Stallion Leg Protection

One way to ruin the breeding season is to have a stallion with sore legs or injuries that cause him to not want to do his job.  With multiple mounts, sore knees can become a problem.  We’ve found a number of excellent products for you to consider if this issue plagues your stallion.  Dr. Sue McDonnell, at the University of Pennsylvania, turned us on to a new product called ReWrap-Pro. Breeder’s Choice also carries a fleece breeding boot product, ideal for collection and protecting your stallion’s legs.

Breeder's Choice Equine Breeding Boots & Leg Protection

The Fleece Breeding Boots are a great and straight forward way to protect your stallion’s legs and knees from damage during semen collection on phantoms. Over 25 inches tall with enough Velcro to fit most stallions, they are a great way to ensure your stallion doesn’t receive skin abrasion injuries during the collection process. They can be placed on the stallion’s legs in a matter of minuets and since they are made with a durable canvas outside and premium fleece lining they will last many a breeding season.  These fleece breeding boots are used by top breeding farms and universities such as Select Breeders Southwest and University of Florida.  You can find additional information on this product at the Breeder’s Choice website.

The second product we found to protect stallion’s legs is the ReWrap-Pro knee protection product, a soft, flexible bandage (think “Ace Bandage”) designed to conform to virtually any location on the stallion’s legs to prevent slipping and protect skin abrasion.  The unique design characteristics of ReWrap-Pro bandages make it possible to bandage the most difficult areas with confidence.  This product is excellent for use beyond simple leg protection, we’ve seen it used as treatment, hock, knee, standing, shipping, and exercise bandages as well!  Most importantly, they can be washed and reused.   We believe these wraps are ideal to use on stallion’s knees as a standalone product,  or in addition to the Fleece Breeding Boots to provide ultimate protection for your stallion. Below is a helpful YouTube video demonstrating the application of ReWrap-Pro made by Dr. Sue McDonnell at the Hofmann Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

For more information on either product, please visit Breeder’s Choice at www.BreedersChoiceOnline.com.

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Happy New Year!

A quick post to wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2012! It was a great 2011, we hope to continue carrying that momentum on this year and provide you with a continued outlet for equine breeding news and information. If you have any current events or breeding topics, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can consider them for this post.

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Lada Gaga’s “Equine” Attire?

We recently got a kick out of this recent posting, thought we’d share the humor with our equine breeding colleagues.

Lada Gaga rocked a “sperm hat” at a recent event. The Equine Breeding Blog wonders if she is a quiet supporter of the Equine Breeding industry? =) You can see her wild attire here.

Check out the full selection of “sperm” products at Breeder’s Choice, your single stop for high quality equine breeding products and a proud vendor at the recent American Association of Equine Practicioners (AAEP).

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Planning Ahead for Breeding Season

Now THIS is a novel concept, but all too often the Breeding Manager (and in many cases that is the same individual as the farm owner) gets caught up in other activities and overlooks a very important step late in the year: Preparation for Breeding Season! It is THAT time of season as we roll quickly into the Thanksgiving holiday season, late November is the time to begin planning for the 2012 breeding season! Whether you’re breeding 1 or 100 mares, a few key steps can be taken now to help save you time and headache this coming season.

America’s Horse Daily had a great blog here on this topic, they provided some fantastic tips to think about to help simplify your efforts over the next few months.

One simple step Breeding Managers can do is to research your favorite stallions now, getting a contract in place, to help ensure you get access to your choice stallion. Talking with the stallion’s owners and handlers is a great way to ensure you have selected a complimentary stud. November is NOT too early to open this dialogue.

The AQHA blog also recommends a late-fall pregnancy check and even the use of lights for your mare should you want your mare to cycle early in the spring. Talk with your vet, they can help you define the best path to a successful spring pregnancy.

What about your lab and breeding shed? Have you ordered your supplies and updated your equipment for next season? All too often, we at Breeder’s Choice get a slew of rush orders from a few customers who overlooked this important step! Updating centrifuges, consumables (what about your extender, like INRA 96?), or even your breeding phantom are important things to be thinking about in the late fall. Lead times, shipping and delivery schedules, and updates need to all be taken into account when making these decision. You can find a wide range of great breeding products at www.BreedersChoiceOnline.com. We’ll be at the AAEP convention in San Antonio next weekend (19-21 November), stop in and we’d love to discuss this with you!

Regardless of where you are in your off-season process, we know you’ll do great this year, just think ahead and have a little forethought to help ease the pain and suffering that we all too often fall into during the breeding season.

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Spring vs. Fall Equine Breeding?

THAT, is the question that many equine breeders around the world face. The dichotomy of the universal horse birthday, January 1, poses this dilemma for those breeders interested in showing their yearlings. However, mares are seasonal breeders and their normal or physiologic breeding season is usually April to October. Mares come into heat in response to the lengthening of daylight that occurs in spring. So how should a Breeder proceed, what information is available to make an informed and educated decision?

The Colorado State University Equine Reproduction Laboratory in Fort Collins, Colorado, performed a study on this very topic and made some recommendations to help breeders define a path forward and make this decision for their mares. A report on this study can be found here.

The answer, although still a bit complicated, is “it depends.” However, major impact on this decision can be supported through controlling the lighting in the stall to help the mare naturally adjust to the summer foaling cycle. In the study, CSU does a fantastic job of prescribing the amount and duration of light to support this practice. Despite the use of these techniques, it still may be a realistic decision for breeders that reside in northern states with severe weather not to breed for foaling early in the year.

Stay tuned to The Equine Breeding Blog for more updates on this topic and other publications and reports from studies similar to this in future blogs!

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Product Review: PAVESafe Equine Flooring

PAVEsafe interlocking rubber pavers and wall tiles, manufactured by ECORE International, have been installed nationwide in prominent breeding stables and race tracks, including: Churchill Downs, Keeneland Racecourse, Belmont Park, Del Mar and Select Breeders SW facilities. PAVESafe’s advanced attributes make them ideal for applications such as parade and saddling areas, barn corridors, service roads, stalls, wash bays, and breeding sheds. PAVESafe tiles offer extreme durability with comfort and resilience, extra shock absorption and protection; particularly in breeding and wash-bay areas, safe footing, including slip-resistance when wet, and helps to control bacteria and dust. The tiles are easy to install and maintain interlocking connections to ensure durability over time.

From our perspective, PAVESafe tiles appear to hold up well to the daily grind in the busiest of breeding sheds and stables. Their non-skid attribute makes them ideal for wet climates and any application near the wash shed. With the recent outbreak of Equine Herpes, you can’t go wrong with tile’s ability to be disinfected. Breeder’s Choice has received numerous positive reviews from customers who have installed PAVESafe pavers in many applications. You can find more information on PAVESafe rubber pavers and tiles at the Breeder’s Choice website, www.BreedersChoiceOnline.com.

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CSU Equine Center Fire

As many of you may heard, the Equine Reproduction Laboratory at Colorado State University was destroyed by a fire a few weeks ago. The following is an excerpt from a letter on the CSU website from Professor Colin Clay, Head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, in the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory at CSU:

“The Equine Reproduction Laboratory at Colorado State University suffered a devastating fire in the early morning hours of July 26. Thankfully, there were no injuries to people or horses. Quick action from the Poudre Valley Fire Authority, the Fort Collins Police Department, and the CSU Police Department contained the fire to a single structure. At this time, there is an active investigation into the cause of the fire, and we are in the process of inventorying biological materials and relocating laboratory personnel to temporary workspaces. The destruction at the laboratory is extensive, and we expect that much if not all of the high-tech equipment is a complete loss. The impact of the fire on this flagship program is profound, but the response from the ERL community is even more impressive.”

Breeder’s choice has personal experience spending significant time in the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory at CSU and was especially sad to hear the news. Mandy Paul, President, studied at CSU for her undergraduate work, she recalls spending time studying for finals and working with the fantastic staff at the facility.

If you’re interested in helping rebuild the facility at Colorado State University, you can learn more information about helping here.

Fire Destroys CSU Equine Center Laboratory

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