The Breeding Shed

Take home Message: The equine breeding shed requires conscientious and experienced horse handlers for smooth operation. The primary objective in the shed is the transfer of stallion semen, either by natural cover or collection, but the importance of safety, for both personnel and horses is sometimes overlooked. Many of the precautions taken to ensure safety with breeding stock not only protects horses and people also contribute to optimizing the quality of the ejaculate and improved biosecurity as well.

I. INTRODUCTION

There are a multitude of factors that affect the quality of a stallion’s ejaculate. Often overlooked, the events that occur in the equine breeding shed can have a profound impact on the ultimate fertility of the semen. One must take into consideration many influences, from the design and location of the breeding shed, to the experience of the horse handlers, to the coordination of semen collections/inseminations, as well as to the biosecurity of the facility. Furthermore, practical steps taken to maximize safety to both personnel and breeding stock can be readily implemented into any shed operation.

II. SAFETY

The importance of safety in the breeding shed cannot be overemphasized and must incorporate, in order of importance, safety of personnel, safety of breeding stock,¹ biosecurity, success of breeding or collection of semen, and resultant quality of the ejaculate. Familiarity with stallion behavior and breeding shed processes are equally important to a smooth operation in the breeding shed. It is essential, as well, to ensure that training for safety in the breeding shed is incorporated into the veterinary school curriculum.²

Working with horses poses an inherent risk of serious injury for even the most experienced horseman. The Equestrian Medical Safety Association (EMSA) analyzes data provided by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance Survey (NEISS) for horse-related injuries seen in hundreds of emergency rooms (ER) across the United States on an annual basis. Results from this analysis in 2007 showed that of 78,279 injuries seen, the most common injuries reported in this study were fractures (28.5%), contusions and abrasions (28.3%) and strain/sprains (14.5%).³ Less common injuries included internal injury (8.1%), lacerations (5.7% ), concussions (4.6%), dislocations (1.9%) and hematomas (1.2 %). The most common sites of injury were the lower trunk (19.6%), head (15.0%), upper trunk (13.4%), shoulder (8.2%), and wrist ( 6.8%). In this study, fatalities comprised less than 0.1% of the injuries seen by ER personnel. Other researchers have reported that the majority of horse-related d eaths are no t performance-related, bu t behavioral in nature² and occur while a person is unmounted.

In this regard, it is estimated that 20-34 % of horse-related injuries are the result of an unmounted accident, as opposed to injuries that occur while horseback riding.^4-6 Although the sites of injury to unmounted patients was similar to mounted patients [lower extremity (34. 7%), upper extremity (2 5.%) and head (20.2%)], the most common injury sites of the unmounted patient were found to be in far greater proportion of total injury sites when compared to those of the mounted patient. The most frequent mechanism of injury to the unmounted patient was a kick or strike by a horse (11.2%), followed by being stepped on (6.1%) and pushed into, jerked or knocked down (3.0%). Other less common circumstances that lead to unmounted injuries include bites, horses spooking, striking an object, catching a body part, being hit by a horse’s head, and being hit by a falling horse.

In 2013, The British Equine Veterinary Association launched a large study that probed the incidence and type of injuries for horse veterinarians by equids. To the author’s knowledge, the results ofthatstudyhad not beenreleasedatt hetimeof publication.

There are many ways on a breeding farm to optimize safety, from the design of the shed to restraint of the mare and stallion^7,8 to the quality of a phantom, to training and attire of personnel.

III. PHYSICAL LAYOUT

The design of a breeding shed should take into account not only its physical layout but also its proximity to the stallion stalls and laboratory. There are many advantages to housing a stallion close to the shed, so that the distance that an excited, less trained stallion travels on his way to the shed is minimized. Housing that is close to the shed may be an advantage as well to a young or inexperienced stallion, or one with low libido, for the stallion is able to at least have the auditory, if not the visual stimuli of the breeding shed.

The size of the breeding shed should allow ample area for movement of personnel, at ease mare, and a stallion. A wash area, ideally outfitted with padded disinfectable walls, should be located within the shed or just adjacent to it. Many successful breeding operations have designed an adequate and safe shed that is no larger than a 12X12 ft stall. Regardless of the size of a breeding area, there should be numerous escape routes for personnel and the tease mare. As well, the entire property should be secured by fencing and gates in the event that any of the breeding horses get loose during breeding or collection.

IV. MARE TEASING

The size of the mare teasing area should be at least as large as a set of stocks plus a full diameter equal to a stallion’s length. A teasing chute is an alternative and can have the advantage of providing a double function as a teasing area for multiple mares and a mare breeding/collection area. A mare can be positioned with her chest against and her head over the front of the chute, while she is secured by a handler. The teasing chute is usually heavily padded to prevent injury to the mare and stallion limbs should they strike or kick. Also, a single stall in the breeding shed can be an advantage because it is used as either a mare teasing area or the stall can house a stallion that perhaps requires mares to approach him for arousal.

A teasing mare may also be restrained by a handler and positioned beside a phantom. There must be adequate space not only for positioning of the mare’s body, but for exiting the breeding shed rapidly should the need arise.

V. PHANTOM

The phantom should be located in close proximity to the teasing area, ideally within a few steps forward, backwards or to the side. Th is system works well for training stallions to the phantom as well as for easily managed stallions that are habituated to the collection protocol.

Variability of the phantom in both height and angle effectively accommodates different sizes of stallions. Ideally, the outer phantom cover should be durable, nonabrasive, disinfectable and provide adequate traction for the front legs of the stallion. Leather phantom covers are durable and provide traction but cannot be disinfected adequately. Wrapping the mounting/collection end of the phantom in plastic wrap between stallions will minimize the possibility of venereal transmission of organisms. A durable, slightly roughened, material called herculon/herculite^R is an often recommended material for a phantom cover because it is less expensive than leather and, as opposed to leather, it can be repeatedly scrubbed with detergent and rinsed with alcohol between stallion collections without destruction. A washable, faux fur phantom cover can be placed over the phantom for collection of the occasional stallion that suffers abrasion of the medial carpi while gripping the phantom during collection. The faux fur should be washed with detergent between stallions.

Some managers prefer a cut-away mounting end of the phantom to better secure the artificial vagina (AV) during collection. This system works well unless collecting a stallion that has a penile deviation to the opposite side. Phantoms are also available with removable artificial vaginas that fit in to the mounting end. Although advantageous in that a single person can both handle and collect a stallion that has been trained to such a device, this type of phantom may prove unsafe for amateur stallions that move rapidly around the rear end of the phantom while mounted. Stallions have been injured by these phantoms with a built-in AV either from catching a foot in the latched opening for the AV or lacerating the penis when it is inadvertently thrust between the AV and the metal interior of the phantom.

VI. FOOTING

The most important considerations in choosing the flooring are cost, resistance to slipping, particle dust and biosecurity. Gravel, sand, compacted dirt and hog fuel are examples of inexpensive materials that are not slippery. However, particles are readily kicked up as the stallion moves, often leaving traces of particulate matter on the penis, which in turn can lacerate the penis and make the stallion reluctant to breed.

None of the materials discussed above confer adequate biosecurity, because they cannot be disinfected. The use of rubber mats, rubber bricks, or sprayed composite flooring has the advantage of permitting good disinfection. However, traction is sometimes compromised and they are expensive materials. As an alternative, the placement of a woven coconut or plastic grass mat at the mounting of the phantom can provide good traction but cannot be disinfected easily.

Lastly, adequate drainage must be considered in designing a breeding shed. Whether washing the phantom, equipment, the perineal area of a mare or the stallion’s penis, the water that collects on the ground may make the flooring slippery or form puddles that can splash debris on the stallion’s penis. Furthermore, adequate drainage is also important for biosecurity measures since standing water can harbor microorganisms. [...]