Pregnancy

Denitions Gestation period = time period from fertilization until the foal is born 340 days Gestation is longer for colts Premature = delivery of viable fetus before fetal development is complete Before 300 days, chances of horse living is incredibly slim (lungs are not nished developing) Abortion = termination of pregnancy with delivery of nonviable fetus Can happen anytime during gestation Can be spontaneous (disease) or it can be deliberate Fertilization Usually occurs in the uterine tube next to the ovary Happens in the oviduct (next to the ovary) Sperm must be transported Motility of sperm (deposited into the uterus; penetrates the cervix) Muscular activity of the tubular genitalia Assisted by action of oxytocin (released from the act of breeding) from the neurohypophysis (posterior pituitary) Peristalsis (muscular contractions of the uterus and the oviduct) pushes the sperm up the oviduct First sperm can reach the oviduct in four minutes Not usually the one that ends up fertilizing the egg Four to six hours is usually how long it takes for the sperm that will actually fertilize the egg to get there Capacitation Process by which non fertile spermatozoa are converted to fertile spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract 4-12 hours Changes in the outer acrosome (membrane that surrounds the head of the sperm) by female secretions in order to fertilize the egg Length of fertility in the mare is 144 hours Gamete Fusion The zone pellucida of the ovum has a semi-permeable membrane that has specic receptor sites for attachment of spermatozoa (ZP3)

(ZP3) Protein on the egg that the sperm will recognize and attach = ZP3 This is what prevents cross-breeding During attachment, the acrosome reaction permits the spermatozoa to penetrate the vitelline membrane of the ovum Loses its hat Early Embryonic Development Attachment of the spermatozoa to the vitelline membrane causes the second meiotic division The pronuclei of the ovum and sperm fuse to form the new embryo Maternal Recognition Detection of the developing embryo Prevents regression of the corpus luteum (progesterone) Early embryonic death can be up to 30% in domestic animals The signal doesn't happen (lost before day 6) We do not know how the mare knows that an egg is fertilized Embryo Transfer Donor mare and recipient mare Synchronize their estrous cycles Breed the donor mare as usually Flush the embryo at day 5-6 Implant in recipient mare Implantation Attachment of the blastula (early embryo) to the uterine epithelium Embryos can migrate for up to 55 days in the mare but usually become "xed" in the uterus at day 16 Placentation Development of the extra-embryonic membranes (placenta) Exchanges nutrition and waste products between fetus and mare Placenta Chorion: Outermost membrane that is in contact with the maternal endometrium Amnion: Innermost membrane closest to the fetus Urachus: Joins bladder with the allantoic cavity Umbilical Arteries: Carry deoxygenated blood from the fetus to the placenta Umbilical Veins: Carry oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus

Between Foal and Mare Diffuse Epitheliochorial Type of placenta Chorion of placenta is in direct contact with the epithelium of uterus Also have chorionic vili over the entire endometrium

Hormones of Pregnancy Progesterone Provides negative feedback to prevent further heat cycles Inhibits uterine smooth muscle to facilitate placental attachment Maintains contractility of the uterus (important later in pregnancy) Produced by the corpus luteum initially, then the placenta (in the mare) Equine Chorionic Gonadotrophin (ECG) Produced by the endometrial cups of the placenta

Begins at 1 month gestation and continues until 4 months Promotes continued follicular development and luteinization (ovary) These secondary corpus luteum provide another source of progesterone Relaxin Secreted by the placenta of the mare Primary function is to prepare for parturition and lactation Relaxes muscles in order to be able to foal Released in the latter part of gestation Estrogen High in the middle third of pregnancy (months 4 to 8) This is why PMU farms exist (to collect this estrogen) Pregnancy Diagnosis Palpation or ultrasound via the rectum Early pregnancy 14-17 days detectable by ultrasound Twin identication ideally before 21 days Usually pinch one (literally) Check for heat signs in 21 days Parturition Giving birth 3 stages Uterine contractions (1-4 hours) Labour Ends with the breaking of the water (amnionic sac) Delivery of foal Should take 10-30 minutes Delivery of placenta Should happen within one hour After 3 hours and still no delivery of placenta, call vet Signs of Foaling Muscles and ligaments of birth canal relax Vulva swells Mucous present Mammary glands enlarge and may develop wax Hormones of Parturition Estrogen increases relative to progesterone Promotes development of contractile proteins in smooth muscle cells of the uterus Prostaglandins (PGF2a) Stimulates contraction of uterus

Dilation of cervix Oxytocin Entrance of fetus into the birth canal causes reex release of oxytocin from the hypothalamus Acts directly on smooth muscle to enhance uterine contractions and promote delivery