Abstract

An online survey was sent to 74 sport horse owners. With a response rate of 45% (33/74) data were available from 33 owners of 74 sport horse stallions. Most stallion owners were female (29/33; 88%), aged between 35 and54 years (25/33; 76%), and had equine occupations (17/33; 52%). Most sport horse stud farms were not operated as the primary income source for the owner (27/33; 82%). Farms had a median of 2 (Interquartile range (IQR) 1–3) stallions and a median of5 (IQR 2–9) mares. There were four larger farms standing stallions that also provided frozen semen from stallions resident outside of New Zealand. Most stallions were privately owned (69/75; 92%) and 47% (35/74) of stallions originated from overseas. Half the stallions had their own performance record (36/75; 49%). Natural service was offered for 64% (47/74) of the stallions, 81% (60/74) of stallions were available via artifical insemination with fresh or cooled semen, and 37% (27/74) were available via artifical insemination with frozen semen. The number of mares covered by the stallions per season was heavily left skewed with a median of 5 (IQR 1–8). There were a small group of active sires (n = 7) that covered larger books of mares with a median of 42 (IQR 22–50).

HEA, George, CF Bolwell, CW Rogers, and EK Gee

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 73, Hamilton, 71-75, 2013