A reproductive evaluation, often termed a breeding soundness examination, may be performed to: 1) estimate future reproductive potential of a stallion, 2) provide a routine evaluation prior to purchase, or 3) determine cause(s) of poor reproductive performance.
The main advantages of frozen semen are long-term preservation of genetic material, insurance against unanticipated loss of a stallion, access to frozen semen if fresh or cooled semen is not available, and ability to ship semen worldwide.
The goal of a mare reproductive evaluation or breeding soundness examination is to identify known or potential reproductive abnormalities and to evaluate the potential for a mare to become pregnant and carry a foal successfully to term.
The goal of a test cool is to determine if semen from a stallion cools well and to identify the semen extender that optimizes motility during cooled storage.
It’s safer and more convenient to train a stallion to mount a breeding phantom for semen collection.