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Cryopreservation of epididymal sperm allows final preservation of the gene reserve from valuable sires in case of unexpected injury terminating the breeding career. This case report describes the birth of a healthy foal following insemination with frozen-thawed epididymal sperm. The testes and epididymides were removed under general anaesthesia and sent cooled to the laboratory overnight. The cauda epididymidis was dissected and 17.79 × 10 9 sperm were harvested by a retrograde flush technique. A fertile mare was inseminated 1 year later with frozen-thawed epididymal sperm. Sperm were deposited into the tip of the uterine horn ipsilateral to the ovulation site. The mare did not become pregnant after the 1st cycle. In the 2nd breeding cycle, additional homologous seminal plasma was delivered into the uterus at the time of insemination and the mare was diagnosed as pregnant 14 days post ovulation. A healthy colt was born after 334 days of gestation. The method for preparing gonads for transportation to an appropriate laboratory is described for veterinarians and the different steps of semen collection and preservation are presented., Competing Interests: Die Autoren bestätigen, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht. Im Labor der Arbeitsgruppe werden Nebenhodenspermien nur in Notfällen konserviert und nicht versendet. Es werden keine Proben von infektiösen Tieren angenommen und immer Untersuchungen bezüglich equiner infektöser Anämie, equiner Virusarteritis und kontagiöser equiner Metritis eingeleitet. Die kommerzielle Samenkonservierung und der Samenversand werden nur bei Hengsten in der Besamungsstation durchgeführt., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Objective: During the peripartal period, interpretation of basic clinical signs may be challenging. In the present study, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and body temperature (BT) were evaluated in healthy mares of different breed types and compared to reference values for adult horses from the literature., Material and Methods: During daily physical exams of periparturient mares, the HR, RR and BT were evaluated. Differences according to the horse's size were investigated and in large breeds, the influence of dystocia or retained placenta was analysed., Results: During the last weeks before parturition (a. p.), the HR significantly increased and was clearly lower after parturition (p. p.; p < 0.05). In larger horses, the RR increased a. p. and decreased p. p. (p < 0.05). The BT underwent changes in all groups during the periparturient period and was higher p. p. (p < 0.05). In general, values for HR, RR and BT were highest in ponies (p < 0.05) while the lowest RR was measured in large horses (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the HR between mares with eutocia or with dystocia (p > 0.05). By contrast, the RR was significantly higher in mares with dystocia on day 1 p. p. (p < 0.05). Differences in the BT a. p. and p. p. occurred only in mares with eutocia (p < 0.05) and remained within the normal values. Mares with retained placenta did not exhibit significant changes in the HR (p > 0.05), but the BT was higher on day 1 p. p. (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Increased HR, RR and BT in mares during late pregnancy suggest a distinct physical performance for a prolonged period of time. Interpretation of these parameters in relation to the mare's reproductive state is essential to diagnose potential disorders and to determine whether therapy is required., Competing Interests: Die Autoren bestätigen, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Schattauer GmbH.)