Equine 1 Flashcards
when do horses cycle?
from spring to fall so they don’t give birth in the winter (long day breeders)
how long is the estrus cycle in the mare?
21 days
how long is diestrus in the mare?
14 days (fixed duration)
in the mare, does ovulation occur before or after estrus behavior?
1-2 days BEFORE estrus behavior
when are most horses bred?
April or May
what is “transition”? why should I care?
period of time when ovaries transition between estrus and anestrus. During transition periods you can’t breed the horse so this can delay breeding, and the behavior of mares during this time can be problmeatic for owners
what does it mean if the uterus shows edema and looks like a star on ultrasound?
it means it is under the influence of estrogen–>estrus? i need to fact check this
how many follicular waves do mares have?
2
the corpus hemmhoragicum turns into
the corpus luteum
what does a CL look like on ultrasound of the ovary? If you see one, what does this mean?
look more hyperechoic than ovarian parenchyma. if you see one, it means the horse has already ovulated and they’re in diestrus
how big does a follicle have to be before the mare ovulates it? when do they ovulate?
40-50mm
24-48 hours before end of estrus
what are examples of estrus behaviors?
squealing, excessive urinating, clitoral winking, tail raising, posturing with wide hind legs, back pain, grumpy or cuddly, etc
role of melatonin in the horse estrus cycle?
melatonin decreases with increasing daylight, #1 most important controller of seasonal polyestrus breeders! with low melatonin, GnRH increases. You can create artificial light for horses to help them transition!
role of GnRH in horse estrus cycle?
released from hypothalamus, stimulates pituitary to release FSH & LH
role of FSH in horse estrus cycle?
made by anterior pituitary, pushes mare out of transition in spring, stimulates follicular growth. peaks in diestrus, can have 2 follicular waves!
why do diestrus follicles usually regress in the mare?
to help select one follicle–>we don’t want twins!!! (placental insufficiency)
what role does inhibin play in horse estrus cycle?
inhibin is produced by granulosa cells of the dominant follicle and acts as neg feedback for pituitary, aka, inhibits FSH, making sure only one follicle develops