Q - I will be breeding my mare using cooled semen. Is there anything I can do to increase her chances of becoming pregnant on the first try?

Morris Animal Foundation’s $2 Million Research Investment Offers Hope for Horse Lovers - After decades in the making, a vaccine against deadly foal pneumonia might finally be within reach, thanks to Morris Animal Foundation-funded research conducted at two major universities. The breakthrough could potentially save the lives of thousands of foals every year.

Researchers at the University of Guelph are searching for clues to better manage a virus that can cause late gestation abortion in mares. Horses carrying equine herpesvirus (EHV) may exhibit signs as minor as a runny nose and mild fever, but the virus is a major cause of neurological, respiratory, and reproductive disease, including abortions, in the equine industry.

Colostrum - you know it as the mare’s first milk. It is a complex fluid, rich in nutrients and immune-regulating compounds, all designed to give the newborn foal the immune support he needs to thrive. Unlike humans who are born with an initial level of immunity, newborn horses do not benefit from any placental transfer of immunoglobulins; therefore, they must consume colostrum in the first few hours of life in order to survive.