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Getting the Mare in Foal

Procedures to Optimise Fertility After Covering

1 lessons

Duration:

1 hour

A newborn foal lying in a bed of straw with its mare.

Intermediate

Brought to you by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) the Getting the Mare in Foal Programme is a comprehensive online educational series designed specifically for the thoroughbred breeding industry. 

Exclusive to TB-Ed, this industry-leading programme provides learners with a fundamental understanding of equine reproduction, from the basic anatomy through to understanding fertility optimisation strategies. 

Procedures to Optimise Fertility after Covering focuses on the critical days following service when intervention can make the difference between conception success and failure. 

This fourth course in the programme explores post-covering examinations to detect infection, confirm ovulation and assess vulval competence.  

You'll understand the narrow treatment window - from five hours post-covering to three-four days after ovulation - when uterine flushes and oxytocin can help mares clear infection before the conceptus arrives.  

Learn why cross-covers can reduce fertility, when Caslick's operations improve conception rates and why secondary follicles risk multiple pregnancies.

Explore the progression of early pregnancy scans from 14 to 63 days, understand twin detection and reduction techniques and discover how hormone treatments can return mares to cycling after early pregnancy loss for re-covering. 

 

Getting the Mare in Foal

Procedures to Optimise Fertility Before Covering

1 lessons

Duration:

1.5 hours

A newborn foal lying in a bed of straw with its mare.

Intermediate

Brought to you by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) the Getting the Mare in Foal Programme is a comprehensive online educational series designed specifically for the thoroughbred breeding industry. 

Exclusive to TB-Ed, this industry-leading programme provides learners with a fundamental understanding of equine reproduction, from the basic anatomy through to understanding fertility optimisation strategies. 

Procedures to Optimise Fertility Before Covering is the third course in the programme and will equip you with the knowledge to maximise conception rates through preparation and timing.  

This course explores how extended daylight, nutrition and targeted examinations can support setting mares up for breeding success. You'll understand the critical pre-season screening protocols in the HBLB Codes of Practice, including swabs for venereal diseases and blood tests.  

Learn how teasing can improve mare readiness and the importance of pre-service procedures including endometrial swabs, ultrasound scanning, with real-life footage of a video endoscopy of a uterus. Also discover how vets advise on when to cover by monitoring follicle development. Understand when hormone treatments like progesterone, GnRH and prostaglandin are appropriate and learn about conditions like fluid, cysts and poor uterine tone that require intervention before covering. 

Written by and featuring subject matter experts with downloadable resources, you'll optimise your breeding decisions for maximum fertility success. 

Getting the Mare in Foal

The Oestrous Cycle

1 lessons

Duration:

45 minutes

A mare gently nudges her newborn foal.

Foundation

Brought to you by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) the Getting the Mare in Foal Programme is a comprehensive online educational series designed specifically for the thoroughbred breeding industry. 

Exclusive to TB-Ed, this industry-leading programme provides learners with a fundamental understanding of equine reproduction, from the basic anatomy through to understanding fertility optimisation strategies. 

This second course, The Oestrous Cycle, reveals nature's remarkable system for achieving efficient equine reproduction. The course explores the oestrous cycle and how hormones orchestrate it to synchronising foaling with optimal spring conditions.  

You'll understand the three main phases - anoestrus, dioestrus and oestrus - and discover how daylight triggers the complex hormonal cascade involving melatonin, GnRH, FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone.  

Learn how conception occurs, track follicle development to ovulation and understand the unique mechanisms that maintain pregnancy. Grasp why foal heat timing matters for breeding programmes and when hormone supplementation might be appropriate.  

With expert veterinary insights and downloadable resources, you'll optimise your breeding decisions for maximum fertility success. 

Getting the Mare in Foal

The Reproductive Tract

1 lessons

Duration:

30 minutes

A mare gently nudges her newborn foal.

Foundation

Brought to you by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) the Getting the Mare in Foal Programme is a comprehensive online educational series designed specifically for the thoroughbred breeding industry.

Exclusive to TB-Ed, this industry-leading programme provides learners with a fundamental understanding of equine reproduction, from the basic anatomy through to understanding fertility optimisation strategies.

The Reproductive Tract is your essential first step in understanding thoroughbred fertility. This foundational short course explores the key organs involved in equine conception and pregnancy, from the ovaries that store a mare's lifetime supply of eggs, through to the natural protective barriers within the mare's reproductive tract.

You'll discover how external factors like daylight trigger the reproductive cycle, understand where conception occurs and learn why the uterus's condition is critical to fertility outcomes.

Written by subject matter experts and using video animation, you'll gain the anatomical knowledge needed to understand the main organs in the reproductive tract and work effectively with your veterinary team.