Blue Light Influences Breeding Success – for dry and pregnant mares

Sponsored Content - Monday May 3

The horse’s natural reproductive period coincides with the light-filled days of summer. The desire to breed mares early in the year means that many foals are born at a darker time of year than Nature intended.

Click to learn more about Equilume light masks.

This has consequences for breeding efficiency. Often, early foaling mares experience longer gestations, have lower foal birth weights and can have trouble cycling post-foaling. As well as hormones that control reproduction, lengthening daylight stimulates important growth hormones that allow foals to mature in utero and mares to produce more milk and good colostrum. Specifically, it is the blue light wavelengths from the sun that drive these seasonal hormonal changes.

Published scientific studies confirm that extending daylength for dry mares using blue light from Equilume Light Masks will advance reproductive cycles as effectively as stable lighting, with the bonus that mares can be kept at pasture. For pregnant mares, extended daily light from light masks was shown to prevent prolonged gestations (reduction of 10-15 days) and optimise foal birth weights (average 4 kg increase).

Advertisement

New research presented this month at the Equine Symposium at the British Society for Animal Science’s 2021 Virtual Conference showed that pregnant mares wearing blue light masks in the final 100 days of gestation had shorter pregnancies, earlier post-foaling ovulations and more mature foals at birth. The exciting studies, conducted by researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria also found that foals from mares wearing light masks in the final months of pregnancy stood 15 minutes faster after birth than foals born to mares that did not receive additional light.

The Equilume Belfield and Curragh Light masks are specifically designed for breeding stock to receive ‘long day’ light signals when they are maintained outdoors at pasture. 

For dry mares blue light treatment  should begin approximately 75 days prior to the start of the breeding season, and for pregnant mares 90-100 days before their due dates.

Mike Fleming of Bhima Thoroughbreds.

“We have been using the Equilume Light Masks for the last 7 years with great success. Our dry mares are all cycling and covered early, while reducing our management costs significantly. Our pregnant mares that wore the masks foaled on time with excellent post-foaling fertility, especially mares that had previously struggled to cycle with foal at foot. We would highly recommend Equilume to farms that want to reduce costs and improve breeding efficiency.”

Mike Fleming, BHIMA, Hunter Valley, AUS

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
2YO Sale Mail – First Season Sires Poised for Action
Some lucrative juvenile races will be run on Saturday with the $500,000 VRC Inglis Banner (1000m) at Flemington and the $1million ATC Golden Gift (1000m) at Rosehill adding plenty of interest to an action packed day.
Hello Youmzain Earns a Fee Increase
Currently at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand, promising young shuttle sire Hello Youmzain (FR) has been given a fee increase back in France by Haras D’Etreham and will stand at €40,000 in 2025 up from €22,500.
Kiwi Family Leaving Lasting Legacy
Hi Yo Legacy is the latest success story for Kim Reid out of her family’s late broodmare Hi Yo Wassup, with the five-year-old producing an impressive victory on debut at New Plymouth on Wednesday.
Impressive HK Winner for Wrote
Chill Chibi was an impressive winner of the Class 2 Final at Happy Valley in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Sent out favourite, he duly obliged for trainer Danny Shum and Jockey Zac Purton. 
Sire Table Snapshot – Halfway Through Flemington Carnival
The Flemington Carnival has two more days to run with the $1million Group I VRC Oaks today and then three more G1 races on Saturday all worth $3million, so how does the Australian General Sires List look at the halfway point of this time honoured carnival.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
Three heats for juveniles run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning featured an $825,000 I Am Invincible filly and two youngsters that have won previously including a colt that bolted in by 14 lengths!
Zousain Filly Wins G3 Red Roses
Champion trainer Chris Waller prepared her sire Zousain and grand-sire Zoustar, so it’s not surprising he’s getting the best from talented filly Amelita, who powered to the line on Oaks Day at Flemington to win the $300,000 Group III VRC Red Roses Stakes (1100m).
Unraced First Season Sires Trial Report
There has been a tsunami of quality racing in the past week and there has also been plenty of action at barrier trials, so for those interested in what first season sires have juveniles in work and preparing to race this is a must read with 10 first season sires having trial runners since the start of November.
Gavelhouse Bargain Buy Ready for Stakes Class
An online purchase over COVID-19 lockdown is proving fruitful for a group of Otago mates.
Aga Khan Studs Set Fees for 2025
Sea the Stars has had four stakes-winners in Australia this season and has had a fee increase at Aga Khan Studs for 2025.