There is a significant
need for specialized fertility drugs in the horse breeding industry. Pregnancy
rate in mares is only 60% - 80%. Many mares do not get pregnant because of old
age, stress, health problems, poor management, hormonal imbalance, nutritional
imbalance, reproductive diseases, and poor uterine
environment. |
| |
| Mares ovulate on
the average one oocyte (egg) per cycle - decreasing the chances that
fertilization will take place. Additionally, a mares's ovaries shut down during
the winter or non-breeding season decreasing the window of time she can get
pregnant. The uterine environment of mares is also often unhealthily due to
bacterial invasion causing mares to abort. |
  |
Embryo transfer (ET) is a
widely utilized assisted reproductive technique for mares to obtain the
following: a) foals from show mares in competition, b) multiple foals from the
same mare in a single year, c) foals from mares with non-reproductive health or
musculoskeletal problems and d) foals from mares with reproductive problems.
Factors that have limited the success of ET are the narrow window of time for
breeding (estrus vs. anestrus) and the ability to superovulate the
mare. |
