Disease Du Jour: Equine Reproduction

In episode 69 of the Disease Du Jour podcast, Bryant Craig, DVM, talks about getting ready for next year’s foaling and breeding seasons. 

Craig is a Senior Equine Professional Services Veterinarian with Merck Animal Health. He cared for some of Quarter Horse racing’s top horses during his veterinary career. Prior to joining Merck Animal Health, Dr. Craig owned and operated a private equine veterinary practice for six years in central Oklahoma before joining a top Quarter Horse ranch as resident veterinarian in 2005. While there, Dr. Craig oversaw an average of 1,000 breedings per year, including 400 embryo transfers, foaling out 300 mares and caring for some of the Quarter Horse racing industry’s premier stallions, including an all-time leading living sire. In addition to the ranch’s reproductive services, Dr. Craig also oversaw the health, fitness and nutrition program for the ranch’s sales horse operation.

EquiManagement’s Disease Du Jour podcast is focused on equine research and current best practices. Disease Du Jour is brought to you in 2021 by Merck Animal Health.

In this podcast we talk about tips for

• getting maiden mares ready for the breeding season
• foaling mares
• embryo transfer
• stallion management
• ISCI and new technologies in equine reproduction

Craig said this late fall/early winter for reproduction veterinarians means wrapping up sales, trying to get histories on new mares and new stallions that have joined the farm’s herd, and getting maiden mares ready.

He noted that good histories (when available), good physical exams and having the horses on the right nutrition plain for the upcoming foaling/breeding season is critical to the next year’s success. He added that a lameness exam is important for mares and stallions to help determine whether that animal needs special attention for the demands to come.

He also reminded that exercise (when appropriate) is important to the physical and mental health of stallions, whether they are doing live cover or shipped semen.

EquiManagement’s Disease Du Jour
podcast is focused on equine research
and current best practices. Disease Du Jour
is brought to you in 2021 by Merck Animal Health.