DOCUMENTATION OF SEXUAL CYCLE FEATURES, MATING AND AL-RESULTS IN ARAB HORSE AND HAFLINGER HERDS IN STUDS AND PRIVATE STUDFARMS IN WEST AND MIDDLE ANATOLIA

Abstract

Within a german-turkish university partnership documentation of reproductive data of brood-mares was performed as a part project of the cooperation contract. In the study Arab, Haflinger and cross-breed mares were included. The mares mainly were housed in big studfarms and a smaller part was kept under small private farms. Almost three quarters of both the Arab and Haflinger mares exhibited an estrous length of 1-4 days, whereas the others showed a heat duration of a period of 5-10 days. In the same group of probands a mean length of sexual cycle of 18-24 days could be observed in 38.2 % of the Haflinger. The majority of the other mares in both races documented a cycle duration of more than 25 days. The remarkable short duration of heat is discussed as caused by the sharp change from winter to spring environment conditions in that area. An explanation of the marked long mean cycle interval is difficult and might be caused by inadequate documentation of the data. Conception results and foaling data as 83.4 % resp. 78.8 % in the Arabs and 76.6 % resp. 74.8 % in the Haflinger mares are within the international standard.