On the fertility of stallions

Extract

Two sets of records, for Light and Heavy Horses respectively, have been analysed statistically, with the object of studying some of the factors which affect the percentage of foals left by a stallion in a service season.

It has been found that the stallion himself is one factor, in that each individual’s percentage returns, in successive seasons, tend towards a constant figure; although there is every gradation, and even considerable variation from year to year, there are definitely good and bad “getters” of foals.

A stallion's fertility varies according to the district of the country in which he stands or travels, being higher in the north and west of England and Wales than in the south and east, and very low in Scotland.

In moderation, frequent use does not impair a stallion's fertility; there is, in fact, some (insignificant) evidence that the more mares he serves, the greater the proportion of foals he leaves.

There is a slight tendency for a stallion's fertility to rise from the time he is 3 years old till he is 13 years old—this result may, though, easily be due to chance; on the other hand it is quite clear that fertility declines after the age of 16 years, and this occurs over the whole range, and is not caused by a certain number becoming absolutely sterile.