Reports from downunder state that a New Zealand veterinarian is about to trial new freezing methods for sex-sorted horse semen
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Dr Lee Morris, of Cambridge, said the fertility trial in New Zealand this summer will be a collaboration between Sexing Technologies, EquiBreed NZ Ltd and Sydney University.
She expects that improvements in the sorting process -- to be done by Texas-based Sexing Technologies which has imported the technology for dairy herds -- and in the maintenance of sperm viability will make frozen sex-sorted horse sperm a commercial reality.
The horse project will piggyback on the technology being made available to the dairy sector.
"The plan is to have fresh sexed semen available this season and to ensure optimal fertility we will inseminate mares within an hour of sorting," Dr Morris said.
In dairy cattle the use of sex-sorted sperm is expected to increase the rate of genetic progress by 15 percent compared with conventional insemination programmes.
For livestock such as horses, the higher cost of sex-sorted semen might be accepted by breeders who specifically wanted a colt or a filly.
Preferences were likely to vary according to breed and sport, with fillies preferred for polo and colts preferred in the standardbred industry. Sport horse breeders could prefer fillies over colts to increase the pool of broodmares, but then breed colts for competition. As a mare ended her breeding career, an owner might want to breed replacement fillies.
Dr Morris' research with Professor W R "Twink" Allen was part of a sport-horse project to inseminate top competition mares -- with sex-selected sperm -- and then transfer the embryos to host mothers so the genetic mother could continue to compete.
Embryo transplants are forbidden for registered thoroughbreds but are common for farm animals such as sheep and cattle, and sometimes used for standardbred horses in harness racing.
(NZPA)