22nd Annual Student Research Conference
Comparison of Seasonal Transition in Mares Treated with Artificial Light Treatment and Those Exposed to Natural Light
Carrie J. Ostrowski
Dr. Abdo Alghamdi, Faculty Mentor
Mares are long-day breeders ovulating from mid-spring to late fall and their pregnancy lasts for 11.5 months. There are certain situations in the equine industry where foaling prior to spring is preferred (e.g. the arbitrary birth date of January 1st in thoroughbred); the long pregnancy and late ovulation makes early foaling improbable. We are examining the effect of artificial light treatment on the onset of ovulation. Six mares are split into two equal groups (treated and control), and had identical care with the exception of the treatment. Treated mares are exposed to natural daylight plus one hour of artificial light from 10 pm to 11 pm. First ovulation of all mares will be determined during the period from mid February to mid March via transrectal ultrasound examination to detect ovulation and CL formation. Collected data will be analyzed using Chi square and we expect treated mares to ovulate earlier than untreated mares.
Keywords: Mare, Artificial light treatment, Early ovulation
Topic(s):Agricultural Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 9-4
Location: PML
Time: 4:15