Ask the Expert: Dr. Cheryl Lopate

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Dr. Lopate received a BS in Animal Science from Colorado State University in 1984 and a Masters Degree in Reproductive Physiology in 1987 from The Ohio State University. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. She practiced in a rural mixed practice in Minnesota from 1991 to 1995, then went on to complete a residency in comparative theriogenology (reproduction) at Purdue University from 1995 to 1997 and was board certified in Theriogenology in 1997.

She continued to teach clinical reproduction at Purdue University Veterinary Hospital for 2.5 more years, and then returned to clinical practice, providing primarily reproductive care for horses and companion animals until she opened her own reproduction specialty practice in November of 2003.

Ask Dr. Lopate a question now!

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Question:

I was wondering if horses can get pregnant in September?

Answer:

Mares are called seasonally polyestrous. This means that during the long daylight months they will cycle repeatedly. In the spring and fall they go through periods of transition. During the transitional periods, they will appear to still cycle, but they do not ovulate. In order to get pregnant, the mare must ovulate. Each mare will enter her transitional period at a slightly different time period than another mare.

The normal breeding season of the mare is May – September. So it is likely that your mare will still be cycling (and ovulating) in September, but if she enters transition early, she may not be. The best plan is to have her checked by a veterinarian when you are ready to breed her to see if she is still cycling or if she has entered transition. This can be determined by a combination of rectal palpation and ultrasound examination of the mare’s reproductive tract.

Remember that if you breed your mare in September, she will foal in August the following year, which here in the Pacific Northwest is often the hottest month of the summer and therefore the hardest on a newborn foal. For this reason, many people don’t breed in September in our area.

Good luck!

Cheryl Lopate, MS, DVM