Harvesting semen after a stallion’s death.

Question:

Is there any way to save semen after a stallion has died?

Answer:

Traditionally, the breeding potential of a stallion is lost with his death, but collection and freezing of semen has made it possible to store genetic material indefinitely.

Freezing semen while the stallion is healthy makes sense. Stallions can be collected in the off season and the frozen semen stockpiled for future use. The frozen semen can be used as needed during the breeding season if the stallion cannot be collected or does not have sufficient semen for all the mares scheduled to be bred.

Semen can also be harvested and cryopreserved after a stallion’s death.

Contact your American Association of Equine Practitioners-member veterinarian to find out whether there are facilities in your area to handle this collection and freezing.

– Dr. Patrick McCue
Equine Reproduction Laboratory at Colorado State University, Reproductive Specialist

Read more in Dr. McCue’s regular column in The American Quarter Horse Journal. Look for “Breeding Shed: Salvaging Sperm” in the December 2011 Journal.