1. The Broodmare EQM 120 – Introduction to Commercial Breeding

2. A broodmare prospect is a filly or mare that has not yet been bred but is capable of being used for breeding purposes. A barren mare is a mare that has been bred during the breeding season but did not conceive. A broodmare is a mare that has been bred and is used for breeding purposes.

3. Reproductive Anatomy

4. The perineum, which is a common site of injury during parturition (birth), is the area under the tail that includes the... The normal conformation of the perineum prevents the ingress of air, which carries bacteria and other debris, into the genital tract. anus and the vulva. As a mare ages and / or produces foals, the vulvar lips (labiae) will lose elasticity and change in shape. Poor perineal conformation can lead to wind-sucking, which can lead to chronic inflammation in the vagina (vaginitis), cervix (cervicitis) and potentially the uterus (metritis) that can reduce fertility. Wind-sucking during pregnancy can lead to abnormalities in the developing fetus or abortion. This mare is susceptible to infections due to the anus being regressed and the labiae not being tight, which allows air and other contaminants inside the genital tract. Each time the mare defecates, feces will fall into the vulva.

5. It is important to note that once a vulvoplasty has been performed on a mare, she will need to remain sutured for the remainder of her life, even if the surgery was done for performance reasons. If she is producing foals, the sutures should be removed a few days prior to expected foaling date and then new sutures put in post-breeding. A common procedure on mares with poor perineal conformation used to reduce “wind- sucking” and therefore infections of the mare’s reproductive tract is a vulvoplasty, commonly called a Caslick’s. A Caslick’s is the surgical closing of the upper part of the vulva.

6. In the ventral commissure of the vulva lies the clitoris. The clitoris is an important part of the reproductive system because it has three depressions… the clitoral sinuses. The clitoral sinuses are important for the investigation of venereal disease because bacteriological swabs are routinely taken from here. The vagina is the portion of the reproductive tract between the vestibulovaginal seal (which is just within the vulva) and the cervix. The cervix is a muscular structure and forms the final barrier to the uterus to prevent the ingress of contamination and infection. The uterus, which is where the developing fetus will be housed during pregnancy, is a T-shaped structure that is suspended within the abdomen by two large, broad ligaments that serve as attachments to the body wall and support blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerves. The ovaries are kidney-shaped and change in size and firmness depending on whether or not the mare is sexually receptive.

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