06/02/2020
Genetic traceability has been hotly debated for as long as we have selectively bred sport horses - breeding is constructing deliberate matings (with the exception of the old 'Capitol 1' stories of mares frolicking in the wrong paddocks) so genetic traceability is a fundamental component. Now that we have extracted both sire and dam from being directly involved in many matings with the use of AI, ET and ICSI, semen traceability IS one of the most fundamental issues in breeding and therefore in the entire equine industry. So, it is nice to see this forum happening.
BUT
This is a clear representation of stallion owners fearing the economic losses of modern reproductive technologies being used to produce more offspring from less semen (much of which they sold a decade ago, without terms and conditions) and how they can cooperate with studbooks to protect their economic interests.
I recognise these as legitimate concerns but, if as is suggested in the introductory remarks, 'fraudulent' breeders only represent the 1%, what about the 99% of breeders, that these Studbooks actually represent, and that keep these stallion owners and the industry alive?
Breeders have been 'in the dark' about traceability of semen for years. From a breeders perspective, concerns about traceability have a different angle - breeders forums have repeatedly highlighted concerns about the quality of semen (poorly collected or stored), fraud in the semen distribution chain and not least, the actual origin of the semen at times being questioned - which undermines our entire activity (this includes concerns about semen from stallion clones sold as originating from the original parent - something that cannot be detected by genotyping).
How will the breeder's traceability concerns be addressed?
We, as breeders put a lot of faith in the system - purchasing a straw of semen that practically speaking, is often inseminated 'in the field' without the ability to perform microbiology, examine its motility, let alone genotype and verify the origin of the sample. If we fail, we try again, and that means we buy again!
When I pay a thousand euros, with no guarantee, for a straw of semen, and go to great lengths to optimise all of the variables that I can control at insemination, I expect semen of the highest quality, collected and frozen under the best conditions, not least from the Stallion it is advertised as coming from.
Breeders too deserve more traceability from stallion owners, in the same way that they are exercising their rights to demand stricter traceability of what happens to that straw when it leaves their stud.
As breeders we have the consumer advantage to demand traceability and quality in the products we buy and should exercise this.
As breeders we have also a responsibility to play our part - to adhere to breeding contracts, to embrace stricter controls and regulations from studbooks or veterinary bodies in order to pass on traceable offspring to the riders and investors who purchase our offspring.
Where was the breeders representation?
I register my offspring with Zangersheide, perhaps the most progressive studbook when it comes to supporting breeders.
Zangersheide are also Stallion owners, and large-scale commercial breeders. Where was Zangersheide at the World Breeding Forum? Pioneers in the world of breeding, and also some of the first to pursue cloning stallions, these are the sorts of responsibilities that come with establishing a Studbook and distributing semen and solutions to these problems are the sort of things that will set stallion owners apart in the future.
We have been using frozen semen since the 90's. We have had stallion clones for over a decade. It's about time we addressed these issues.
With advances in ICSI and more stallions being cloned, what work is being done towards traceability?
We need to keep this conversation open, we need to see some action from the biggest stakeholders and more importantly we need to involve the smallest and largest breeders alike and use this opportunity to address their concerns.
GFE Groupefranceelevage VDLGroep Zangersheide Team Nijhof World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses
The importance of this topic arose as a result of the evolution of semen trade and use in recent years, following advances in reproductive techniques. There ...
