Summary

Unfortunately, very few pregnancy losses are investigated in QLD. Each breeding region has unique characteristics, so it is crucial to have accurate information specific to each state. It is essential to obtain state-specific information to assist Queensland breeders in reducing pregnancy losses.

To decide how best to reduce pregnancy losses it is very important to understand the size of the problem, at what time of year the losses are occurring, at what stage of most pregnancy losses happen, the major causes and the influence of the environment on the mares. Work done in the Hunter Valley investigating pregnancy losses in 2021 (PRJ-011719, ‘The Pathology and Epidemiology of Equine Pregnancy Loss’) found some very interesting and unexpected results which are useful for the breeders and their vets to plan how to reduce pregnancy losses. To improve the quality of the information collected this project will repeat the case-control study and specifically investigate QLD studs as well as include the studs in the Hunter Valley that participated in the original project.

Program

Thoroughbred Horses

Research Organisation

Equine Specialist Consulting

Objective Summary

This objectives of this study will be to document in QLD and the Hunter Valley
a) how many mares lose their pregnancies,
b) at what time of year this occurs most commonly,
c) at what stage of pregnancy the losses occur,
d) whether the losses are investigated,
e) what the known causes are (when investigated external to the current project),
f) what vaccinations and treatments the mares receive
g) the effect of paddocks in which mares are kept.