Approaches to Breeding Soundness Examination and Interpretation of Results

• Evaluation of stallions for breeding soundness can be a very extensive process.
• The extent of the examination should be discussed with the owner beforehand.
• Libido, mating ability, and sperm quantity/quality are important points of focus.
• Both routine and more in-depth tests are available to assess sperm quality.
• Test selection must fit within the time/economic constraints of the stallion owner.

The best indicator of stallion fertility is per-cycle pregnancy rate following cover or artificial insemination of fertile mares under good management conditions. This process can be lengthy, cumbersome, and impractical. As such, a laboratory-based examination is oftentimes performed to predict the fertility of a given stallion. This communication summarizes the approach to examination of a stallion for breeding soundness.