E. Koskinen et al., SERUM PROGESTERONE LEVELS IN MARES IN WINTER AND DURING TRANSITIONAL PERIODS, Acta veterinaria Scandinavica, 37(4), 1996, pp. 409-414
Weekly blood samples were collected for serum progesterone determinati
on from 68 mares during the period from September 1990 to June 1991. A
total of 78% (53/68) of the mares became anoestrous: 88% (15/17) of m
ares with foals and 75% (38/51) of dry mares (p = 0.323). Six mares of
the 15 which continued cycling showed persistent corpus luteum for 77
days on average (range 42-106 days). Anoestrus began between Septembe
r and February, most frequently in December, and ended in January to J
une, most frequently in March. Mares with foal at foot became anoestro
us in 2 separate groups, in September and in December. Anoestrus ended
most frequently in February in foaled mares. The mares with foals dif
fered significantly from the other mares both at onset (p = 0.0084) an
d end (p = 0.0218) of anoestrus. However, the effect of the stable was
also significant at onset (p = 0.0386) and end (p = 0.0170) of anoest
rus. Since all mares with foals were kept in one stable and dry mares
in 4 different stables, the effect of stable and possible differing li
ghting conditions cannot be separated from the foal effect. The length
of anoestrus was on average 101 days for lactating mares and 95 days
for dry mares (p = 0.6691). In foaled mares its length was on average
159 days in mares which had entered anoestrus as early as in September
-October and 62 days in mares entering anoestrus in December (p = 0.00
1). The effects of breed and age were not significant in any of the pa
rameters.