BASED on the Kildare-Wicklow border, Susan Salter of SES Equine Veterinary Services runs a veterinary practice providing a full range of first opinion ambulatory services as well as a specialised equine reproduction and stud medicine service to include cutting-edge techniques such as Ovum Pick Up (OPU).
With the support of a dedicated team of vets (Basia, Eimear and Nick with vet nurse Lilly), the practice covers all aspects of reproduction for both thoroughbred and sport horse clients. The team also services Sue’s own stud farm Ballinatone House Stud, where client animals come in on livery to be put in foal. A graduate of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, Sue has travelled to Qatar to work alongside equine reproductive specialists at Al Shaqab. She has also worked on top stud farms such as Woodside Park in Australia and Highclere in the UK with veterinarians at the forefront of reproduction, such as James Crabtree.
Sue has published many articles over the years including a collaborative review article with Jonathan Pycock which featured in the Irish Veterinary Journal comparing the efficacy of different ovulation drugs. The practice is now running an internship programme to train a junior veterinarian each season in the ever specialised field of reproduction. The team at SES Equine Vets takes pride in staying up to date with the latest techniques and continually applying the most current knowledge to ensure a progressive approach to clients’ breeding programme and the care of young stock.
Susan is aware that all her clients are different when it comes to their breeding objectives.
“It’s my job to apply contextualised veterinary care; focusing on the individual needs of the client in light of the potential value of progeny (monetary or other) in order to get the best results within a realistic frame,” she says.
This phrase ‘contextualised care’ has been adopted by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to describe a movement away from the terminology ‘gold standard’ and towards a more realistic animal-client-reality focused approach to veterinary care.
“Clients are more informed and aware of new breeding practices” she adds. “It is my job to educate and guide them on what might be best for them and their animal. The cost that you invest into breeding warrants a return, and that return is usually either financial or emotional”.
She insists on fully informing clients of all the pros and cons associated with different techniques so as to establish informed consent.
Options
“Breeders tend to have a stallion or a selection of stallions chosen to match to their mare. Depending on the stallion’s location and competition schedule, there’s a range of artificial breeding options available.
“Breeders now have access to the top stallions in competition and in other countries since breeding techniques have advanced significantly. There’s a wider selection of options available for breeders to consider, such as the Zangersheide stallions standing in Castlefield Sport Horses this season. There are talented stallions ready to breed this season that are already competing, like one set to be a superstar - Huricane de Chamloue ridden by Harry Allen.” This stallion will be available via chilled AI and via frozen AI when competing.
“Chilled semen has been collected, extended and chilled, ready to travel to the mare who is inseminated within circa 24 hours of collection. This means semen can be collected in Ireland or abroad and couriered to the mare. Frozen semen has been processed and stored in liquid nitrogen, and can be shipped and used at any time, independent of the stallion’s competition status. It can even be used after the stallion has passed away.”
Sue advocates for the use of frozen semen and finds that her team get excellent results. “It has an unusually bad reputation here in Ireland, but when handled and timed correctly, frozen AI can be a great option and can get great results.”
Embryo transfer
“For mares in competition whose careers have no time for an 11-month gestation, embryo transfer and OPU / ICSI are sound options to consider,” she continues.
“Fresh embryo transfer involves flushing a fresh embryo from a donor and transferring into a synchronised recipient. The recipients can be provided by the client. Ronan Rothwell of Boleybawn Sports horses has a large herd of recipients and offers the service of providing an already synchronised recipient to clients looking to transfer embryos.”
Sue adds that it is important for breeders to avail of the grants Horse Sport Ireland offer for embryo transfer.
Equine OPU and in vitro embryo production have become extremely popular in mainland Europe.
“This is a good option, particularly in mares that do not produce embryos via the regular flush technique,” Sue says. “It is a once-off, walk-in procedure that can be performed off-season and at any stage of the mare’s cycle. Ovum pick-up (OPU) is the procedure by which oocytes (eggs) are collected using a transvaginal, ultrasound-guided technique. Following collection, the oocytes are transferred to a laboratory setting in the UK where ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is performed. Embryo development then takes place, and the embryos are subsequently frozen by vitrification, shipped back to Ireland, and later transferred into carefully selected recipient mares at a precisely timed stage.
“We have been performing this technique at the practice. There have been concerns previously regarding the rate of complications associated with this technique. However, it is actually associated with a lesser complication rate when compared to in-field castration. It requires a specialised, experienced team. We are getting great results for our clients. We are doing it correctly with the animal’s welfare at the forefront.”
In summary, Sue says that it is imperative that clients understand the pros and cons associated with every available option. There is still a place for traditional options such as live cover. However, with the advent of artificial breeding techniques as listed above, breeders certainly continue to have more options.