Last month, we looked at promising research into the use of niacin to improve pregnancy rates in older mares, and this month we turn our attention to keeping mares pregnant – and what happens when a mare loses her pregnancy. By understanding the reasons that may cause a mare to abort, we can move towards improving the nation’s foal crop at the source.
AgriFutures Australia’s Thoroughbred Program has been undertaking a multi-stage project, The pathology and epidemiology of equine pregnancy loss, to enhance the industry’s knowledge of what causes abortion, and as they enter the next phase, they expand the project’s reach to encompass the breeding industry in Queensland.
Understanding the risk
Despite a steadily declining number of Thoroughbred mares covered in the last two decades, the percentage of live foals born…