Another course!
The one thing that annoys me about the Thoroughbred racing industry is that AI is illegal. Now, there are valid arguments both for and against the use of AI, but either way, being something that is used in the breeding side of the horse industry outside of Thoroughbreds, I’d be interested in learning about it.
Was chatting with a mate about this while in Ireland working and another that has spent a bit of time studying in the US suggested a short course on AI at the Colorado State University.
Did a little search and:
http://equinescience.colostate.edu/content/view/41//
“The four-day course includes 24 hours of classroom instruction and 12 hours of laboratory work in mare and stallion management, seminal collection and evaluation, artificial insemination, and care of the pregnant mare and neonatal foal. Participants are encouraged to actively participate in the collection and evaluation of semen and insemination of mares. Topics to be covered include anatomy and physiology of the mare and stallion genital tract, hormonal relationships and fertility, seminal collection and evaluation, techniques of artificial insemination, factors affecting sperm production and output, sexual behavior of the stallion, training a stallion to a phantom, hormonal control of the estrous cycle and pregnancy, care of the pregnant, foaling and postpartum mare, and nutrition of the stallion and pregnant mare.”
Looks pretty appealing to me! Now, to add that to the list of things to save for… after South Africa next year, the Jackaroo/Jillaroo course, my motorbike and bass guitar. And they say money makes the world go round!
“A horse has so docile a nature that he would always rather do right then wrong, if only he could be taught to distinguish one from the other.”
