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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

The pattern of breeding and management within the New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding industry 2005–2015. (II) The mare population

Y. Y. Chin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1698-6893 A * , C. W. Rogers https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4253-1825 B C , E. K. Gee B , K. J. Stafford C and E. Z. Cameron https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-0547 A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Biological Science, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.

B School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.

C School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.


Handling Editor: Wayne Bryden

Animal Production Science 64, AN21534 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN21534
Submitted: 13 October 2021  Accepted: 5 April 2022  Published: 5 May 2022

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY)

Abstract

Context

The New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding industry is heavily focused on producing horses for the export market and there has been a reduction in the number of horses racing in the past 20 years. The impact of these production constraints, and changes in production focus, have not been described at a national herd level.

Aim

To describe the breeding management, reproductive performance, and careers of the New Zealand Thoroughbred broodmare herd during the 2005/06–2015/16 breeding seasons.

Methods

The demographics, population structure, reproductive efficiency, breeding management and career descriptors of Thoroughbred mares were examined using descriptive analysis. Gestation length was modelled using a linear mixed effects model. The impact of different variables on breeding career were quantified by calculating odds ratio.

Results

There was a consistent reduction in the size of the national broodmare herd over the 10 years investigated. Half of the mares not retained for breeding were mares that were breed to low-cost stallions. Despite a short (∼100 days) commercial breeding season few (20%) mares were mated early in the season (September), with most mating (70%) occurring between October and November. The 27 days mean foaling to conception interval (FCI) suggests that FCI was artificially shortened and most pregnancy was achieved within first oestrus cycle post-partum. Mare career length and lifetime productivity was positively associated with the stud fee of the first stallion that the mare was mated to and number of foals registered for racing.

Conclusion

Mare replacement and loss within the national herd was disproportionately associated with mares that were producing foals for a contracting domestic racing market. There was a constricted breeding season with most mares being mated within the first oestrous cycle post-partum. Mare retention and breeding success were positively associated with the service fee of the sire and progeny that had raced, reflecting the commercial pressure of the industry on mare management.

Implication

The changes in the broodmare herd and management reflects the increasing proportion of the industry focusing on breeding foals that will appeal to the export market. The economic drivers for early born foals provide management challenges as these are not aligned with the optimal reproductive season of the horse.

Keywords: agribusiness, animal production, breeding, economics, equine, farm management, horses, population dynamics.

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