VETERINARY surgeon Karen Wolfsdorf from Kentucky outlined how she assesses and works with mares in relation to reproduction. She began by detailing the factors she considers when she first looks at each mare.

Firstly, she looks at the age and parity of the mare, older mares and mares in poor condition tend to have decreased pregnancy rates and increased rates of embryo loss. Wolfsdorf goes on to examine the mare’s reproductive organs, seeing if there are any abnormalities and finding out the reproductive history of the mare. Two other factors which she considers are the time of year and the type of semen being used.