In Practice 26: 140-145 (2004)
© 2004 British Veterinary Association

Artificial insemination in mares

¹ BEVA artificial insemination subcommittee

THE role of artificial insemination in equine breeding programmes has grown dramatically over the past 10 years, particularly for sports horses. Many of the early problems of artificial insemination have now been resolved and the reputation of the technique among breeders has improved. The procedure is now widely accepted by most studbooks. This article describes the insemination process and discusses how it may be used to optimise conception rates. It also outlines the health precautions which must be taken in any artificial insemination programme to limit the spread of venereal diseases in horses.