Equine Reproduction Lighthouse

29/08/2026

💥𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐑 𝐒𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭!🐴 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐰 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐬. 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐨𝐱 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬

Study Design:

• 4 stallions (ages 4–20); 4 semen collections each
• Four cryoprotectant groups tested:
• Glycerol + methylformamide (2% + 1%)
• Ethylene glycol + methylformamide (2.5% + 2.5%)
• Glycerol + methylformamide (2.5% + 2.5%)
• Standard commercial control extender
• Two freezing methods per group: isothermal styrofoam box & automated computer-controlled freezer
• Post-thaw assessment: total motility, progressive motility, rapid s***m percentage, average path velocity, straight-line velocity, & curvilinear velocity

Key Results:

• No significant differences in total motility, progressive motility, rapid s***m percentage, or average path velocity across groups or methods
• Straight-line velocity was lower in the ethylene glycol group using the box versus the control box & glycerol/methylformamide machine groups
• Curvilinear velocity was highest in the standard control box protocol, outperforming all other group/method combinations

Conclusions:

• When the automated freezing machine vs. Styrofoam box are compared, both freezing methods are effective; all cryoprotectant combinations produced acceptable post-thaw motility
• The automated machine offers greater process consistency by eliminating external variables such as nitrogen level & straw quantity
• Individual cryoprotectant combinations may influence velocity parameters even when primary motility metrics remain comparable

(Canuto LEF, Trinque CM, Cavalero TMS, Frasson MA, de Zutter BM, Zanlorenzi Silva LP, Baby MEA, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Alvarenga MA, Papa FO. 2025. Post-thaw semen motility in different cryoprotectants after freezing in a Cryogen® automatic freezer compared to an isothermal box. JEVS 145:105272 - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080624002788)

28/08/2026

New research from CSU Equine Sciences!

Regu-Mate is commonly used in both performance horses and broodmares, but we still have a lot to learn about how reproductive hormones may affect the immune system.

In this CSU Equine Sciences study led by undergraduate researcher Carmen Kapadia, mares receiving Regu-Mate had a lower antibody response following vaccination compared with untreated mares - raising practical questions about when we vaccinate mares that are receiving Regu-Mate, particularly when strong immunity is needed by a specific time.

This could be relevant for performance mares being vaccinated ahead of travel, competition, or increased disease exposure, as well as broodmares receiving vaccines during pregnancy to help provide protection to their foals through colostrum.

Our results don’t suggest that mares on Regu-Mate shouldn’t be vaccinated. Instead, they highlight that timing may matter and that reproductive management and vaccination schedules shouldn’t necessarily be considered independently!

Research like this helps us move toward more informed, practical management of both performance horses and broodmares.

Congrats to Carmen and team, and Go Rams! 🐏

27/08/2026

😳

22/08/2026

“Capacitation is the secret to cIVF in horses.” Rick Beck.

22/08/2026

💥𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐑 𝐒𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭!🐴 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Accurate stallion semen assessment as a fertility predictor need not rely on expensive equipment. This study investigated whether basic light microscopy assessments of s***m motility, membrane integrity, and morphology could reliably distinguish fertile from sub-fertile stallions under field conditions.

Study Design:

• 24 frozen semen batches from 24 Arabian and Straight Egyptian Arabian stallions
• Semen frozen across Europe and the Middle East; used for artificial insemination in Doha, Qatar
• All straws standardized at 100 million s***m cells; thawed at 37°C for 1 minute
• Eosin-Nigrosin stain (Botuvital, Botupharma) used to assess membrane integrity and morphology under light microscopy
• 200 cells evaluated per sample; categorized as major, minor, total, and non-compensatory defects
• Mares inseminated once at ovulation; pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound at 14 days

Key Results:

• Major s***m pathologies, total pathologies, and non-compensatory defects were all significantly associated with pregnancy outcome (p

16/08/2026

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐱𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧

Standard pre-processing semen assessment does not reliably predict quality after chilled storage. Oxidative stress in stallion semen during cooling damages s***m membranes via lipid peroxidation, reducing fertilizing potential. This study investigated whether seminal plasma prostanoids — established lipid peroxidation biomarkers — could predict chilled semen quality in stallions.

We share the summary on our website, courtesy of and with the permission of the International Society for Equine Reproduction.

(Gallacher K, Noschka E, Mihm Carmichael M, Rozek T, Galano JM, Durand T, Oger C, Barnes SA. 2025. Prostanoids as markers of oxidative stress in stallion semen. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 145:105287 - Abstract available on-line at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105287)

16/08/2026

An estimated 70 to 80 percent of foalings occur at night, requiring breeding farms to maintain continuous surveillance during foaling season — a practice researchers say carries substantial labor, economic, and psychological costs.

Researchers in Japan say a combination of thermal imaging and artificial intelligence could eventually lower that burden.

Read more at the link in the comments.

15/08/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧?

Emergencies can happen at any time, but no need to panic! A well-stocked and accessible Vet Kit will help an owner manage most emergencies before a Veterinarian can see your horse!

𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒄!👇

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09/08/2026