Determinants of reproductive efficiency and pregnancy outcomes in arabian purebred and french saddle mares in western of Algeria

To characterize the fertility of mares in Algeria, our study evaluated the reproductive performance of 84 mares, consisting of 44 Arabian purebred and 40 French Saddle mares, aged between 3 and 18 years. These mares were monitored via ultrasound during the 2020 breeding season. Data were collected and analyzed using PROC GLM followed by multivariate analysis (MANOVA) in the SAS program to assess the influence of breed, age, and breeding month. The results showed that the diameter of the pre-ovulatory follicle was unaffected by any of the factors analyzed (P < 0.05). However, a significant difference in gestation length was noted between the two breeds, with Arabian purebreds averaging 326.3 ± 1.96 days and French Saddles averaging 334.31 ± 2.69 days. Conception rates at the end of the breeding season were similar, with French Saddle mares at 87.5% and Arabian purebreds at 85.71%. Successful pregnancies were achieved in an average of 2.25 cycles for French Saddles and 2.43 cycles for Arabian purebreds. Importantly, the duration between foaling and the next fertile ovulation did not differ significantly between the two breeds, regardless of age or breeding month (P < 0.05). While no significant effects of breeding method were found, it was noted that cycles using fresh artificial insemination were higher than those using frozen or refrigerated semen. Overall, our study suggests comparable reproductive performance between the two breeds. However, further research is needed to explore any subtle differences and additional factors that may influence their reproductive outcomes.