21st Century Breeding: USA Mare Pregnant by 2014 Belgium National Champion

Acorn Ridge Leah expects foal by Matteo van 't Rietenhof

01-01-2007   Stacy Pearsall  

Imported frozen semen by Matteo van ‘t Rietenhof successfully inseminated in USA born Brabant mare, Acorn Ridge Leah, proves successful.

At the turn of this century, attempts were made in America to inseminate a number of Brabant draft horse mares utilizing imported frozen semen from Europe. It is Trekpaard.net’s understanding that those efforts resulted in three pregnancies. Since that time, it is believed no additional frozen semen inseminations within the Brabant draft horse community have been made with many American-based breeders siting low pregnancy success rates and cost inhibitive import fees and veterinarian costs. Over the last eighteen years however, technological strides in equine fertility and insemination have improved equine frozen semen success. In view of the advances, South Carolina resident Stacy Pearsall imported frozen semen from Eddy Van Langenhove’s stud, Matteo van ‘t Rietenhof in the Fall of last year.

Equine Reproduction Centers

In September 2017, Pearsall worked with ERC De Morette to import ten doses collected from Matteo. After filing the necessary permit applications through the USDA, the dry-ship canister was transported via Agricon-Logistics from Belgium to New York City customs where an agent from Mersant vouched for the items and forwarded them onto Southern Equine Service in Aiken, South Carolina, where Matteo’s straws are presently kept. Southern Equine Service was chosen in large part because of their high insemination success rates. Furthermore, they’re conveniently located just 1.5 hours from Pearsall’s home.

Leah

Pearsall’s mare, Acorn Ridge Leah or Leah for short, is an eleven-year-old registered American Brabant Association (Tier 2 -75% European Brabant and 25% American Belgian Draft Horse) bay roan draft mare out of Bennett's Eminent Scout and Belle (by Eros van 't Berrekenshof). She was bred by Karen Gruner and born in Ijamsville, Maryland. Until last year, Leah was a maiden. A live-cover breeding with a Kentucky-based Brabant stallion failed due to the stud’s illness, which directly impacted semen motility.

Early spring 2018, Pearsall started Leah on a series of Regumate and Lutalyse to bring on estrus. The treatment was unsuccessful. From there, it was decided a weekly ultrasound to monitor her estrus was needed. Luckily just a week later, an ultrasound by Pearsall’s local equine veterinarian, Dr. Justin Miller, confirmed she’d grown a follicle greater than 50mm. She was promptly hauled to Southern Equine Service and was immediately admitted into the clinic. Over the course of two days, she was palpated and given ultrasound exams every six hours to monitor ovulation.

Motility check

Before the veterinarian performed the insemination, Matteo’s semen was examined and determined to be at 65% motility. According to the USA national average, post-thaw motility averages 31%, with a range of 11% to 53% (half being 52%). Despite Matteo’s above average post-thaw motility, the insemination timing still had to be precise. No more than eight hours after ovulation in fact. Unlike fresh semen, which usually maintains its fertilizing capacity for up to 48 hours, frozen semen is just 12 to 20 hours. As soon as Leah ovulated, she was inseminated using the deep horn insemination technique. A pregnancy check via ultrasound performed Monday, May 14, 2018, showed signs of embryo development. If all continues to go well, Matteo’s first American born foal will be on the ground in March 2019.

Frozen semen of Brabants

International laws mandate that frozen semen bound for import/export requires stringent collection techniques by trained veterinarian professionals as well as certified documentation. These factors limit the number of studs presently offered for frozen semen export.
Those known by the editors are Dorus van de Molenhoeve, Frits van 't Rietenhof and Matteo van 't Rietenhof (inquire the stud farms about the possibility of international export).

If you’re contemplating importing equine frozen semen, Stacy Pearsall has got some helpful tips and guidance for you. Click here for the article!

Registering Brabants in the USA

After several breeders had trouble registering their (partly) Brabants in the US, the American Brabant Association has now confirmed to have created a registry. The ABA has great hopes that this registry will benefit the newly named American Brabant horse by keeping a database of imported European Brabant horses, Western Hemisphere-born Brabant horses, and Brabant horses crossed with Other Approved Draft Stock.
More info: www.theamericanbrabantassociation.net

Our special thanks to Stacy Pearsall for the text and pictures!

Leah during treatment at Southern Equine Service