Prebreeding examination of the stallion

For a stallion to have adequate fertility, it is essential that it is fit, healthy, disease free, have a good libido and be able to mate. The only way to achieve fertility rates is if it also delivers semen of sufficient quantity and quality on a regular basis. A stallion's potential fertility is estimated by collecting and evaluating its semen. This article describes a clinical protocol for the collection and evaluation of semen, and discusses how to predict fertility from the results. An article in the January issue ( In Practice , volume 32, pp 22–28) described how to carry out a physical examination of a stallion to establish breeding soundness.