Artificial Insemination: Semen Extender Shows Promise

Stallion semen collected for artificial insemination can be chilled to maintain quality for about 24 to 48 hours. If the semen needs to be transported for a long distance and cannot reach the recipient mare in this time, semen can be frozen. This lengthens the time of viability, but conception rates drop significantly in horses when frozen semen is used.

Semen extenders (substances based on milk protein) can be added to fresh semen to provide energy to the cells, diluting harmful by-products, and guarding against pH changes. Research carried out by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in Australian on a bovine semen extender showed that the product provided an extra 48 hours of viability when equine semen was chilled, but did not significantly support semen quality at ambient temperatures.