Use of a new artificial vagina without a liner reduced sperm motility in a stallion

Abstract

A 24 year old Tennessee Walking Horse stallion was presented at beginning of breeding season for a sudden decrease in sperm motility noticed 1 hour after semen was collected with a new artificial vagina. Stallion was healthy and previous breeding soundness examinations indicated no signs of subfertility. Collection procedure, processing temperature, semen extender addition, and seminal plasma exclusion were examined as possible causes. None identified the reason for reduced motility. When the same artificial vagina, with or without a liner, was used to collect semen from this stallion and 2 other stallions, sperm motility increased for all 3 stallions when a liner was used. Therefore, the new artificial vagina was regarded as the cause of decreased sperm motility.