Sexual Behavior and Performance of the Stallion
It is essential to have a stallion exhibit the proper mating behavior. The success of a breeding farm is dependent on the maximum reproductive efficiency from its stallions. Problems with normal mating behavior that is absent, erratic or unpredictable can make the difference between profitability and financial failure. Problems in the mating behavior can lead to increased time and labor spent on semen collection, breeding and decreased pregnancy rates will occur leading to mares needing to be rebred.
Normal Behavior - A stallion owner or handler does not usually appreciate the difficulty of handling a stallion with abnormal sexual behavior nor do they appreciate a normal stallion until they have experience the abnormal stallion. Normal sexual behavior includes the ability to obtain an erection within 2 - 3 minutes of exposure to a mare in estrus. The stallion should then be able to maintain that erection through washing and mounting of the mare or phantom. The stallion should then be able to ejaculate within 1 to 2 mounts. A normal stallion should be able to hand breed (breeding a mare when under restraint by a handler) 1 to 3 mares per day or ejaculate into an artificial vagina every other day.
A variety of factors affect sexual behavior and performance of the stallion. We will be discussing:
- Season
- Age
- Testis Size and Consistency
- Frequency of Ejaculation
- Sexual Stimulation
Once we achieve an understanding of factors contributing to normal behavior and performance we will then address abnormal behavior and what can be done to treat a stallion with these problems.
Effects of