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Roxanne Wahlert,
BS; Manager, Hadley Farm Operations
Production of Foals at UMass
Horses bred at UMass are Morgan purebreds of the Bay State line. The
lineage of these Morgans goes back to the old Government line of cavalry
remounts bred by the U.S. Army. When the cavalry was disbanded after
W.W. II, the breeding stock was donated to Land Grant Colleges throughout
the Northeast. For the last 15 years our main standing stallion has
been Windcrest Highlander. For breeding purposes, semen is collected
from our stallion and mares a bred by artificial insemination after
careful monitoring by ultrasonographic examination. At lest 2-4 foals
are produced yearly.
Our breeding program has two purposes. First, it serves an educational
need for Animal Science students interested in equine reproduction.
Secondly, the breeding program perpetuates the Bay State line, bringing
foals yearly into the equine program. If suited for schooling, our foals
become replacements for our equine riding program. For such purpose,
foals are handled and trained by our students as part of their requirements
in the Equine Studies Program or as an elective for students with Equine
Sciences interest. Foals that are not suited to become school horses
are trained and sold publicly in a silent auction.
The Teaching Aspect of Equine Breeding Management
Breeding of our Morgan horses is incorporated as part of a Horse Breeding
Laboratory held in the spring semester. In this hands-on class, students
learn and perform all techniques related to breeding, including semen
collection from stallions, semen handling, evaluation and preparation
for cooled shipment, mare teasing and interpretation of ultrasound findings
for appropriate breeding management, and assisted reproductive techniques
such as freezing semen. Additionally, our students take turns to stay
at the farm to monitor our pregnant mares for foaling management.
Equine Reproduction Services at UMass
The equine center for assisted reproduction offers services for a) performance stallions and mares so they can continue to train and compete and still maximize the reproductive potential e.g., embryo transfer, b) breeding management of healthy mares and mares with chronic uterine infections, c) semen collection from stallions for sperm analysis, cooled shipment or semen freezing, d) and complete breeding soundness examination of mares or stallions with infertility problems.
For more information on our breeding program or referral services please
contact:
Ms. Roxanne Wahlert
413-549-3251
rwahlert@vasci.umass.edu
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