Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service ANSI-3922 An Overview of Stallion Breeding Management David W. Freeman Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Fact Sheets OSU Extension Equine Specialist are also available on our website at: http://osufacts.okstate.edu Based on national and state surveys, approximately off farm. Moreover, many owners invest in esthetically 100,000 horses are used for production in Oklahoma. appealing stallion housing to increase the interest of Horse breeding enterprises are very diverse. Most visiting mare owners who are contemplating the pur- people only own broodmares and contract breedings chase of a stallion’s service. with stallion owners. Stallion owner enterprises range Breeding stallions may be handled less frequently from those with a single stallion that may breed fewer than other horses, and spend more time in stalls. As than five mares per year to operations that stand several such, many farm designs expand the industry standard stallions and breed hundreds of mares annually. Breeding for stalling average-sized stock horses of 12 feet by 12 methods include pasture mating, in-hand natural mating feet to larger dimensions. and artificial insemination with fresh, cooled, or frozen Stalls should be of strong construction that is free semen. Those who manage stallions are concerned with from objects that can injure a stallion. Wood is the maintaining a healthy horse that meets expectations as most commonly used material for stall walls, although a breeding animal. This report provides an overview of concrete block and metal sheeting are also frequently management needs for breeding stallions. and successively used. Wood allows for a solid bar- rier, yet it is more forgiving than concrete if a stallion Housing paws or kicks the walls and is less noisy than metal. Stallion housing facilities vary greatly between farms, Wall heights should be a minimum of 8 feet, although partially because of facility constraints and partially taller sides may be required when housing aggressive because of differences in behaviors between stallions. stallions in adjoining stalls. Some stallions can be stalled in or around other horses Stall fronts typically are solid in heights of 4 to 4 with little concern for aggression or fighting. Others, 1/2 feet from the floor, with metal bars or a sturdy wire especially during breeding season, can become quite mesh extending above to the top of the stall front. The aggressive, and require significant housing and facil- bars or mesh on the top of the stall front allow for ven- ity construction to provide a safe environment for the tilation into stalls and visual contact with other horses stallion and surrounding horses. Stallions are normally and activities in the area. housed next to geldings or other stallions, rather than Stallions housed beside one another should not have mares. Housing stallions next to cycling mares is not physical access to each another since biting, kicking, recommended, unless using the mare for a short teasing and fighting are natural behaviors with many stallions. period prior to collection. As such, common walls to adjoining stalls should be Farms with several stallions will usually contain a solid to barn eve heights (8 to 10 feet is typical). stallion barn or stalling area that is separated from the Although exercise has not been shown to increase general horse population. Separate housing decreases stallion semen production, most stallions will respond the chance of contracting infectious diseases inadver- behaviorally and appear healthier when allowed daily tently brought to the farm from horses that routinely travel access to mild exercise. Stalls are commonly connected Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources • Oklahoma State University to a turnout area to provide self-exercise and visual the feed will influence how much ration is needed per contact with other horses. Stallions in stalls without a day. It is becoming more and more popular to feed grain connected turnout should be routinely allowed access mixes with added fat because these mixes supply energy to an individual turnout paddock or mild exercise such in concentrated, highly digestible amounts. Fat-added as hand walking. feeds are especially beneficial for those stallions that Turnouts should be fenced with sturdy construction. do not maintain adequate weight with traditional grain Minimum fence height recommendations for typical mixes. pasture fences of farms of 4 to 5 feet are increased Most commercially prepared grain mixes designed to a minimum of 6 feet or higher to lessen the desire for stallions will have enough minerals and vitamins of stallions to rear and challenge enclosures. Double added to the formulation to more than meet daily needs fencing turnouts that directly contact other horses is for these nutrients. As such, additional supplementa- also recommended, so stallions have limited physical tion of minerals and vitamins is unwarranted unless the access to surrounding horses. stallion is fed low-quality hay and a grain without added minerals. The exception is the need for trace-mineral- Nutritional Needs of the Stallion ized salt, which is recommended to be supplied free Stallions will need more energy during the breeding choice in blocks in addition to the amounts provided in season, as most will increase their daily voluntary exer- commercially prepared rations. cise, such as walking paddock fences, in anticipation of Water is the most important, and perhaps most breeding. Forage, usually in the form of hay, should be unthought of, nutrient. Many stallions are watered with provided at minimums of 1% of body weight per day (10 automatic waterers because of their convenience. pounds of hay for 1000 pounds of weight). Grain should However, automatic waterers should be cleaned and supplement the forage at levels to maintain a moder- checked daily to ensure proper function. Using buckets ate body condition. Body condition can be estimated instead of automatic waterers has the advantage of visually by the level of fat cover on the stallion’s neck, making it easy to monitor the animal’s intake and note back, ribs, shoulder, and croup. Typically, condition level any changes that might relate to health problems. should allow for enough fat cover so that individual ribs are not seen, the croup appears rounded, and the neck Health Care and shoulder blend smoothly into the body. See OSU Managers who stand stallions for income emphasize Extension Fact Sheet ANSI-3920, “Body Condition of all programs that influence the appearance and health Horses” for more information on assessing a stallion’s of the stallion. As such, stallions are typically kept in top level of condition. condition, hair coats are groomed, long hair is clipped, Hay species used in feed rations vary; some man- and manes and tails are maintained according to current agers prefer the added nutritional content of legumes, industry trends. Stallions should have hooves trimmed such as alfalfa, because legumes reduce the need for every four to eight weeks. Some owners prefer shoeing grain nutrients. Others choose high-quality grass hay stallions, while others prefer leaving them unshod. such as bermudagrass to avoid potential blister beetle Health programs include deworming and vaccination poisoning from alfalfa. A 70/30 hay-to-grain ratio (by of stallions with similar routines as those conducted on weight of ration) is a typical benchmark for feeding other mature horses on the farm. The attending vet- stallions. However, there is enough individual variation erinarian will prescribe vaccinations against diseases between stallions and management routines that rations such as tetanus, rabies, encephalitis, rhinopneumonitis, range from all-forage diets to diets higher in grain than influenza, and equine viral arteritis. Parasite programs hay. should include routine deworming and general sanita- Recommendations for grain mixes will partially de- tion practices, such as daily cleaning of stalls. pend on the type of hay fed, as stallions consuming alfalfa will need less supplementation than those consuming a Breeding Management less-nutritious hay. The typical commercially prepared grain mixes intended for breeding stallions contain 12% Factors affecting daily spermatozoa output. to 14% crude protein. These concentrations will more Basically, the role of a breeding stallion is to impreg- than adequately meet daily protein needs when the nate mares. This means producing semen containing grain is combined with high-quality grass hay. adequate quality and numbers of spermatozoa to fertilize The amount of ration needed per day will vary; a mare’s ovum. Spermatozoa are produced daily in the larger stallions require more ration per day because of seminiferous tubules of the stallion’s testes. The testes higher maintenance needs. More active stallions will are housed in the protective covering of the scrotum, need more ration per day. Also, the energy content of which functions to regulate the temperature of the testes. 3922-2 Temperature regulation is important because abnormal Semen collection schedules rises in temperature — such as those caused by injury Collecting or breeding once per week decreases or infection — will decrease spermatozoa production. the weekly sperm output compared with breeding or col- Since stallions need about 57 days to produce mature lecting daily or every other day. Sperm output per week spermatozoa, injuries and infection can have long-term is similar whether collecting every other