oh, I have a lso had semen shipped from Florida a couple times in the last month for two different mares. No problem with the semen and it is even hotter down there. And the mares have cycled fine.

[LynnG]

Well I'm not breeding during this extreme heat; nor did I last year when we had 3 weeks of 90+ tempsheat index 100+ in July. I'm not breeding for any July foals either. I could see the stress of this heat on my new 2+ week filly. I'll pick back up in September. I have one mare who is not showing outward signs of heat, though ultrasound did show she had a large follicle. Mares can shut down in temp extremes. Research has shown that mares bred within 20 days of extreme stress (heat) can abort.

Just say mine are on summer vacation, but they aren't chillin' at the beach, rather in the shade as much as they can! We have 110 heat index at this time at 5:30pm.

[Carol Nelson]

Do you breed much in the fall, Lynn??? I never have before, but if this drought lets up and we get some fall rains...I might just try it.

(we're kind of hoping Chris pushes some much needed moisture this way).

[LynnG]

No, I don't usually...but this year I am. I have newer (older) mares in that I want to be in foal that I haven't got a foal from yet. They were late transitioning in the spring, and then I have had 2 mares reabsorb after confirming in foal...one twice. So I am bypassing the stressful heat of summer weather. Other mares I will get some testing done this month before breeding in September...

Heck the horses are covered with sweat at 9am in this HOT weather, except the senior and he can experience anhydrosis in this type of heatwave.

[appyday]

I did not plan this either she just has not caught..I wont breed after this cycle either..

[Blair]

Just curious, as I am still learning, with the mares that have been confirmed and then resorbed - are you doing two ultrasounds and at what timeframes?? My mare was confirmed at day 25 and we have not done any further exams (the vets said it probably wasn't necessary). She should be in her 4th month now (95 days or so I think). She is maiden too. Would you guys have done another US or manual exam? We don't have any stallions around to tease but I have not seen any signs of a cycle either.

From you experience, when would I see any physical signs? My books aren't that clear about when you start seeing the increasing fullness of the flank region, etc.

Thanks!!!

[Abejita]

Blair I always go by the "would you breed her again? " rule..basically if you check a mare Pg at 18 or so days and all looks well you decide that if she would come up empty within "X" number of days ..would you be re-breeding her? So if you say "yes if she is empty I will rebreed",- you check at 30, 45,60,90 etc until you hit that time where you are not going to rebreed.By 60 you should be able to check with a palp,probably even 45 if your vet is good. Another good thing to do is a 'fall check' so if she is empty and you are one to put a horse under lights to get them to start cycling early you will know she need that.Plus you wont be spending your money on PBK shots at months 5,7,9..
I personally will check through day 60 even if I am not rebreeding..after that the chance of a mare reabsorbing/aborting for 'usual' reasons goes way down.If she is stressed or injured etc at any point in the pregnancy later I will probably recheck to make sure everything is ok
You are not going to see physical signs at 90 days.Maidens esp may not look preg until the last few months...

[Terry Wallace]

Blair...you don't really see any outward signs until around the 7th month.
I would definitely do another U/S between 90 & 120 days....just to be sure the mare is still in foal....if it is important that she foal next year.
Once they make it past 120 days..they are usually fine and "stay" pregnant.

[LynnG]

Earlier in the season, I didn't do early ultrasounds until around day 24...they would come back in heat. Then I did early ultrasounds around day 15-18. So if pregnancy was confirmed then, and sometimes the mare would also be forming a follicle while showing an early pregnancy...and then come into heat within a day or two. One mare confirmed in at 18 days US that didn't show back in heat I had rechecked US at 38 days, and still is pregnant. I have one mare that's not showing in heat this summer, but isn't. Ultrasound tells the true story.