CVS provides fertility evaluations and reproductive management at your farm or our clinic facility.

Mare Fertility or Breeding Soundness Exam

This exam is to evaluate the mare’s reproductive tract. The fee of $300.00 includes the following services:

	Physical exam
	Rectal palpation
	Ultrasound exam
	Speculum exam
	Uterine culture
	Uterine biopsy
	Vaginal exam

The fee does not include: Uterine infusions (price may vary)

Rectal Palpation

Prior to breeding with shipped semen, it is important to know where your mare is in her cycle. Dr. Winter performs rectal palpations and confirms his results with an ultrasound exam.

He uses a scale from (1 to 5) according to the size of the follicle and feels the uterine and cervical tone. For many years, he has been successful in determining when the mare will ovulate. With his experience, clients trust him to track their mare’s cycle and provide them with advice on how to get their mare in foal. Thirty days post breeding; Dr. Winter performs a rectal palpation to determine if the mare has maintained her pregnancy.

Artificial Insemination (AI)

Using artificial insemination has made it easier to breed to the stud of your choice. However more management is involved in AI than in live cover. For the greatest chance of pregnancy the mare must be bred as close to ovulation as possible. Success with transported semen depends on careful reproductive management of your mare. Once you receive the semen, it needs to be placed in your mare shortly after arrival. Remember, cooled semen only has a shelf life of 24-48 hours. Often times, you will receive two doses of semen and Dr. Winter will determine the optimum time to inseminate your mare.

Artificial insemination is a sterile procedure to make sure no contaminates are introduced to the uterus which may interfere with the pregnancy. This procedure is done carefully to ensure all the semen is placed directly into the uterus. Dr. Winter can also palpate your mare at the time of insemination to determine how close she is to ovulation. If your mare is having difficulty ovulating on her own, Dr. Winter can give a hormone injection called HCG to help her ovulate sooner. Breeding with shipped semen has been scientifically studied to ensure accuracy but keep in mind that Mother Nature makes the ultimate decision.

Ultrasound

Digital Ultrasound captures high resolution images by passing sound waves through tissues to produce a picture. Because of this advanced image technology, the ultrasound images can be manipulated to provide greater detail and alternative views. It also allows us to show images that are crystal clear. Dr. Winter uses the digital ultrasound often for his reproductive work. He is able to:

	Pregnancy check mares
	Detect multiple embryos @ 16 days which allows him to perform a twin reduction
	View ovaries and measure developing follicles.
	View the uterus to look for cysts or fluid retention.
	Measuring total uterine placental thickness
	Saved images and videos can be downloaded to a CD, USB drive or emailed for consultation
	Print a photograph of an embryo or any image viewed.

Twin Reduction

It is important to do a pregnancy check via ultrasound at fifteen days for the purpose of twin reduction. Sometimes mares will ovulate two eggs and both will become fertilized. Mares can not carry a twin pregnancy without severe complications or loosing both babies. It is possible with ultrasound to see the embryos and “pinch” one off. This allows the other embryo to stay viable and continue to grow and develop. During this procedure Dr. Winter rectally palpates the uterus and uses the ultrasound to visualize the two pregnancies and finds one to pinch. After this he administers an injection of banamine which has been shown to help the uterus not over react and allow the other embryo to stay viable. Dr. Winter is experienced at performing this procedure and has been very successful in the past.

Thoroughbreds are most susceptible to “twinning” and quarter horses that originally came from thoroughbreds also can have this problem. It is important to check all horses regardless of history, age or breed. It can happen to any horse and both babies can be lost if this procedure isn’t done.

Uterine Cultures and Infusions

Before breeding, a culture should be taken to ensure your mare is not infected and ready to carry a foal. When Dr. Winter takes a culture it is a sterile procedure. He goes in the vagina passing a sterile swab through the cervix and takes a sample off the uterine wall. The sample is then taken to the CVS lab and transferred to an Agar plate. It is then warmed overnight in an incubator to allow any bacteria present, to grow. If a growth occurs, a sensitivity is done to determine which antibiotic should be used to kill the bacteria. If clean, the mare is ready for breeding. If “dirty”, Dr. Winter prefers to do a set of three uterine infusions every other day with the determined antibiotic. Infusions are performed with using a sterile procedure and an appropriate amount of fluid with the proper antibiotic is instilled directly into the uterus. Once the treatment is complete another culture is needed to make sure the uterus is free from infection.

CVS provides these services:

	Pre-breeding culture
	Antibiotic Sensitivity
	Uterine Infusion
	Post breeding Infusion - an infusion 1-2 days post ovulation helps some mares conceive and also reduces the risk of infection from semen that may cause a mare to lose a pregnancy.