Veterinary Management of Equine Reproduction: Northern and Southern Hemisphere Breeding Effects

There are several effects that breeding in both the northern and southern hemisphere breeding seasons can have. There have not been many problems, but the risk is spreading infections venereal diseases. contagious equine metritis (CEM) and equine viral arteritis (EVA) are two such diseases. The temperature cooled semen survives at also helps disease organisms live. Stallions may be shuttled from one hemisphere to the other. Many countries are participating. Since the stallion can service over 200 mares or more in a year, the stallion can be very busy. Frozen semen is even more prolific. No longer just moving from New Zealand and Australia, diseases can now be spread worldwide. Since the stallion can perform all year long in this manner, it can be financially very beneficial. There is a lot of drive, and for racehorses, shipping stallions back and forth may provide the live covers needed to fulfill registration requirements. For other breeds where frozen or preserved artificial insemination is used, there can be a huge beneficial outcome financially. Horse bloodlines can now go world wide. High price horses can be bred and put up for stud all over the world. Thoroughbred shuttling is useful due to the race career's breeding and age requirements. High price stallions can make high price progeny, and studs like Arabian studs can also shuttle to have foals worldwide. Shuttle stallions produce more expensive foals. They can even raise sale averages. This can up the price of horses all over the world!  This can be expensive, but has huge financial boons. Horses have to be quarantined and tested regularly. Live foal rates are good. There have been no examples of a shuttle stallion spreading disease. They are usually bred to top mares.