The establishment and loss of twins, often results in a mare that is barren for a year and the associated economic loss.  The incidence of twin births has been documented as occurring in 1-2% of the equine population with twinning accounting for 6-30% of abortions in the mare. When twins are present, gestation proceeds normally until the conceptuses begin to compete for uterine space or placenta.  With or without mummification, death of one fetus leads to abortion, usually between 5 and 9 months of gestation. Lactation commonly occurs after one foal dies and causes premature mammary gland development.  Surviving foals are usually weaker, more susceptible to infection, and slower to develop than singletons. Fortunately, with the use of ultrasound and an increased understanding of the mechanisms involved in twinning, better approaches to twin reduction have been developed.

When considering common causes of infertility in the mare, the oviduct is one of the last places an equine reproductive specialist looks. Uterine infections, poor conformation and stallion subfertility are much more likely causes for a mare’s failure to produce a pregnancy. That being said, there are rare cases where oviduct pathology is suspected, and in the past few years there have been advances for oviductal treatment that are cost effective, safe and have restored fertility in some patients. This summary will highlight some unique features of the mare oviduct, discuss when to suspect oviductal pathology or dysfunction, and review some of the current treatments available.

The 2021 SBS Foal Photo Contest has some exciting changes taking place this year! We have widely expanded the field of what foals are eligible and increased the prize to a $100.00 Amazon gift card.  As of this year the following foal photos are eligible for entry.

View a list of Quarter Horse, Paint Horse and Appaloosa frozen semen currently in storage and ready for distribution at our European and Australian SBS Affiliate Laboratories. This semen was frozen using SBS protocols and conforms to our strict quality control standards.