WITH every AI cycle, the stallion, mare and veterinarian all have a role to play.

It is very important to ensure you are aware of the fertility of the stallion and the best way to ascertain this is to find out his pregnancy rate.

An experienced vet will always save you time and money in the long run. It is always worth paying a little extra and/or travelling a little further to use a seasoned veterinarian, especially if you are using frozen semen. Lastly, it is then your responsibility to ensure that your mare is in the best health in order to conceive. Here are my top 10 tips for minimising breeding stress:

1. Do a breeding soundness exam for your mare. Ask your veterinarian to carry out a breeding soundness exam before insemination. Bring your mare to your vet as soon as she is in season so that there is ample time to test for and treat any abnormalities that might be present.

2. If your mare is in foal, ensure that she is receiving adequate nutrition. This will not only benefit the foal, but it will also increase your mare’s likelihood of going in foal again easily. Ideally your mare should be at about 3.5 body condition score on a five-point scale.

3. A balanced diet is essential. Your mare not only has to be in good condition, but she must also have all the vitamins and minerals she needs. Forage alone will not provide this and balancer products such as Red Mills Grocare Balancer can be an efficient way of providing all the vitamins and minerals your mare needs.

4. After foaling, have your mare checked and ensure that all of the placenta (afterbirth) is passed. If not, your mare needs to be treated immediately to avoid further problems.

5. Vaccinations: it’s important to maintain a good vaccination status for your mare herd and this will in turn help your foals. Consider flu/tetanus boosters within four weeks of foaling. With barren or maiden mares, ensure they have their vaccines before your begin to inseminate so you can avoid vaccinating around the time of insemination.

6. Worming: as with vaccinations, worming prior to foaling is advantageous for mare and foal. At the time of insemination, avoid treating your mares for worms – it’s best to let them concentrate on one thing at a time.

7. When travelling to and from the stud or veterinary clinic, ensure your mare does not over-heat in the horsebox. Take your time and keep the horsebox as cool as possible.

8. Following insemination, avoid turning your mare out on very lush pasture.

9. Routine is very important for a broodmare, especially at the time of insemination. Try to keep her routine the same and avoid making any changes at this time and do not introduce new horses or mix groups at this time if possible.

10. It is wonderful to scan your mare in foal at 14 days to check for twins but remember there is a long way to go from this point. In reality, the pregnancy remains relatively fragile up to 90 days. Keep a close eye on your mare, especially for any signs of discharge. Avoid sudden changes in routine and/or management. Have your mare scanned for a heartbeat and scanned again at 45 days. If your mare has previously lost a pregnancy, inform your vet so further precautions can be taken. Ensure adequate nutrition of your mare especially in the final trimester.